Microsoft Surface RT price official: Starting at $499, $599 with Touch Cover (updated)

Update: Microsoft has officially announced the Surface RT’s price (no change from what’s below).

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Seemingly accidentally, Microsoft unveiled the pricing for its Surface Windows RT tablets on its online store this morning: The base unit with 32 gigabytes of storage will go for $499, making it the ideal iPad killer, while the 32GB model with a Touch Cover Keyboard will cost $599.

At the high end, Microsoft will offer a 64GB Surface with a Touch Cover for $699. All of the models show October 26 as the shipping date. Microsoft also lists the Touch Cover separately for $119, which features a flat touch keyboard, while the version with a more traditional keyboard costs $129.

Pricing was one of the many key details Microsoft left out when it unveiled the Surface tablets in June, and I’m sure the company wanted to make a bigger deal of having an iPad competitive $499 price. You’ll be able to pre-order a Surface at Microsoft’s site starting at 9 am Pacific today, or you can pick one up at a Microsoft store on October 26.

The Surface RT pricing is surprisingly level-headed for Microsoft, though a part of me wishes the company went the extra mile to price it below $499. Given that Microsoft is starving for tablet market share, it would have made sense to aim for a $399 or $450. Then again, given just how slick the Surface looks, Microsoft may already be losing money on the Surface RT’s $499 price.

We’re still awaiting pricing on the slightly larger Microsoft Surface running Windows 8 Pro, which will be able to run existing Windows programs and sport more powerful hardware (at the cost of being heavier). Since that Surface is basically a full-fledged PC, it’s expected to sell for $800 to $1,000. Windows RT devices, including the Surface, will only be able to run new Windows 8 apps from Microsoft’s app store.

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