Friday, March 1, 2013

Alert: Be careful when thinking about buying a Microsoft Surface Pro in Australia.

Recently I visited a new client and fixed their EeePC which was running Windows XP. They said they were considering purchasing a Microsoft Surface Pro. I said it wasn’t released yet in Australia but they believed they’d already seen it. What I’m now seeing is a lot of advertising around Windows 8 tablet type devices and people are most likely going to be sadly disappointed. Many of the advertisements I see on TV don’t mention the processor and people could easily end up with an Intel Atom processor running at significantly slower speeds compared to the Intel i5. Be careful that you check out and understand the specifications for the device. Retailers generally just want to make a sale and will generally not be forthcoming with information which could harm the sale unless you specifically ask the right questions.

Right now Microsoft have not announced the release date of the Surface Pro for Australia and they are still saying it is to be announced. Given that nearly six months ago they announced end of January when the Surface Pro would be released, Microsoft are showing very poor form with their ability to deliver. By the time they deliver the Surface Pro it will only be a couple of months until the next model is released. This is very similar to Nokia releasing their model 900 Windows 7.5 mobile phone in Australia, which was superseded shortly after.

Now is not a particularly good time to get a Microsoft Surface Pro because Intel’s Haswell processor, which will have lower power usage, is expected around the middle of the year. When the Haswell processor is released we can expect to see the current model of the Surface Pro obsoleted with the new processor in a new model of the Surface Pro. It may be a good time to put off purchasing a Windows tablet until the market settles, or you are happy with the specifications for the model you wish to buy. For example I’ve just noticed a much lower cost Atom based Windows 8 tablet recently and at the right price, it will be right for some people. Just make sure you know what you are buying. There is currently quite a bit of confusion in the marketplace for Windows tablet type devices and people could easily be disappointed.
 
Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.
 

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