Analysts believe Microsoft’s Surface tablet will be priced similarly to low-end laptops

Redmond, WA, United States (4E) – Analysts believe that the cheapest Microsoft Surface tablet will not have a price tag comparable to the $199 Google Nexus. They believe Microsoft’s first-ever tablet will carry a price tag of somewhere between $400 and $500, which is comparable to low-end laptops currently available.

The Pro version of Microsoft’s tablet will be more expensive and is expected to carry a price tag range of $800 to $900 — without the cover/keyboard. Microsoft hasn’t hinted on how much the 3mm cover/keyboard will cost. The Surface tablet will only run on Windows 8 but the Pro model of the tablet will run Windows 7.

“If you look at the bulk of the PC market, it would run between, say, probably $300 to about $700 or $800. That’s the sweet spot.” Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer told newspaper Seattle Times.

The Surface tablet uses the Nvidia ARM chip that’s cheaper than other chips most tablets use. Microsoft’s tablet will go head-to-head with Acer’s Iconia W510 (priced at $500) and Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga 11 (priced at $800).

Ballmer already fired early shots against tablets made by other tech companies.

“If you say to somebody, would you use one of the 7-inch tablets, would somebody ever use a Kindle to do their homework? The answer is no; you never would. It’s just not a good enough product,” Ballmer stated via CNET.

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