The launch of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet is fast approaching - Feb. 9, to be precise - but the show won't go on without a couple of hiccups getting in the way.
Both the 64GB and the 128GB versions of the Surface Pro are going to have much less storage space than advertised.
The 64GB model will only come with 23GB of free space out of the box, meaning over 50 percent of its internal storage is already taken up by Windows 8 and its various applications. The 128GB version, meanwhile, will offer users 83GB of space. That looks a lot better, but it's still worth noting that the operating system takes up a whopping 45 gigs.
Microsoft confirmed the specs today to Engadget:
"The 128 GB version of Surface Pro has 83 GB of free storage out of the box," said a Microsoft representative. "The 64GB version of Surface Pro has 23GB of free storage out of the box. Of course, Surface Pro has a USB 3.0 port for connectivity with almost limitless storage options, including external hard drives and USB flash drives. Surface also comes pre-loaded with SkyDrive, allowing you to store up to 7GB of content in the cloud for free. The device also includes a microSDXC card slot that lets you store up to 64GB of additional content to your device. Customers can also free up additional storage space by creating a backup bootable USB and deleting the recovery partition."
As you can see, Microsoft was quick to note that a USB 3.0 port means virtually unlimited storage space via external hard drives and whatnot, but you sacrifice the intended portability by attaching an external to the tablet. Flash drives and SD cards seem to be the way to go for extra storage options.
Up to 23GB of free space might not even be too bad considering lots of iPad owners get by on only 16GB, but the whole appeal of the Surface Pro is that it's essentially a laptop in tablet form. Chances are it'll be used by business professionals with plenty of programs and documents varying in size, and the thought of limited internal storage and add-ons might not deliver the same kind of appeal the Redmond-based giant wanted.
At the same time, at least the option for expandable storage exists on the Surface Pro. Similar capabilities for the iPad are nonexistant.
The 64GB Surface Pro will retail for $899 and the 128GB version at $999, so think carefully about what product best fits your needs.
