Windows 8 tablets

[Rico]

Could MS sell the surface for $200?  This is an interesting read:

http://techland.time.com/2012/08/16/microsoft-surface-rt-tablet-for-199-lets-be-realistic/

[Bryancd]

I doubt it. I don't think Microsoft will want this to be a "sell at a loss" product like Amazon does with the Kindle and I don't see the subsidy plan as being very viable for them.

[PaulECoyote]

Depends if they treat it like the 360.  They sold those at a loss I believe until they got the manufacture costs down.  The new 360s have fewer parts, need less power and run cooler than their unfortunate launch brethren.  So depending on who is in charge and how much they want it... loss-leading price could happen.

Nintendo dumped that idea a while ago, they at least break-even on production costs even at release of their stuff I think.  Apple always charge way over the cost of production on just about everything, but have cultivated an image and made it fashionable to keep with this seasons new gadget.

Sony tried to cash in with their elite image and claims of technical superiority with the PS3 at launch at an expensive price... I don't think that went terribly well for them as far as sheer volume of sales goes.  But just like Apple products you get a core of people who will pay anything and believe Sony stuff is the best ever.

Hopefully they will persevere with that and the phones - price will help but in a world where Apple products claim to be magical and consumers accept that message rather than laugh... well they will have to come up with one hell of a marketing campaign to get people to even just try out their products.  Fanatics are bound to wheel out tired old "blue screen", "MS just copy" and "M$" tropes.

[X]

They won't do it because it doesn't make sense for them. If they sell it at a loss, they will impact their partners and lose a lot of money if other companies start walking away from the windows OS because their products can't compete.

I have so pretty reliable sources that say the rt version with be around the price of an iPAD and the 8 version will be the price of a high end laptop.

The 360 only sold at a loss because all consoles sell at a loss and they recoup that with first party games.

[Bryancd]

They won't do it because it doesn't make sense for them. If they sell it at a loss, they will impact their partners and lose a lot of money if other companies start walking away from the windows OS because their products can't compete.

I have so pretty reliable sources that say the rt version with be around the price of an iPAD and the 8 version will be the price of a high end laptop.

The 360 only sold at a loss because all consoles sell at a loss and they recoup that with first party games.

Yeah the game console business is different. They have their own version of the app store in the gas manufacturers to provide content to drive sales.

[Dangelus]

A couple of blog have speculated that the Surface will be a US only limited number of devices, say 100,000 and not meant to be a mass market product. It will be Microsoft showing their hardware partners how it should be done. If this is the case I can see them selling these at a loss to make a point and get the buzz out there.

Personally I would be very annoyed as a consumer if this were true!

[Bryancd]

A couple of blog have speculated that the Surface will be a US only limited number of devices, say 100,000 and not meant to be a mass market product. It will be Microsoft showing their hardware partners how it should be done. If this is the case I can see them selling these at a loss to make a point and get the buzz out there.

Personally I would be very annoyed as a consumer if this were true!

Huh, no talk about that among the research analysts. I would be highly skeptical as i always am of tech blogs ability to be predictive.

[Rico]

But Bryan, those tech blogs have been touting an iPad mini for a very long time too!  :)

[Bryancd]

But Bryan, those tech blogs have been touting an iPad mini for a very long time too!  :)

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes. :)

[PaulECoyote]

With all the app and in-app purchases Apple has, I reckon it could easily drop the price of iOS devices via the Apple tax (around 30%) on transactions if it wanted too.  That is a very similar model to the revenue share model of publishing on a closed console.  It has no reason to do so though unless there is strong enough competition.

It would be risky for Microsoft to put such a high cut of revenue through its device through its storefront *and* attract new developers to it.  The points made about MS not wanting to undercut the competition are valid though... I can't seem them shrinking their potential market by undercutting their hardware partners.

It is possible for a Win tablet to compete... very difficult but possible.  The 360 shows that at least part of Microsoft can show up later to a market and carve out a chunk for itself sometimes plus add some innovation there.  Xbox Live quality of service blew PSN and Segas network services out of the water at the time of Xbox 1s, Dreamcast and PS2s.  I never owned an Xbox 1 myself - stuck with PS2 and GameCube - but the foundation of Live was built on by the 360 and eventually turned my head to the 360.

What they don't want is another Zune.  That operating system, and Window Phone 7 paved the way for the tiled stuff you see in Windows 8.  Perhaps it will be the break though just as the 360 was for Microsoft and gaming.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I can't remember but has anyone said how locked down the Win8 tablets are going to be? I know browsers are already restricted, but does everything have to go through the app store or has that not been talked about?

[X]

I can't remember but has anyone said how locked down the Win8 tablets are going to be? I know browsers are already restricted, but does everything have to go through the app store or has that not been talked about?

Windows 8 won't have browser restrictions, it's Windows RT. Here's something that talks about it.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/20159/mozillas_hypocrisy_its_ok_for_apple_to_block_firefox_but_wrong_when_microsoft_does_it

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I can't remember but has anyone said how locked down the Win8 tablets are going to be? I know browsers are already restricted, but does everything have to go through the app store or has that not been talked about?

Windows 8 won't have browser restrictions, it's Windows RT. Here's something that talks about it.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/20159/mozillas_hypocrisy_its_ok_for_apple_to_block_firefox_but_wrong_when_microsoft_does_it

Mk, but what about apps?

[Dangelus]

The ARM tablets are much more "locked down" due to the fact they wont run regulare x86 software and this is an issue since Joe Public isn't going to know the difference between an x86 tablet and an ARM one. The ultimate in fragmentation :(

[X]

Yeah it's like ios vs osx but with tablets that can run osx