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With Surface for Windows RT going on sale in just 10 days, Microsoft is finally ready to talk about pricing and availability -- not to mention, some technical details it left out when the tablet debuted back in June. After the Surface product page prematurely went live on Microsoft's site a few hours ago, the company just officially announced that the 10.6-inch, ARM-powered slate will go up for pre-order at 9AM PT today, starting at $499 for the 32GB version. The 64GB model will cost $599.

To be clear, these prices do not include that snazzy Touch Cover with the flat, pressure-sensitive keys. Rather, it'll be sold separately for $120. Ditto for the more traditional Type Cover keyboard, which is priced at $130. If you already know you want the packaged deal, however, you can buy the 64GB tablet and Touch Cover as a bundle for $699. Lastly, when Surface starts shipping on October 26th, you'll be able to buy it on Microsoft.com or at a Microsoft Store (if you happen to have one in your neck of the woods). If you're hankering for hands-on photos, we'll redirect you to the first look we published the day Surface was announced. Hopefully, though, we'll soon get a review unit so that we can supplement our preview with meaty, real-world impressions.

Gallery: Microsoft Surface for Windows RT press shots

Continue reading Microsoft Surface for Windows RT pricing now official: tablet starts at $499, keyboard not included

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Microsoft Surface for Windows RT pricing now official: tablet starts at $499, keyboard not included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's 3mm thick, crafted from the finest Polartec and attaches to a tablet magnetically? If you guessed an iPad smart cover you might be right, but right now we're pretty enamored with Microsoft's Touch Cover for the newly announced Surface. See, it works almost exactly like that other "smart" tablet shield, but this one actually earns it's smart moniker. When you peel the plastic shroud back it turns into a fully functional keyboard and touchpad. Obviously, being a thin plastic sheet, the cover is relying on touch for key presses, not the actual depression of mechanical switches. So, while that means it's theoretically possible to touchtype on this bad boy, it remains to be seen just how pleasant of an experience it actually is. Our guess -- it'll be fine for quick emails and ~~Google~~ Bing searches, but we probably wouldn't have to write the Surface review on one.

Now, the Type Cover on the other hand, perhaps we'd consider drafting lengthy posts on. It's safe to assume this one is thicker and heavier, turning your tablet into something more closely resembling an Ultrabook. But, it does have a traditional keyboard with solid plastic, separated keys as opposed to a pressure sensitive pad. Perhaps one of the more interesting features though, is their ability to force Win 8 to color coordinate with your chosen shade of folio. Click the blue Touch Cover on to the Surface and the background switches to a soothing shade azure. There's even an accelerometer inside those 3mm-thin softer covers -- which is an impressive feat of engineering. The Touch Covers can easily distinguish between you simply resting your hands on the keyboard and actually typing, which should help minimize accidental key presses. We'll be back as soon as possible with some hands-on.

Gallery: Microsoft Surface Covers