The anticipated Surface Pro 2 has been launched but the ship date appears to have been quietly pushed back until mid-December.

Microsoft has changed its US web site from ‘order now’ to ‘pre-order now’ indicating 15 December as the ship date.

Ironically Australian journalists just received a press release espousing the local release and pricing but attempts to order on line show only “Email me when in stock”.

Whatever the cause of the delay – bushfires are mentioned on the Australian site - or lack of supply or too many pre-sales it is hoped these would be available in time to go under the Christmas tree.

The Surface 2 range was covered earlier by iTWire here. and our opinion is the same – nice products but at the premium end of the market.

Windows on the ascent

Meanwhile at the cheaper end more exciting things are happening over at Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Dell, Toshiba and more. All have announced new Intel ‘reference design’ quad core, Bay Trail Atom based Windows 8.1 tablets that redefine the form factor – if you want a fully functional Windows tablet that supports legacy x86 programs and USB devices and has the power of a PC in your pocket. Apple users please stop crying.

Intel’s Bay Trail reference design gives all tablet manufacturers a standard base line and the ability to customise screen resolutions, add extra ports, longer warranty and so on. This gives incredible economy of scale and it appears that US$299 is the crowd-pleasing bottom line. Intel says more than 50 new Bay Trail tablets and hybrids will go on sale before Christmas. All Windows tablets/hybrids under 11” have a free full version of Office Home and Student that sells separately for AU$169.

Lenovo’s US$299 Miix2 weights 350g and is 8.35mm thick. This 8”, 1280x800, 2MP/5MP front rear camera, 2GB/32GB, and all the usual goodies is excellent value.

Acer announced the US$330, 8” Iconia W4 with 32GB and almost the same specifications as the Lenovo Miix2. It will also have a wide range of accessories - covers, keyboards, stylus and more.

Dell announced the US$299 Venue 8 Pro and it is yet another reference design.

Toshiba announced the Encore – an AU$399 tablet that shows what the reference design can do.

Asus will launch its 10.1” Transformer Book T100 tablet this week at US$349 but that includes a proper tablet dock/keyboard that makes this more of a mini-note clamshell as well. It will be enormously popular.

Opinion

Earlier today I reported on the decline of the iPad and rise of Android, and perhaps more significantly Windows tablets.

If ever the writing is on the wall for the next big thing it is low cost 8” Windows tablets that will help to revive the floundering Windows desktop market – or replace it. For example, a company is considering replacing 200 desktops with 10” tablets (criteria is a USB 3.0 dock) and a school is considering giving every student an 8” Windows tablet instead of a diary/homework book. Both these organisations have abandoned the iPad strategy they were about to embark on in part due to cost, and the allure of Office Home and Student, even in a commercial environment,