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Microsoft may release a lower-cost Surface tablet this year
Microsoft will try making another inexpensive tablet. Redmond is rumored to launch a new, cheaper slate to compete with the iPad this year, according to Bloomberg's sources. Like Apple's tablet, the device will have rounded corners and a 10-inch screen, along with a kickstand and a USB C port for charging and syncing. It'll cost around $400, or half that of a Surface Pro.
Microsoft will give you cash to ditch your old Surface for a new one
Haven't had much luck offloading your older Surface to help pay for a Surface 3? Microsoft thinks it can help. Similar to its Surface Pro-oriented effort from a few months ago, it's launching a US trade-in program that will give you up to $150 toward a Surface 3 if you turn in a Surface RT or Surface 2. The discount likely won't compare to what you'll get if you drive a hard bargain on Craigslist or eBay, but it's guaranteed cash -- if you're only concerned with upgrading to the latest tablet as painlessly as possible, it might do the trick. Just be sure to decide quickly, since you have to give up your old device by May 31st.
Surface RT will only get some of Windows 10's upgrades
Well, that was quick: Despite Microsoft saying that Windows 10 was coming to its misfit tablet, the Surface RT, that isn't quite the case. As Thurrott reports, Redmond is working on an update for Surface which will have "some of the functionality" of Windows 10. The SuperSite for Windows founder goes on to say: "Since those [Windows RT and Surface RT/2] are the only Windows RT devices that ever sold in any measurable quantity, two conclusions are obvious. Other Windows RT devices may not be updated at all (i.e. this Windows 10 subset update may literally only be for Surface RT/2 devices). And more generally, Windows RT is dead." And it very well may be. The RT platform's always been a bit of an odd duck with its inability to run standard Windows apps, and it looks this this could be Microsoft's kiss of death. You can read the official word from a Microsoft spokesperson after the break.
Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 to hit 25 more countries as losses mount
Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is set to arrive in 25 more countries including the UK, most of Europe and China on August 28th. It's been up for pre-order in many of those regions for a while now, but will finally start to ship by month's end. The 12-inch model has been treated more kindly in reviews than the previous two models, despite some keyboard issues. However, sales figures for the new model haven't been released, and past versions have fared poorly -- in fact, it just had to write off $38 million in unsold devices, including a model it didn't even launch. And according to Computerworld, the damage goes even deeper.
Microsoft has a fix for your Surface RT
After releasing and subsequently pulling a buggy version of Windows RT 8.1 from the Windows Store, Microsoft is offering a fix to affected users. Redmond has released instructions for restoring those devices that involves creating a USB recovery drive among other things. If doing it DIY seems a bit overwhelming, however, you can also send your tablet in for service. No word yet on when a fresh and fixed version of the Windows RT update will return to the Windows Store, but you can find detailed instructions for restoring your tablet at the source link below.
Microsoft announces the Surface 2, the follow-up to the original Surface RT; coming October 22nd for $449
As promised, Microsoft has just revealed the Surface 2 here at its Surface-themed press event. Whereas the new Surface Pro 2 makes subtle changes to the original Pro, the Surface 2 is being billed as a revamped version of the Surface RT. As rumored, it moves up to a higher-res 1080p ClearType display -- the same one you'll find on the new Surface Pro 2. Performance-wise, the tablet now has a Tegra 4 chip (versus Tegra 3 in the last generation). Microsoft also says it's doubled the BUS speed for the WiFi and the memory, and the CPU speed has increased "dramatically" as well. Additionally, there's now a USB 3.0 port on board, a step up from the USB 2.0 connection used on the original. All told, says Microsoft, the new model should run three to four times as fast as its predecessor, and the battery life should be 25 percent longer too (up to 10 hours of video playback). As for the design, this looks similar to last year's RT, at least from a few feet away, but it's thinner (8.9mm), lighter (676g) and built from two pieces of magnesium, not three. And, of course, it sports the same two-stage kickstand as the new Surface Pro 2, which should make it easier to balance in your lap. As you'd expect, it also works with the new Touch Cover 2, which Microsoft also announced today. Oh, and it's available in white now too; not just black. Moving on, Microsoft also added a third-inch camera sensor to the front of the product to help manage the light in webcam videos, especially those recorded in dim light. Speaking of video chats, Surface owners will enjoy a year of free international calling and Skype hotspot access. Not enough freebies for you? Microsoft's also throwing in 200GB of SkyDrive storage, free for two years.
Surface Power Cover rumored to ship after the Surface 2, provide the whole family with extra juice
Despite Microsoft's claims that the Surface family of tablets was a representation of "no compromise," many road warriors have found the battery life to be... well, compromised. In order to address said concerns, it's looking as if Microsoft will be launching a line of Power Covers. In a nutshell, these battery-inclusive Type Covers will snap onto Surface tablets as the existing ones do now, but a bump in thickness (from 0.21-inches to 0.38-inches) will add "significant" life. Interestingly, WinSupersite is reporting that the covers won't ship until after the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, and the original Surface RT won't be compatible. Oh, and as for pricing? Mum's the word, as you might expect for an unconfirmed accessory.
