14 DAY TRIAL // With the cheapest model available for only $499 (€380), Microsoft Surface is considered one of the top 15 most overpriced gadgets of all time.
The ranking published by Laptop Magazine claims that Microsoft’s tablet comes with a worse screen than the iPad, it lasts 5 hours less on a charge and has only a few apps, even though it’s available with a similar price tag.
“However, you may want the Surface because of its heavily-advertised Touch Cover keyboard, a must-have accessory that will set you back an extra $119 [€92], even though it costs Microsoft only $16 [€12.5] to manufacture. That’s $619 [€480] for a new, unproven tablet that trails the $499 market leader in most ways,” Laptop Magazine said in its report.
And now let’s get back to the real world.
The cheapest Surface does come with a $499 price tag, but it offers 32 GB of storage space, while the entry-level iPad sold for the same amount has only 16 GB.
Sure, Windows RT, Office RT and the other Surface apps eat up most of the space, but you can easily expand storage capacity with an external storage device or a microSD card.
Although it may be a bit pricey, the black Touch Cover is quite a great accessory that really lets you convert an otherwise regular tablet into a full-featured computer. With Windows RT, that is.
It’s extremely thin (only 3 mm) and also protects the display. It can be removed and reconnected with minimum effort.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Microsoft’s Surface is the best of all. It’s not, but it’s pretty clear that it isn’t one of the most overpriced gadgets of all time.
The upcoming Surface with Windows 8 Pro, on the other hand, is already criticized for its hefty price, as the cheapest model will be sold for $899 (€695) without a keyboard. Want to bet that it’ll sell like hot cakes?