Skip to main content

Microsoft’s Surface Windows 8 Pro tablet available February 9 in the US and Canada

Check out our full review of the Microsoft Surface Pro tablet. 

During our three months with Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet, we’ve waited patiently for news of the Pro version’s release. Today, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro tablet will be available on February 9 – a couple of weeks later than previous rumors indicated. Unfortunately, everyone living outside of the U.S. and Canada will have to wait even longer to get their hands on these laptop-tablet hybrids running the full version of Windows 8 Pro. 

Panos Panay, General Manager of Microsoft Surface, made the announcement today in a post on the official Microsoft blog. The Surface Pro tablet will be available in two configurations: one with a storage capacity of 64GB for $899, and another with 128GB for $999. Those prices don’t include the Touch Cover keyboard, an optional accessory that comes with a bonus stylus, which you can get for an extra $120. You can also choose to pony up a bit more cash for a limited edition $130 Touch Cover keyboard with laser-etched designs in red, magenta, and cyan. As Surface Pro works more like a traditional laptop than the Surface RT does, Microsoft also made a Surface Edition of the Wedge Touch Mouse specifically to match the Surface tablet.

Aside from the Surface Pro announcement, Panay also revealed that the Surface RT will be available in 13 additional markets in the coming weeks, bringing the total number of countries to 21. These additional markets are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Finally, if you find the the Surface Pro’s pricing a bit too much, you can buy a 64GB Surface RT tablet without the Touch Cover keyboard for $599 starting February 9, as long as you’re in one of the countries where the RT tablets are currently available. The new markets will follow in the weeks after that. 

Since the Surface Pro tablets run the full version of Windows 8 Pro, they can play any app, even those made for Windows 7. The Surface RT tablets, on the other hand, can only access apps downloaded from the Windows Store. The two tablets have a number of differences, including screen resolution, processors, and battery life. If you’re not sure whether the Surface Pro is worth the premium, check out our comparison piece between the Surface Pro and the Surface RT

Editors' Recommendations

Mariella Moon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio 2 might get a massive performance boost
The new Bing preview screen appears on a Surface Laptop Studio.

A mysterious laptop was spotted in an impressive Geekbench 5 benchmark, and many signs point to it being the next-gen Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2.

The test gives us the first bits of insight into the laptop's specifications. If everything checks out, we're going to see a huge performance jump in this upcoming generation.

Read more
Best Microsoft Surface Laptop deals for January 2023: Prices from $600
A woman using the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 while sitting on a block.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop line of computers is known for great build quality, lovely touchscreens, featherweight design, and all-day battery life. These sleek Windows ultrabooks also come with a wide range of hardware configurations and resulting prices, which make them the perfect choice if you're on the hunt for a portable but reliable mobile workstation, a device that you can use for work or school, or a machine that can double as an entertainment device. To help you with search, we've gathered some of the best Microsoft Surface Laptop deals that you can shop right now, but you need to hurry if you want to buy any of them because stocks may run out at any moment.

If you're also interested in Windows-powered tablets that can switch into laptop mode, you should check out our roundup of the best Surface Pro deals.
Best Microsoft Surface Laptop deals

Read more
Best Microsoft Surface Pro deals for January 2023

Tablets may often be described as much larger phones, and in some cases that's true, but not for the Microsoft Surface Pro. Decades after introducing the Windows operating system to the world, Microsoft finally did the unthinkable (unthinkable at the time, anyway) by taking a shot at creating actual computers -- its successful run with the Xbox consoles notwithstanding. When its Surface tablets dropped in October 2012, Microsoft proved that a software company can also do hardware right, and these Windows-powered iPad alternatives quickly earned a spot on many "best of" lists, including ours. Fast-forward ten years and you'll find that today, the Surface Pro lineup spans a huge range of designs, features, and prices. All that to say, finding the right one for your needs is not as easy as it once was. To help you, we’ve sniffed out the best Microsoft Surface Pro deals for each current model. Read on – your new favorite tablet or 2-in-1 could be waiting for you below.

Not convinced by the Microsoft Surface Pro? You can also check out our roundup of the best laptop deals.
Microsoft Surface Pro X -- $600, was $900

Read more