Microsoft's $100 Surface Pro price cut to stick around, accessory discounts incoming (update: worldwide)
In a move that should surprise few, that August price cut for Microsoft's Surface Pro -- which now starts at $799 for the 64GB version -- will remain in effect permanently. WPCentral has also revealed a $40 discount on Touch Covers, that now start at $79, and $50 off of the Surface RT tablet / touch cover bundle that starts at $399. The bundle pricing should kick in today although we're not seeing it live on the Microsoft Store yet. According to a statement from Microsoft (included after the break) this is based on customer's "exciting" response to the recent price drops. So, is this enough of a push for you to grab a slate (or two) right now, or would you rather wait for the sequel? Update: While the original Surface Pro discount only applied in a few locales, we're hearing that the price in several European and Asian countries is also dropping. Word on price cuts for the accessories has varied from place to place, so depending on your location you may want to keep an eye out.
Bing for Schools pilot begins, lets users earn tablets for classrooms
Now that back to school season is upon us, Microsoft has launched its promised Bing for Schools in a pilot phase. The test lets more than 800,000 K-12 students search Bing ad-free while receiving daily learning activities, improved privacy and automatic adult content filtering. Schools wanting to join the pilot can apply today. Those who have long since graduated can pitch in, too: Microsoft has launched a program that lets Bing Rewards members contribute their credits toward Surface RT tablets for their preferred schools. All you need to know is available through the source links; we're just wondering where Bing for Schools was when we were kids.
NVIDIA CEO: 'We're going to bring it with the second generation Surface'
NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has confirmed to CNET that a followup to the Surface RT is in development, and that it will apparently continue to use NVIDIA hardware inside. Recently news concerning the ARM-powered version of Microsoft's tablet hasn't been good, with a $900 million inventory charge and price cuts for both the RT and Pro. According to Jen-Hsun Huang, the addition of an Outlook mail app in Windows 8.1 can be the killer app the platform has been missing, and the company hopes it will be a big success. Rumors for the next gen of Surface have hinted at Microsoft offering Qualcomm chips in some models as well a smaller 7-inch version. NVIDIA may have some Tegra 4-specific features to contribute to the latter -- we'll see if Microsoft can take a bigger bite out of the tablet market on its second attempt.
Microsoft continues anti-iPad offensive with new commercial
Microsoft today continued its anti-iPad offensive with yet another commercial, this one highlighting the many differences between the Microsoft Surface RT and Apple's fourth-generation iPad. Per usual, the differences pointed out by the commercial aren't all that interesting and I sincerely doubt anyone would watch this commercial and feel compelled to abandon plans of an iPad purchase and head on over to the land of the Surface. Somewhat amusing, though not terribly surprising given how the marketing world works, is that Microsoft boasts that a 32 GB Surface RT will cost you $349 while a 16 GB iPad will cost you $499. Funny thing is, the same Surface RT used to cost $499 before Microsoft recently slashed $150 off the price on account of lackluster sales. I also find it curious that Microsoft continues to tout Microsoft Office as an attractive selling point for tablet buyers. The iPad is by and large a mass consumer device and I doubt that many prospective iPad buyers think to themselves, "Man, the iPad is great, but I just wish I could use it to create some Excel spreadsheets." Point blank, Microsoft Office likely doesn't factor into the purchasing decision process for the majority of iPad owners. It's as if Microsoft is advertising the benefits of a sensible briefcase to a group of surfers.
New Microsoft Surface RT ad goes after the iPad... again
Microsoft just can't seem to help itself. The marketing folks up in Redmond today released yet another video touting the advantages of their Surface RT over the iPad. As they've done before, the commercial features an iPad -- voiced by a Siri-like voice of course -- expressing dismay at all of the wonderful features Surface RT has and it lacks. "Oh no, here we go again," Siri announces as the commercial starts. Here we go again, indeed. The iPad is then "embarrassed" upon finding out that it has no built-in stand, no USB port and no snap-on keyboard. The commercial then highlights how a 32 GB iPad retails for US$599 while a 32 GB Surface RT tablet retails for $349. "Do you still think I'm pretty?" Siri asks as the commercial ends. All in all, weak sauce. Of course, it's worth pointing out that the 32 GB Surface RT is only so cheap because Microsoft recently cut the price down by $150, presumably on account of slumping sales. You might have also heard that Microsoft took a $900 million charge on account of "Surface RT inventory adjustments" during the quarter gone by.
