Microsoft's (MSFT) Ballmer (Unofficially) Sets Price Range on Surface Tablets (AAPL) (GOOG)
Tweet
Share
E-mail
Get Alerts MSFT Hot Sheet
Join SI Premium – FREE
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is lower on Monday's session amid some arguably good news from the Redmond, WA-based software giant.
According to an interview CEO Steve Ballmer gave to the Seattle Times recently -- published over the weekend -- the new Surface tablet could sell with a base price of $300 for the Windows RT model. Ballmer noted that prices could move up to $700 or $800 for the Windows 8 Pro model.
In addition to the pricing scheme, Ballmer noted that Microsoft's Surface is geared more toward competing with Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad rather than low-cost offerings from Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). Ballmer noted that Microsoft will not offer a low-cost 7-inch tablet to rival Amazon and Google, seeing the Surface line as something that will be a workplace-friendly tablet which also has media consumption capability.
Then again, you get the sweet, sweet rhetoric that Ballmer is known for spouting. As an example, he notes that people are not likely to do homework on a 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet. (Notably, Ballmer also thought the iPhone was going to fail as well when it was released in 2007. It didn't.)
Ballmer also gave a little bit of respect to Apple, saying, "I think most people would tell you that the iPad is not a superexpensive device....[When] people offer cheaper, they do less. They look less good, they're chintzier, they're cheaper."
On PCs, Ballmer doesn't think the market is dead. He commented, "People talk about: "How healthy is the PC market?" There's going to be close to 400 million PCs sold in the next year, which makes it a big market. And whether it's 405 (million) or 395 (million), it's a big market, and Windows 8 will propel that volume."
Shares of Microsoft are just about flat on the session, coming off of intraday lows.
According to an interview CEO Steve Ballmer gave to the Seattle Times recently -- published over the weekend -- the new Surface tablet could sell with a base price of $300 for the Windows RT model. Ballmer noted that prices could move up to $700 or $800 for the Windows 8 Pro model.
In addition to the pricing scheme, Ballmer noted that Microsoft's Surface is geared more toward competing with Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad rather than low-cost offerings from Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). Ballmer noted that Microsoft will not offer a low-cost 7-inch tablet to rival Amazon and Google, seeing the Surface line as something that will be a workplace-friendly tablet which also has media consumption capability.
Then again, you get the sweet, sweet rhetoric that Ballmer is known for spouting. As an example, he notes that people are not likely to do homework on a 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet. (Notably, Ballmer also thought the iPhone was going to fail as well when it was released in 2007. It didn't.)
Ballmer also gave a little bit of respect to Apple, saying, "I think most people would tell you that the iPad is not a superexpensive device....[When] people offer cheaper, they do less. They look less good, they're chintzier, they're cheaper."
On PCs, Ballmer doesn't think the market is dead. He commented, "People talk about: "How healthy is the PC market?" There's going to be close to 400 million PCs sold in the next year, which makes it a big market. And whether it's 405 (million) or 395 (million), it's a big market, and Windows 8 will propel that volume."
Shares of Microsoft are just about flat on the session, coming off of intraday lows.
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- Citigroup set to join top banks in Anthropic IPO - Bloomberg
- Samsung Plans As Much As $79 Billion In Shareholder Returns - Bloomberg
- Bessent on Iran: maximum economic pressure means likely not a kinetic restart
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
Insiders' Blog, Trader TalkRelated Entities
Steve Ballmer, KindleSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!
