The Microsoft Surface with Windows RT is a pretty darn good device (read my review here), but a number of people decided to hold out for the more powerful Surface with Windows 8 Pro. If you’re in the latter camp, you’ll be pleased to know that the device is still on track for a late-January release.
While the Surface Pro’s battery life won’t last as long as the nine-hour battery on the Surface RT, it makes up for it with a more powerful Intel Ivy Bridge processor for better performance and a higher resolution, as well as support for legacy desktop applications. Microsoft originally stated that “Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later.” While most assumed that this number was just an approximation, that might not actually be the case.
CNET talked to a number of Microsoft’s retail stores located around the United States and Canada, and while most were hesitant to commit to a date, one said that it “expects the new tablet on January 26.” Not coincidentally, this is exactly three months days after the launch of Windows 8. Of course, other sources seem to believe it’ll be more like January 29. If Microsoft follows the same pattern it did with the Surface RT launch, official details could arrive as soon as January 16. An announcement during CES next week is possible but unlikely, due to Microsoft’s decreased presence at the show.
