Skip to main content

Microsoft education promo massively cuts Surface RT price to $200

surfacert
Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to a blog post by Ryan Lowermilk, co-host of the Windows Developer Show, Microsoft will soon be offering 32GB Surface RT tablets to K-12 and higher education institutions for the low, low price of $200. Microsoft’s been pulling out all the stops lately in order to boost the interest in its Surface RT tablet. Just recently, the company unveiled it’s giving away free keyboards for a limited time to customers who bought a new Surface RT. Microsoft also revealed that an upgraded version of Microsoft Outlook would be coming to Windows RT tablets with a subsequent update. 

Just last week, Microsoft gave away 10,000 Surface RTs to the first 10,000 registrants at the International Society for Technology in Education conference in San Antonio, Texas. One would argue that this is more than enough promotion for a product that has seen less than stellar sales, but Microsoft is pushing its device one step further by offering a heavily discounted price to educational institutions.

By offering the Surface RT for $200, the company’s slashing the price by more than 50 percent (discounting it by $250, to be exact). Schools looking to get a little more bang for their buck can purchase a 32GB Surface RT bundled with a keyboard-laden touch cover for $250. Bump that price to $290 and the package comes with a type cover. If you’re an educator, the following link (PDF) will give you some key information regarding the promotion, as well as a place where you can put in an order.

Is Microsoft’s attempt to sell its Surface RT tablets at less than half their retail price a sign that it’s trying to clear its stock a head of a Surface 2 announcement? With Microsoft’s Build Developer Conference next week, we may have our question answered. Stay tuned. 

Russ Boswell
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Russ Boswell is an aspiring video game and technology journalist from Colorado. He's been an avid gamer since he was old…
Surface Book 4: Everything you need to know about Microsoft’s missing 2-in-1
Surface Book 3 sitting on the floor with screen open.

Microsoft just announced the Surface Laptop Studio, but for close followers of the Surface brand, there's one concerning take on this news. With the launch of the Laptop Studio coming on October 5, and with it being catered to creatives and photo and video editors, or even developers, what is going to happen with the Surface Book lineup?

Microsoft didn't announce a Surface Book 4 at its recent event, and we're now left wondering if the Surface Book lineup is dead for good. We've combed through the rumors and speculation to find out.
Price and release date

Read more
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 6
Microsoft Surface event October 2019

There's no question that the Surface Pro 7 is getting long in the tooth. Microsoft's latest Surface detachable made its first appearance at the tail end of 2019 and, now well into 2021, has yet to be succeeded by anything newer. However, if you're still sporting an older model, you may be curious as to what makes the Pro 7 different, if not better.

This guide compares the Surface Pro 7 against the Surface Pro 6. The big difference lies within the underlying CPU, but we make other comparisons to give you an idea of what changed between the two generations. Did the refresh make the Surface Pro 7 an imperative purchase? Read on to find out.
Design

Read more
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 vs. Surface Book 3 13: Which 2-in-1 wins?
microsoft surface go pro book pen headphones adorama best buy home office sale 7

If you're in the market for a 2-in-1 and you're particularly enamored of Microsoft's Surface line, you have several outstanding choices. The Surface Go 2 rounds out the bottom end and the the 15-inch Surface Book 3 marks the high end. But in the middle, where most people are shopping, things get murky.

The Surface Pro 7, and the Surface Book 3 13 are a bit more equally matched. They are different sizes and take different approaches to making a laptop work as a tablet, so the choice between them can still be confusing. Which better suits your needs? Here's everything you need to know.
Design

Read more