Microsoft undercuts Apple in education, selling Surface RT for $199
Attempting to carve out a niche for its low-selling Surface RT, Microsoft took a step into Apple's territory this week, offering the device to schools and universities for as low as $199.
From June 24 to August 31, Microsoft will offer K-12 schools and universities the opportunity to purchase 32GB Surface RT tablets starting at $199. That price is lower even than some versions of Microsoft's bestselling productivity suite, Office. Adding a Touch Keyboard Cover to the package will bring the price to $249, and adding the more capable Type Keyboard Cover will bring the price to $289.
Microsoft initially revealed the discount on Monday, when the story was picked up by ZDNet. The company has since taken down the original information, though it confirms that the deal is valid.
The offer is available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China (via Digital China), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
At $199, Microsoft has knocked off more than half the cost of the Surface RT, which usually retails for $499. The Redmond giant may be looking to clear inventory ahead of a refreshed version of the device, which is thought to have sold fewer than one million units in the ten months since its release.
That price point also dramatically undercuts Apple's educational pricing for its iPad, which it offers for $399. Microsoft will also be giving away 10,000 Surface RT units to teachers attending the International Society for Technology Education convention in San Antonio this month.
The Surface devices were meant to be the spearpoint of Microsoft's push back against the success of Apple's iPad. The tablets came in two flavors, one running Windows RT ? a version built for low-power ARM chips ? and the other running the full Windows 8.
Microsoft billed the Surface tablets as "reference designs" meant to show its manufacturing partners the capabilities inherent in its hybrid operating system that blends traditional computing with the touch interface popularized by Apple's iOS devices. The new Windows builds have had a tough initial outing, though, with Windows 8 sales sputtering and Windows RT sales virtually nonexistent.
From June 24 to August 31, Microsoft will offer K-12 schools and universities the opportunity to purchase 32GB Surface RT tablets starting at $199. That price is lower even than some versions of Microsoft's bestselling productivity suite, Office. Adding a Touch Keyboard Cover to the package will bring the price to $249, and adding the more capable Type Keyboard Cover will bring the price to $289.
Microsoft initially revealed the discount on Monday, when the story was picked up by ZDNet. The company has since taken down the original information, though it confirms that the deal is valid.
The offer is available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China (via Digital China), Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
At $199, Microsoft has knocked off more than half the cost of the Surface RT, which usually retails for $499. The Redmond giant may be looking to clear inventory ahead of a refreshed version of the device, which is thought to have sold fewer than one million units in the ten months since its release.
That price point also dramatically undercuts Apple's educational pricing for its iPad, which it offers for $399. Microsoft will also be giving away 10,000 Surface RT units to teachers attending the International Society for Technology Education convention in San Antonio this month.
The Surface devices were meant to be the spearpoint of Microsoft's push back against the success of Apple's iPad. The tablets came in two flavors, one running Windows RT ? a version built for low-power ARM chips ? and the other running the full Windows 8.
Microsoft billed the Surface tablets as "reference designs" meant to show its manufacturing partners the capabilities inherent in its hybrid operating system that blends traditional computing with the touch interface popularized by Apple's iOS devices. The new Windows builds have had a tough initial outing, though, with Windows 8 sales sputtering and Windows RT sales virtually nonexistent.
Comments
The same can be said of those crippled "chromebooks". Of course, this shouldn't be misconstrued as bribery. That would be wrong.
After this Microsoft claims... they gained market share
I'd be very curious to hear the rational behind an educational bulk purchase of the RT. I am not saying there isn't one, just that from where I am sitting, I can't see it. I mean, you can always argue that due to the price of course literature it is better to buy empty notepads (same amount of paper, same size, same number of pages), but I am pretty sure that the argument wont hold up to scrutiny.
I pity the poor school administrator/IT person who's a sucker for this.
I can see seriously cash-strapped schools falling for this sad ruse....
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
I pity the poor school administrator/IT person who's a sucker for this.
I can see seriously cash-strapped schools falling for this sad ruse....
Yes... but won't it be funny when Microsoft has to announce that sales "still" didn't pick up after this promotion.
MS taking a page from the HP Touchpad playbook: get rid of the dang things. Except MS didn't get the new pricing quite right, like HP did.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeaEarleGreyHot
MS taking a page from the HP Touchpad playbook: get rid of the dang things. Except MS didn't get the new pricing quite right, like HP did.
I just want those clicking and snapping ads to stop.
[ in reference to the really bad HP ads that finally stopped when the HP tablet tanked ]
I thought it was hilarious that they used a bunch of dancing and juggling to try telling us it's a serious product.
Exactly. I would take one if it was given to me. I would use it to surf the web, email, Netflix, and to use Word.
That said, schools would be foolish to buy them. RT is dead. The concept was nice, but Microsoft messed up the marketing by referring to it as Windows when it did not run Windows apps.
MS just doesn't get it. It needs to be "best in class" to have any chance of success. And MS does not have any track record for any "best in class" products or SW. Not OS, productivity SW, Mobile SW, phones and now tablets. They just make crap! Ugh!
I guess MS still hang on to the idea that the software designed by Steve Jobs for the first Mac, you know,'"Office" that Steve hired Microsoft to create for the Mac but then brought out on their own Mac OS rip off AKA Windows, is still their gravy train for another thirty years and don't know how to come up with anything else on their own.