Invitations are going out to the press for a Surface tablet event (or reception, as the invitation chooses to word it) by none other than the Redmond-based Microsoft. The top of the invite reads “You’re invited to celebrate Windows 8” on October 25th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s pretty easy to decipher the message: Microsoft is finally launching its Surface tablet.
According to a company spokesperson, the tablet will go on sale shortly after the event at midnight on October 26th. It’ll be available online at microsoft.com as well as exclusively in Microsoft retail stores, but for the many people who don’t live near one, the former purchasing option will be the only plausible one.
Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but Microsoft is presumably saving those details for the aforementioned event. Company CEO Steve Ballmer previously said the “sweet spot” is between $300 and $800. (Thanks for the specifics, Steve, considering the vast majority of tablets shipped are priced within that range.) A contradictory rumor floated around in August that the Surface RT would sell for $199.
Microsoft first took the wraps off of its Surface line of tablets in June. They aim to be somewhat of a tablet/laptop hybrid with Windows 8 on the software side and a kickstand plus keyboard accessory on the hardware side, which make it practical for desk use.
Very little specs were announced back then other than there being two models — one with Windows 8 RT for consumers and one with Windows 8 Pro for advanced users — but Microsoft is expected to lay out all the details at the upcoming event.