Microsoft finally revealed the price of the Surface yesterday. Folks can pick up the basic 32GB model without a touch cover for $499.00. I personally thought it was too expensive, but it seems that everybody else did not.
If you check out the Microsoft Surface pre-order page, you will see that the basic 32GB model is now sold out. According to the page, backorders will ship out within three weeks. I’m going to assume they mean three weeks after the October 26 launch which puts the shipping of backorders at some point in November.
Needless to say, this is good news for Microsoft. According to ZDNet, the company has reportedly ordered 5 million Surfaces and hopes to sell them all within the fourth quarter. If this initial sell out is any indication, they may be well on their way to that goal.
Now the question is whether the other more expensive models will also sell out. Both the $599 and $699 models are still listed as being in stock and shipping on October 26. Customers who want a Surface at launch may start to seriously consider putting down the extra $100 to get one. Besides, the more expensive models net you one of those awesome touch covers.
Of course, there are still a lot of questions in regards to the device selling out. How many pre-orders was Microsoft allowing before they put it on backorder? Are the more expensive models getting similar pre-order numbers? Does Microsoft expect the Surface to sell well past the initial early adopter period? We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update once we hear back.
Either way, the Surface is off to a great start. There was a lot of negativity in regards to the price yesterday, but that hasn’t stopped countless people from pre-ordering the device. It will be interesting to see if Apple’s iPad Mini is met with as warm of a reception next week when it’s officially unveiled. They aren’t technically competing, but these two devices will be the two major tablets vying for your dollars this holiday season.
[h/t: Neowin]