Microsoft drops Surface RT price by as much as 30%

We heard a few days ago that retailers were beginning to discount Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet, but it wasn’t clear if this was a retailer-focused sale, or if Microsoft was beginning to discount its lower-end tablet line altogether. However, Microsoft officially lowered the price of the Surface RT to a mere $349 in Microsoft Stores.

The entry-level 32GB model costs only $349, which is a discount of $150 from the original $499 price tag. As for the 64GB version, that’s now selling for $449 (originally $599). Both Best Buy and Staples also have the discounts up and ready to go, although they jumped the gun a bit early a couple days ago.

However, Staples noted that the sale lasted until July 20 (or while supplies last), but Microsoft’s website lists no specific end date, suggesting that the price drop may be permanent, which would officially undercut its main competitor by a whopping $150. This could lead to tablet buyers taking a second look at the Surface RT.

We’ve similar deals in the past from Microsoft, but this could be an attempt by the company to clear inventory and make room for a second-generation device. We’ve heard very few rumors about a refreshed Surface slate, only hearing that we would see one at last month’s BUILD conference (which didn’t happen), but we could still see it later on this year.

Windows RT has largely been ignored lately, with most users more interested in the Surface Pro with a full copy of Windows 8 installed. We’re not sure what the second-generation Surface will include, but we wouldn’t be too unhappy if Microsoft went ahead and ousted Windows RT in favor of full support for Windows 8 Pro.

Source: Computerworld.com