Microsoft says that the new Windows 8 tablets will ship around the same time as Windows 8 but the big question in everyone’s mind is how much will this device cost?
Steve Sinofsky made the following remark (around the 43:30 mark) on pricing:
Microsoft Surface with Windows RT will be available in both 32 GB and 64 GB model and will be priced like comparable tablets that are based on ARM.
Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Professional will come in 64 GB and 128 GB storage models and will have a retail price comparable with competitive Ultrabook class PCs.






It looks like Microsoft will showcase the Windows RT based Surface tablet as an alternative to the iPad (the “comparable tablet”) while the Surface Pro running Windows 8 could be seen as a replacement for high-end laptops (or the “comparable Ultrabooks”).

Ultrabooks and Tablets – The Current Scene

The iPad costs $500 for the 16 GB version while the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the ASUS Transformer, both 10.1″ Android tablets, are priced at around $400 each. Surface will probably target this segment and could carry a similar price tag.
Speaking of Ultrabook PCs, Dell XPS 13 and HP Envy Spectre XT, both 13″ Ultrabooks, start at $1000 while the Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook is currently available for $800. The 13″ Toshiba Portege Ultrabook is priced at $900.
These prices could obviously change in the coming months but it looks like the Surface Pro tablets could also be in the same $900-$1000 range.