Ridiculously low pricing on Surface RT for UK Edu this summer

[AngryTechnician]

They can't possibly be turning a profit with this pricing, but grab it while you can. Institutional orders only (no individuals) but there appears to be no minimum quantity. (Edit: Mark Reynolds has confirmed on Twitter, no min or max order qty)

 

Microsoft is pleased to offer special pricing on Surface RT directly to schools and universities for a limited time between 19th June 2013 and 31st August 2013.

 

Our exclusive direct to institution pricing is as follows:

 

• Surface RT (32GB) - £133 + VAT
  
• Surface RT (32GB) with Touch Keyboard Cover - £168 + VAT
  
• Surface RT (32GB) with Type Keyboard Cover - £196 + VAT
  

 

More details on Academic pricing on Surface RT - FE blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Edited June 26, 2013 by AngryTechnician

[Novalee]

Is it correct that RT can't be connected to a network? That's the main thing preventing us getting them - how will you manage them?

[sparkeh]

Is it correct that RT can't be connected to a network? That's the main thing preventing us getting them - how will you manage them?

Well they can't be joined to a domain no.

[chazzy2501]

I'm ordering 1 through the school for me personally. Turns out to be £160 (with VAT) for a 10" tablet with good screen and a copy of office and subscription. Probably better than some no brand android.

 

EDIT: I also hear it'll be getting some enterprise features in the 8.1 upgrade... Still no domain join though

Edited June 26, 2013 by chazzy2501

[AngryTechnician]

No domain join, but limited management is coming in Windows 8.1. The offer sheet confirms that 8.1 will be a free upgrade for Surface RT devices when it is released.

[john]

Do they do Remote Desktop for them (thinking for a connection to MS RDG farm here)

[AngryTechnician]

Do they do Remote Desktop for them (thinking for a connection to MS RDG farm here)

 

Yes. Microsoft's Surface RT: Using existing Windows apps remotely | ZDNet

[john]

Yes. Microsoft's Surface RT: Using existing Windows apps remotely | ZDNet

 

So if you have an RDS farm this makes this look a very attractive tool at an attractive price

[zag]

I thought Windows RT was dead in the water?

[Theblacksheep]

I thought Windows RT was dead in the water?

 

sales wise maybe, but thats not going to stop Microsoft, they love flogging a dead horse, they'll bring out 2.0 horse soon. Although they'll probably call it horseone.

[Michael]

Horse manure more like. I think Windows RT is more floppy than a floppy disk. Microsoft must be selling them at cost or near to...

 

Not quite sure how they expected it to work in business or education, considering most have a Windows domain of some kind with GPOs/scripts to control various functions.

[hardtailstar]

Horse manure more like. I think Windows RT is more floppy than a floppy disk. Microsoft must be selling them at cost or near to...

 

Not quite sure how they expected it to work in business or education, considering most have a Windows domain of some kind with GPOs/scripts to control various functions.

 

Im sure some schools will just use them as stand alone tablets like we do with ours.

 

although its only our caretaker that has a tablet at the moment.

[fiza]

Well they can't be joined to a domain no.

 

Can you map drives on them? If I could map the student shared drive on my domain then I would be happy to buy some.

[Michael]

Im sure some schools will just use them as stand alone tablets like we do with ours.

 

although its only our caretaker that has a tablet at the moment.

 

Yes they're designed to be used as standalone, but this is somewhat a backwards step considering every version of Windows since Windows 95 could be joined to a network domain. I'd say this is probably one of the main reasons (as well as software compatibility), and Windows 8 itself why they haven't sold very many.

 

Even if you couldn't control them via GPO, just being able to authenticate against a domain would have been logical.

[chazzy2501]

Can you map drives on them? If I could map the student shared drive on my domain then I would be happy to buy some.

 

The 8.1 workplace will let you join a workgroup so....Maybe?

[mats]

No domain joining and ARM instead of X86. No better than a 'droid or iThing. Looks like a desperate push to increase the number shipped - are we getting to the end of a quarter?

[andydis]

I think Microsoft are heading in a direction that will make end users rely on the cloud,

 

This device supports office 2013 and so Storage on Office 365 or "sky drive" , AD may be becoming a thing of the past, Think no more onsite servers, think Azure+office 365+skydrive+ms accounts. One step closer to offering "desktops as a service". 1 RDS Farm for everything from micrsoft , stored in the cloud.

Edited June 26, 2013 by andydis

[fiza]

4 Things You Probably Don't Know About Microsoft's Surface RT - Forbes

[zag]

I think Microsoft are heading in a direction that will make end users rely on the cloud,

 

This device supports office 2013 and so Storage on Office 365 or "sky drive" , AD may be becoming a thing of the past, Think no more onsite servers, think Azure+office 365+skydrive+ms accounts. One step closer to offering "desktops as a service". 1 RDS Farm for everything from micrsoft , stored in the cloud.

 

As much as I think the current windows RT generation is a failboat, I do apreciate what they are trying to do.

[fiza]

I'm ordering 1 through the school for me personally. Turns out to be £160 (with VAT) for a 10" tablet with good screen and a copy of office and subscription. Probably better than some no brand android.

 

EDIT: I also hear it'll be getting some enterprise features in the 8.1 upgrade... Still no domain join though

 

I take it your school allows you to do that. I wonder if mine will? Time to go talk to the Finance bods.

[sted]

4 Things You Probably Don't Know About Microsoft's Surface RT - Forbes

 

for most people no 1 it exists no 2 it wont run years of programs you have

[fiza]

Another interesting article Tablet Wars: Microsoft Surface RT v. Apple iPad - Network World

[Tall_Paul]

What's ridiculous is the educational pricing lasts until about September, then it's back to normal.

 

Way to go, having an offer through the biggest school break of the year.

[fiza]

What's ridiculous is the educational pricing lasts until about September, then it's back to normal.

 

Way to go, having an offer through the biggest school break of the year.

 

But is it aimed at Academies whose Financial year ends in August so they may have a few quid left to spend?

[Tall_Paul]

Well, we're an academy and my IT budget has been frozen until next year unfortunately.