Microsoft will be releasing one of two versions of its Surface tablet on October 26, according to a recent disclosure filed with the SEC, but the more powerful version won’t actually be on sale until late January 2013 at the earliest. As a Microsoft spokesperson told TPM: “Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later.”
Microsoft has unveiled two versions of Surface so far: A version running off the upcoming Windows RT operating system, designed specifically for tablets and mobile devices, and another running a full desktop version of Windows 8. Both pieces of software are in the Windows 8 family and are compatible.
Microsoft actually revealed the news of the staggered Surface launch when it first showed off the tablet family in mid-June, but at the time, there was no clear launch date for Windows 8, and thus, none for Surface either.