Microsoft Surface Pro launch cancelled, but devices still go on sale at midnight

Microsoft's planned Surface Pro launch event in New York City tonight has been cancelled due to the blizzard expected to hit the area on February 8.

But users who aren't put off by the rain, sleet and snow will still be able to go to the Union Square New York Best Buy store and purchase Surface Pros starting at midnight.

Microsoft had invited a number of Most Valuable Professionals and other selected guests to attend a pre-launch event near the Best Buy store. The head of the Surface team, Panos Panay, was going to be in attendance. Panay tweeted on February 7 that bad weather was going to keep him away.

A Microsoft spokesperson told Neowin that "the Surface Pro launch launch activities in NYC have been cancelled due to weather."

However, when I called the Union Square Best Buy on February 8 and was told that Surface Pro sales would still commence at midnight. So I guess that part of the "launch" will still go on.

(A number of us were planning to hold a tweetup on February 8 near the Best Buy store. We have cancelled our event due to weather.)

Microsoft's launch of its Intel-based Surface Pro was planned to be a lot more low-key than the Surface RT launch on October 25/26. Microsoft's now-closed Times Square pop-up Microsoft Store was the location for the Surface RT launch. Microsoft ended up not taking any pre-orders for the Surface Pro, unlike the case with the Surface RT.

Microsoft officials have said they will offer Surface Pros starting February 9 through all Microsoft retail stores, microsoftstore.com and at Staples and Best Buy in the U.S., as well as from a number of locations in Canada. If you're planning to try to buy a Surface Pro tonight in person, make sure to call your local retail outlet to make sure it will be open at midnight.