Microsoft’s global rollout of their Surface Pro tablet PC has been erratic to say the least. The company has met with considerable resistance to its first ever PC release, but it seems like there could be some good news on the horizon. The Japanese version of the Surface Pro is getting a storage bump, from 128GB to 256GB, that isn’t yet available anywhere else.
If there can be one complaint about the current generation of SSD-driven machines, it’s the cost of storage. You’d be hard pressed to find an ultrabook or a convertible laptop with more than 128GB… unless you’re willing to spend about $1500. In fact, it’s currently cheaper to buy a 1TB spinning disc than it is to make the jump from 128GB to 256GB with most off-the-shelf machines.
Despite being called overpriced by many, Microsoft did a great job beating the prices of ultrabooks with matching specs. A year ago, a Core i5 system with a 1080p screen would have little chance at being under $1000. Starting at $899 (with 64GB), the Surface Pro set a price point that the other manufacturers have been striving to undercut, and it looks like Microsoft is about to do it again with a 256GB version.
Kicking off in Japan, Microsoft appears to be releasing a double-capacity Surface Pro at the same price point that we have seen the system here in the US. After the intense negativity the company received when the 64GB Surface Pro was found to only have 46% of its storage available, it makes sense for MS to start off in Japan by only releasing 128GB and 256GB models. By pricing the two at the same levels as the US’ 64GB and 128GB offerings Microsoft is sure to get get things started on the right foot.
It’s not clear when, or even if, this 256GB Surface Pro will go anywhere other than Japan, but it is good to know that Microsoft is interested in improving the Surface. There’s yet to be any new accessories or companion products to the line since its release which is disappointing, especially after we learned that the Surface Pro was designed to allow for a custom battery pack to be attached through the ports on its bottom.
This storage bump could be part of a larger refresh planned by Microsoft, perhaps to offer some of these new accessories and encourage a wider adoption of their first ever in-house designed PC.
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