Microsoft trims Surface Pro 2 prices as sales of successor loom
Computerworld - Microsoft has cut prices of its almost-retired Surface Pro 2 tablet by $100 days before the next-generation model hits retail.
New prices for the Surface Pro 2 -- which was introduced last fall -- now run $799 for the model with 64GB of storage and $899 for the 128GB configuration. The cuts represent discounts of 11% and 10%, respectively.
Microsoft is scheduled to start selling the Surface Pro 3 it's-a-tablet-it's-a-notebook on Friday. The company has been taking pre-orders for the device since the Surface Pro 3's debut on May 21.
The Surface Pro 3 tablets start at $999 for the 128GB model and end at $1,299 for 256GB of storage. Both devices sport a Core i5 processor, the same one used in 2013's Surface Pro 2.
Three other Surface Pro 3 tablets won't ship until August, Microsoft has said, including the $799 64GB model that runs an Intel Core i3 processor, and two configurations boasting the Core i7 CPU, priced at $1,549 (256GB of storage) and $1,949 (512GB).
The Surface Pro 3 devices available this week will be available in Microsoft's own brick-and-mortar stores and those of retail partners like Best Buy, and on Microsoft's online outlet.
When the $799 entry-level Surface Pro 3 reaches retail later this summer, Microsoft will probably slash the price of the Surface Pro 2 tablets even further to empty its inventory.
Microsoft has promised to support the Surface Pro 2 with software and firmware updates until April 10, 2018.
The Surface Pro 2 can be ordered through Microsoft's website. The prices do not include a cover keyboard, which is essential for running Windows legacy applications.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at 
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