During a private event in RocketSpace San Francisco this past Tuesday, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer spoke to app developers about the potential of making millions with Windows 8 and the new Surface tablet. Ballmer was even asked about pricing for the Surface and his answer was a bit intriguing.
“Really only now can you see [Windows 8] hardware. If I’m sitting in your shoes and I say, ‘Hey, what does this Windows 8 thing mean to me? Is it just more notebooks or is it something bigger and broader?’ It gets the bells ringing because you can see the phones, you can see the Surfaces, you can see the touch laptops, you can see the evolution,” Ballmer stated during the event. Ballmer and Windows CFO Tami Reller demonstrated a few Windows 8 devices, including the Surface tablet during the event. When asked about pricing for the Surface tablet, Ballmer had an interesting response. “I’m not going to ask you on the price, but how many can I get for $1,500?” RocketSpace founder and CEO Duncan Logan asked. Ballmer’s response? “Some. We’ll release pricing before we ship. We’ve been clear that’s in the not too distant future, but not today,” Ballmer stated. Ballmer has hinted that the Surface will run between $300 and $800. Ballmer also believes that there is a huge opportunity for app developers in the Windows 8 market. “It’s going to create a heck of a lot of opportunity for folks in this room to make millions,” Ballmer stated, in reference to Windows 8.
