Microsoft teases Surface Pro as 90-day deadline nears

Microsoft teased the Surface Pro Wednesday, hinting that the company will soon announce an on-sale date for its second tablet.

"On my way to the factory to check out #Surface Pro coming off the line...arriving in the coming weeks," tweeted Panos Panay, the general manager of Microsoft's Surface line.

Although the company has not set a ship date for the Surface Pro, last fall it said it would release the tablet approximately 90 days after the Oct. 26 debut of its Surface RT sibling. That timetable would peg the Surface Pro's launch as next week.

Microsoft has not refreshed its Surface Pro page with any new information on the model. That page continues to simply state, "Coming in early 2013."

In late November, Microsoft set pricing for the Surface Pro at $899 with 64GB of storage space, and $999 for 128GB. Microsoft's Touch Cover and Type Cover will be sold separately at $120 and $130, respectively.

Unlike the Surface RT, which has reportedly sold a disappointing 1 million units since its October launch, the Surface Pro will be powered by an Intel processor and rely on Windows 8 Pro. The combination will let the tablet run legacy Windows applications in a fully functional traditional desktop, leading some Microsoft bulls to hope it will sell better than its predecessor.

:story: PCWorld