You guessed it: we’re getting screwed on IT pricing. Again.
Microsoft made the decision in the US to slash Surface RT prices by $US150, making the cheapest Surface now a very competitive $US349 (from $US499). No official word on price cuts has come through from Microsoft just yet, but that hasn’t stopped JB Hi-Fi from acting, cutting just $88 from the price to make the cheapest Surface RT in Australia $388 (from $459).
So a Surface in Australia is still roughly $40 more expensive on ticket price compared to our Amerifriends.
Now, we can’t tell yet if the pricing cut was at the behest of Microsoft or if JB Hi-Fi slashed them of its own volition, but it’s a fair bet it’s the former.
It’s also worth pointing out that while we’re still getting slightly screwed, it’s not as bad as all that. US prices are being slashed by $US150 and Aussie prices are cut by $88, but the folks in the US still have to pay state sales tax on top of their Surface RT purchases, while Australian law requires local retailers to display prices with the 10 per cent GST included.
Nailing down a precise figure is tough, but the bottom line is that Aussies are still worse-off to a degree. [Lifehacker]