Microsoft's Surface tablets match iPad pricing

Newsbrief: Microsoft has priced its upcoming Surface tablets in line with the market leader, Apple's iPad, charging $499 for a 32GB model ($100 extra for the special keyboard cover) and $699 for the 64GB model (keyboard included). The newest iPad models have a starting price of $499 for the 16GB edition, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 32GB. Other rival tablet makers, like Google and Amazon, however, offer smaller tablets that sell for as cheap as $199. A number of developers have expressed interest in creating games for the new platform, looking at the tablets as an alternative to the saturated game market for iPads. Microsoft will launch its Surface line on October 26. The initial devices will run the Windows RT operating system (a variant of Windows 8) designed for tablets and smartphones, as opposed to the Surface Pro models that will run Windows 8 Pro and ship in January 2013, according to All Things Digital.