14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is expected to launch the Surface preorder program today, while the official launch of the device is slated to take place on October 25 in New York.
What’s more interesting however is that Microsoft has very high expectations from its first bet in the tablet market and forecasts that millions of units will be sold in just a few months.
Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft has already placed orders to manufacture between 3 and 5 million devices in the fourth quarter of this year, with figures likely to grow in 2013.
While these unconfirmed numbers reveal Microsoft’s expectations when it comes to the Surface tablet, it’s not yet clear whether the Redmond-based software giant is trying to appeal to the same consumer segment as Apple iPad.
In fact, the Surface has always been considered a potential iPad killer, despite the fact that Microsoft until now managed to keep most of the details secret.
With so many rumors swirling around, the only thing we don’t know yet is the pricing, which according to some analysts, is going to be almost the same as for a new computer.
“I think it's $599 for the RT version of Surface and $999 for the Intel version, when it comes out next year. That seems to be the general consensus in the supply chain,” Bob O'Donnell, program vice president of clients and displays at IDC, was quoted as saying by CNET.
“So, the big question is, will it be $599 with the keyboard or $599 without the keyboard?”