Microsoft's Surface Pro with 256 GB of storage is coming to the USA

First launched in Japan last month, the upgraded model is finally finding its way across the Pacific

Craig Munro, Published 07/02/2013

While generally well received, Microsoft's Surface Pro has been widely criticized for its two major shortcomings: battery life and storage space.

64 or 128 GB of internal memory may seem like generous offerings on a tablet to those used to iPads or Android devices, but the Pro is a full laptop squeezed into a tablet format. It runs the full version of Windows 8 (as opposed to the far more limited Windows RT). The operating system alone eats up a large proportion of the internal memory leaving those who purchased a 64 GB model with only 29 GB of usable space.

With this in mind, the new model will be a very welcome addition to the Surface Pro lineup, though one that comes at a hefty premium. The 256 GB model is selling for US$1199 (US$200 more than the 128 GB).

The Pro still features an Intel Core i5 3317U processor, 4 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and a 10.6-inch 1920 x 1080 display. It's disappointing to see the new SSD did not come with a Haswell upgrade or even more RAM. We may have to wait for an eventual Surface Pro 2 to see any of those changes.

The 256 GB Surface Pro is available from CDW. No official announcement has been made and the larger SSD is not available from Microsoft's own online store.