Microsoft has kept its lips tightly sealed ever since the debut of its own-brand Surface tablets.
CEO Steve Ballmer has made several vague statements after the carefully orchestred launch, specifically around the company's channel strategy, but the big question has been around how much the hybrid devices will cost.
In late July a Swedish retailer appeared to leak pricing on its website, stating the 32GB Windows RT model would retail for around $A977 - a lower price point than the comparable laptop/tablet hybrid Asus Transformer Pad Infinity ($A999).
According to the Swedish online retailer webhallen.com, the top end 128GB Windows 8 hybrid device will sell for around $A2097. No mention was made whether the listed prices included the attachable keyboard.
While Microsoft declined to comment on the apparent leak at the time, a recent interview by the Seattle Times with Steve Ballmer revealed a ballpark figure.
He named a ‘sweet spot’ of between $US300 ($A286) and $US800 ($A763) for the device.
The price range is quite large and encompasses everything from the Google Nexus 7 to the iPad. The initial shipments of ARM-based Surface RT tablets are likely to ship at the lower end of the range, while the x86-based Surface tablet will inevitably have a more ultrabook-like price tag.
The tablets will be launched on October 26th. Microsoft is yet to disclose when it plans to announce pricing but with the big reveal just over a month away, the wait is not too much longer.
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