14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced a couple of days ago that it would launch the Surface Windows 8 Pro on February 9, but the United States and Canada are the only two countries that will get the device.
Even though Microsoft is very likely to change its plans in a couple of months and bring the tablet in some other markets too, the company is believed to make the same mistake as with the Surface RT.
Limited distribution was believed to be one of the reasons why the RT version of the tablet failed to excite, with modest sales recorded mostly due to the fact that the device was initially sold in Microsoft stores exclusively.
Microsoft confirmed for The Register that it had no plans to bring the Surface Windows 8 Pro in Europe or on any other continent.
“We haven't announced any B2B channel plans yet and have only said US and Canada so far,” a company spokesperson told the source.
The only difference as compared to Microsoft’s plans for the Surface RT is the company’s decision to use Best Buy and Staples to sell the Pro version of the tablet from the very beginning.
The device will be available in two different models, with 64 GB and 128 GB of storage space. Pricing will begin at $899 (€675) for the entry-level version and will go as high as $999 (€750) for the tablet featuring 128 GB of storage capacity.
While a Touch Cover won’t be available, the packages will include a Surface Touch stylus to make drawing and writing easier especially when working in desktop mode. The tablet will run Windows 8 Pro, so it will also feature support for legacy applications.
Battery life remains a huge enigma for all of us, but Panos Panay, the man in charge with the Surface division at Microsoft, hinted that the Surface Pro may have an autonomy of approximately 4 hours.