Microsoft drops Surface RT to $349 following global price cuts
Microsoft's Surface RT is hardly the world's most popular tablet, but the software giant clearly wants to create some momentum for its aging Windows 8 slate. MS just dropped the device's price to $349, representing a $150 decrease for the 32GB model. Staples was the first reported retailer with slashed pricing -- the tablet went on sale there yesterday -- and Microsoft's UK and Australian online stores have followed up with pricing of £279 and AU$389, respectively. The new MSRP appears to be live on at least three continents, and you can take advantage at our source links just below.
Surface RT prices slashed in UK and Australia, 32GB model down to £279 or $389
Following the significant price cut Microsoft's Surface RT received in the US recently, its cost has begun dropping in other regions, too. In the UK, Redmond's official online store is selling the 32GB model for £279 (down from £399) and the tablet with 64GB of storage for £359 (reduced from £479) -- adding £80 to those prices will get you the Touch Cover bundle. UK retailers John Lewis and PC World are offering the same discounts (although the latter is £0.99 more expensive across the board), and Microsoft's Australian store is knocking up to 180 Aussie dollars off the tablets and cover bundles. We imagine all countries the RT ships to will follow suit if they haven't already, so check your local MS store for confirmation. Meanwhile, it's hard to escape the feeling that RT as a whole has been overtaken by full-fledged Windows 8 machines. [Thanks, Erik]
Surface RT 32GB gets price cut to $349 at Staples, starting July 14th
It didn't take long for us to grab some important details (well, a time and a place) about an incoming Surface RT price cut. Our source has forwarded a Staples ad -- and working link -- which reveals that a $150 price cut on the entry-level 32GB Surface RT will start this Sunday 14th July. No word on a discounted Touch Cover option, however, at least not from Staples, but we'll fill you in if there's other retailers jumping on the discount. (Thanks, Brandon!)
Substantial price cut for Surface RT rumored (updated)
Microsoft might not be seeing the sales numbers it hoped to for its Surface RT, because according to The Verge, it's readying substantial price cuts across its debut tablet. In short, the cheapest option (a 32GB Surface RT) could reach $350, while adding a Touch Cover will land at $100 more to $450. Doubling storage to 64GB will cost $450, while another hundred bucks will add a Touch Cover there. We've been in touch with Microsoft, who told us that it "doesn't comment on rumor and speculation," so it's certainly not set in stone. We'll let you know when we see an official confirmation. Update: Staples has confirmed the price cut is coming -- this Sunday!
Bloomberg: Next Surface RT will use Qualcomm chip, may come in multiple versions
How's about this for a coincidence? We've just benchmarked the Snapdragon 800 reference tablet, with some very nice results, and now Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft will use a Qualcomm chip in its next refresh of the Surface RT. The report, based on insider sources, doesn't stretch to detailing whether we'll be looking at the flagship 800 processor specifically, but such a choice would tally with a previous statement from Qualcomm, and it'd also seem like a logical upgrade for the current hybrid which runs on NVIDIA's Tegra 3 and already feels underpowered. As for NVIDIA, the same unconfirmed report suggests that the company will still have a role to play as a supplier "for some versions" of Microsoft's product. That's a curious notion, because it implies we might see multiple iterations of the Surface RT to suit different price points or markets (e.g., those with or without LTE), and at least one version of those could house a Tegra 4. Or it could simply be a diplomatic way of saying that the existing RT products will continue to be sold and supported for a while. Either way, if Microsoft doesn't implement the full force of Snapdragon, someone else hopefully will.
Microsoft offering Surface RT tablets for $199 to educational institutions
If you thought Microsoft's effort to push Surface RT tablets into classrooms would stop with a 10,000-unit giveaway, you'd be mistaken. Ryan Lowdermilk, a technology evangelist for the company, revealed that it's offering 32GB Surface RT slates to K-12 and higher education institutions in 25 countries for $199, more than 50 percent off the $499 retail sticker price. Dropping $249 for each unit will snag organizations keyboard-infused Touch Covers, while bumping the cost to $289 will add Type Covers to the package. Education outfits can take advantage of the deal until August 31st (or while supplies last), but individual students won't be able to snag a Surface at such a deep discount on their own. The post announcing the program has gone offline since its unveiling, but we've reached out to Lowdermilk to confirm that the offer is still valid. In the meantime, you can hit the second source link to snatch an order form for school administrators. Update: It appears the order form has been pulled, so we've replaced the second source link with a mirror of the document. [Thanks, Suraj-Sun]
Refresh Roundup: week of June 10th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Microsoft will give 10,000 Surface tablets to educators attending ISTE
With the Windows in the Classroom Surface Experience Project, Microsoft is determined to prove its commitment to education -- and gain some positive publicity for its Surface tablets along the way. The company will be giving away Surface RTs to the first 10,000 registrants for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in San Antonio this June. To put that rather impressive number into perspective, ISTE is expecting to host over 13,000 individual educators and 500 exhibiting technology companies. While it's entirely possible that this massive giveaway is a simple inventory write-off, we sunny optimists like to think that Microsoft is doing it out of the good of its heart. For more information, you can check out the full press release after the break.
