Microsoft announces Surface Pro release date, price, and Surface RT updates

Microsoft has announced that the Surface Pro tablet will go on sale in the US and Canada on February 9. The 64GB model will sell for $900, while 128GB will set you back $1000. There is no word on when the Surface Pro will come to other territories, like western Europe.

In addition to the Pro, Microsoft will also be releasing a new Surface RT SKU -- a standalone version of the 64GB model -- and some new accessories: Limited edition Touch Covers (pictured below), and a Wedge Touch Mouse (because you've always wanted to carry a mouse for use with your tablet, right?) Surface RT will also soon be available in 13 more territories (the bulk of western Europe) -- music to the ears of the two Swedes and four Dutchies that have been eagerly awaiting the RT's arrival.

In case it passed you by, the Surface Pro is a tablet -- designed in-house by Microsoft and running Windows 8 Pro -- that ostensibly doubles up as a bona fide, get-things-done laptop. To this end, the Surface Pro has a real CPU (an x86 Ivy Bridge Core i5), a kickstand, and a bunch of ports -- USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, microSD, and so on. You also get a pen/stylus, which is good for note taking and drawing -- but also on the Desktop, which is a royal pain in the ass to use with your finger. As we've discussed at length before, though, the idea of an all-in-one laplet (tabtop?) might sound exciting, but it remains to be seen if the Surface Pro will actually work in practice.

It's interesting that the Surface Pro press release draws attention to the amount of available storage, too. When we reviewed the Samsung Ativ 500T -- a Clover Trail tablet running Windows 8 Pro -- Joel Hruska found that, after accounting for the OS, the recovery image, and other system files, only 30GB (out of 64GB) is actually available to the user. If you're a Windows user, you'll know that 30GB really doesn't go a long way, once you start installing apps and games. If your Surface also doubles up as a portable media player -- which is Microsoft's intention -- then that 30GB will disappear very quickly indeed. It's surprising that there isn't a 256GB model available.