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Microsoft Surface Pro Will Be Out in January—And Costs More Than a MacBook Air

Microsoft Surface RT didn't quite live up to Microsoft's promise of a true next-generation device, but you know what might? Microsoft Surface Pro. The good news: the Intel-powered ultrabookish tablet mash-up will be out in just a couple of months. The bad news? It might cost more than you want to spend.

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Microsoft announced today that Surface Pro will start at $900 at launch for a 64GB version, while a 128GB version will run you $1000. Both models come with 4GB RAM, a USB 3.0 port, will have 4-5 hours of battery life (Intel drains much faster than Surface RT's SoC architecture), and run full Windows 8. That price also includes a fancy stylus, but not one of Microsoft's handy—and frankly, for this device, necessary—Touch or Type Covers. Those cost $120 and $130, respectively, meaning that to give yourself a true laptop replacement you're going to have to shell out at least $1020.

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For some perspective, that means the base, 64GB, 10.6-inch Surface Pro with keyboard cover will cost more than a comparably spec'd MacBook Air.

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That seems like a tough sell. Microsoft had always been clear that Surface Pro would be priced comparably with ultrabooks, but that implies a pretty broad range of prices. A range that Surface Pro, it turns, out, is near the top of. And while on the one hand you could argue that the innovative form is worth a premium over your standard 11-inch Dell, Microsoft's main concern right now should probably be getting Surface in the hands of the masses.

The company's biggest hardware challenge now, no matter how many dance-filled commercials it runs, is a knowledge deficit. Why take a flyer on a $1000 hybrid device when you know for a fact that comparable MBA or Zenbook performs well and costs less?

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The Surface Pro might be the greatest technological marvel to come along since the rotisserie oven. Or it might be a disappointment. Either way, it's a leap of faith for buyers. In that sense, it's a whole lot like the original Xbox, another new entrant into a crowded field that was a longshot at best. Microsoft sold it at a loss for years, literal years, undercutting Sony and winning a massive install base in the process. And if Microsoft's already taking a massive hit on a $1,020 entry level price, well, maybe it was an ill-fated pursuit to start with. [Microsoft]