Ballmer hints at price range for Microsoft's Surface tablet

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiling the Surface tablet in June.

(Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET)

If you hoped rumors that Microsoft's tablet would sport a sub-$200 price tag were true, Steve Ballmer has dashed those hopes.

Microsoft CEO's has been pretty outspoken about how it was going to turn up the heat on Apple with its new Surface tablet, but he's been pretty tight-lipped about how much it expects its Surface -- until now. Noting that "We haven't announced pricing," Ballmer told the Seattle Times during an interview, but he did give a better idea what the company had in mind for a target price.

"If you look at the bulk of the PC market, it would run between, say, probably $300 to about $700 or $800," he told the newspaper. "That's the sweet spot."

While that hints at a tablet priced around $500, Ballmer criticized less expensive devices as being less capable.

I think most people would tell you that the iPad is not a superexpensive device. ... (When) people offer cheaper, they do less. They look less good, they're chintzier, they're cheaper. If you say to somebody, would you use one of the 7-inch tablets, would somebody ever use a Kindle to do their homework? The answer is no; you never would. It's just not a good enough product. It doesn't mean you might not read a book... [Read more]