By Anu Passary email: a.passary@mobilenapps.com | Jan 23, 2013 10:51 PM EST
Microsoft fans who have been eagerly waiting for its Surface Pro tablet to hit the shelves are in for some good news. The Surface Pro may have missed the January release, but will hit the Canadian and U.S. shelves on Feb. 9, with the base model priced at $899.
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Microsoft was initially supposed to release the Surface Pro in January; however, that plan did not work out. On Jan. 22, Microsoft announced that the Surface Pro will release in February instead.
Only a few countries will see the much-awaited tablet make its way to the consumers on Feb. 9, with other markets to follow suit in the "coming weeks and months." Microsoft, it seems, is "taking a phased approach" with the Surface Pro roll out.
"It will be available initially in the US and Canada with additional markets to follow in the coming weeks and months," averred a company spokesperson to The Verge.
While the wait would disappoint quite a few fans, hopefully they don't have to bear with shipping delays as was the case with the original Surface tablet. At the time, Microsoft had to resort to giving free £50 gift cards to affected customers to placate them.
The Surface Pro runs the full version of Windows 8, which means it will be able to support both legacy desktop as well as Windows 8 apps.
Additionally, unlike the Surface RT tablet from the company, the Surface Pro will retail from microsoftstore.com, Staples, and Best Buy in the U.S.
"The response to Surface has been exciting to see," said Panos Panay, general manager, Microsoft Surface. "We're thrilled to continue growing the Surface family with the availability of Surface Windows 8 Pro on Feb. 9 and by increasing the number of places customers can experience Surface firsthand."
Pricing
Microsoft will be offering the 64GB and 128GB Surface Pro models for $899 and $999, respectively. Both the models feature a 10.6-inch HD screen and an Intel Core i5 processor. What's more, both the variants also pack in a pressure-sensitive Surface pen (with Palm Block technology) to "let customers edit, collaborate and get things done."
However, both the models do not come with the Touch Cover (no physical keys) and Type Cover (physical keys), which cost $120 and $130, respectively.
Microsoft will also retail three new Touch Covers (red, magenta, and cyan) for the Surface Pro priced at $129.99 for a limited period. The Redmond-based company will also offer a special Wedge Touch Mouse for the on-the-go tablet.
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