Surface Pro Is No Bargain Even After $100 Price Cut: 10 Reasons Why

By Don Reisinger

The Surface Pro is no bargain. The tablet might have dropped $100, but it’s still being offered for $799, putting it in line with the high end of some of today’s most popular tablets, like Apple’s iPad. If the Surface Pro is to be successful, it’ll need to come down in price once again.

No price drop can change the single biggest issue with the Surface Pro: It’s running an operating system, Windows 8, that most customers just don’t like. Microsoft’s issue with the Surface Pro, in other words, might have more to do with Windows and less to do with its own hardware.

Still, the Surface Pro’s hardware isn’t necessarily the best product on the market today. The device is bulky, and although its screen is quite nice, it’s not on the same level as Apple’s Retina display. The tablet is also somewhat heavy, making it less appealing to travelers. Simply put, the Surface Pro needs a makeover.

Following on the idea that Windows 8 is hurting the Surface Pro, we must acknowledge that Windows 8.1, the next version of that operating system, could be a huge selling point for the device. According to reports, Windows 8.1 will be a far better platform. And if so, the Surface Pro will sell better. But until then, customers shouldn’t jump at the chance to use a poorly conceived operating system.

If the rumors are true, Microsoft plans to release a new Surface at some point later this year that will come with many of the upgrades the tablet needs. Whether that will be a Surface RT or a Surface Pro, however, is unknown. And until it stays unknown, it’s best to wait and see what Microsoft might offer up later this year.

Once Microsoft realizes that the Surface Pro’s price cut did little to actually improve sales, the company will almost undoubtedly cut its price again. Don’t forget: The back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons are approaching fast. And the last thing Microsoft will want to do is allow Apple and Samsung to steal all of the market share. Look for another price cut sooner rather than later.

Samsung is holding its Unpacked event on Sept. 4, when the company is expected to announce a new Galaxy Note. Because that device supports a stylus like the Surface Pro and comes with a better software platform and improved hardware, wasting money on the Surface Pro right now doesn’t sound like a great idea.

Looking at the value argument, it’s hard to see how anyone can possibly say that the Surface Pro can come anywhere close to the iPad. Apple’s tablet has better software, it’s priced right and its app support is simply outstanding. When it comes to value for the money, the iPad wins out.

Corporate productivity is everything for the enterprise. That’s why the Surface Pro has proven so unpopular in the corporate world. The device lacks the requisite power, and its software harms productivity. Until the device can appeal to enterprise customers, a huge portion of the market will want to ignore it.

In the tablet market it’s hard to find many other Windows 8-based tablets that aren’t already delivering a better value to customers. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, for example, is downright beautiful compared with the Surface Pro. And over the next several months, more tablets running Windows 8 are launching that promise better features. Sorry, but Microsoft’s tablet doesn’t even hold up against other Windows 8 slates.