Microsoft has been trying to ramp up sales of its
Surface RT tablet by offering free covers and keyboards.
Now, it’s offering the device for $199 to K-12 schools, colleges, and
universities.
The price jumps to $249 with cover and $289 with type
cover and is only available to institutions.
“It’s important Microsoft does its part to help get
devices into the hands of educators that help prepare today’s students with
skills modern business demand,” a Microsoft spokesperson wrote to PC World in
advance of the program’s official announcement at the International Society for
Technology in Education conference.
While that sounds very good, cutting the price for
schools helps the company gets more Windows devices in the classroom, borrowing
a page from the Apple playbook in trying to create a new generation of Windows
users. It also helps Microsoft move a device that simply has not been selling
well at its retail list price of $399.