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Microsoft Surface Tablets Education Offer - Going cheap starting from $219

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Microsoft Surface Tablets Education Offer - Going cheap starting from $219Affiliate
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Chthonic on 18/09/2013 - 10:40 microsoft.com (1406 clicks)
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Link: http://www.microsoft.com/student/en-au/Offer/default.aspx#fb…

Surface RT (32GB) – AU $219 incl. GST (RRP is $389)
Surface RT (32GB) with Touch Keyboard Cover – AU $279 incl. GST (RRP is $449)
Surface RT (32GB) with Type Keyboard Cover – AU $319 incl. GST (RRP is $539)

This is an educational offer, although the email I received states you can walk into JB / Harvey Normal and they will do the deal. This has been confirmed, I have called JB and they will match directly from the microsoft website as they are participating in this educational offer.

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  • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2013 - 10:42

    nice, the first two are under the $300 instant tax write-off mark.

  • jv on 18/09/2013 - 10:42
    +1

    I have called JB and they will match directly from the microsoft website as they are participating in this educational offer.

    If you qualify…

    • easternculture on 18/09/2013 - 10:49

      For a limited time only, Microsoft is offering education institution customers special pricing on Surface RT tablets. This offer is available for order now through to 30 September 2013.
      For more information or to place an order, email [email protected]

      You must have/manage an educational institution to be eligible for this offer

      • jv on 18/09/2013 - 10:51
        +14

        You must have/manage an educational institution to be eligible for this offer

        I am the founder of the "JV School of bargain forum commenting"

        • easternculture on 18/09/2013 - 10:52
          +11

          & I am the founder of "Ozbargain Kindle eBook Association"

          so we both qualify

        • THICKnSLOW on 18/09/2013 - 11:24
          +3

          Wow two founders, I am in awe

        • nerd1 on 18/09/2013 - 11:40
          +2

          looks like I'm in the right place then because I'm lost :P

    • seagull on 18/09/2013 - 12:31

      i have rung 3 jb stores syd east and 1 harvey norman they all told me they wont do the education offer

  • Chthonic on 18/09/2013 - 10:44
    +1

    Update: If you are going in make sure you have a copy of the link, JB staff have trouble finding it. When I go and buy one today after work I will upload a receipt.

    • seagull on 19/09/2013 - 17:45

      how did you go with the educational offer which shop did you go to can you please upload the receipt

  • easternculture on 18/09/2013 - 10:44
    +2

    Its for educational institutions,

    And its been posted here http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/107293

    • Chthonic on 18/09/2013 - 10:45

      Pretty sure that's expired? If not all good - this offer came out today and expires on the 30th.

      Also, makes it very easy JB and HN are participating.

  • superforever on 18/09/2013 - 10:44

    See what new will come in a few days.

  • IsometricBacon on 18/09/2013 - 10:44

    Just keep in mind they will be announcing new Surface 2 within the next week or so. Whether the RT model will be drastically different or not is unclear.

  • cyrax83 on 18/09/2013 - 10:45

    RT is just so utterly useless though :/

    • easternculture on 18/09/2013 - 10:47
      +2

      but its heavily advertised in the USA

      If you have Hulu/Hulu Plus, in all their surface commercials they compare it to the ipad

      I find the advertising quite funny

    • Citrus on 18/09/2013 - 11:07
      +4

      That's rather hyperbolic. If you intend to use your tablet for browsing (with flash support), watching videos, editing documents (Office) and reading, then it's a good buy. Not to mention the microSD slot and USB port.

    • mb0005 on 18/09/2013 - 11:46
      -5

      An ipad is more useless than the Surface RT, ANY android tablet in the same price range is more useless than the RT.

      No other tablet stands by itself without a cover, no other tablet has an attachable keyboard, no other tablet in the same price range has a usb port for transferring files.

      No other tablet has the same windows 8 apps available to it, you should check the microsoft app store and you'll find out that most windows 8 apps you can download for free on the desktop is available on the surface RT

      No other tablet has different user profiles for sharing the device in the household. No other tablet has a fully functional and free office suite including Outlook 2013. I could add more but you already think all of the above is pretty useless.

      • cyrax83 on 18/09/2013 - 11:49
        +8

        Ok then Bill

      • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2013 - 12:38
        +2

        I bought a Asus Transformer for $400 nearly 2yrs ago
        It
        - can stand by itself without a cover
        - has an attachable keyboard
        - has a usb port
        - Doesn't have access to 115,000 Win 8 apps (wiki), just the 1 Million+ apps in the play store.
        - Has a fully functional and free office suite

        I could add more but you already think all of the above is pretty useless.

        • eug on 18/09/2013 - 14:36
          -1

          How does it stand by itself without a cover? By attaching it to a keyboard, making it a 1.27kg "tablet"?

          1 million apps is pointless if someone just wants a tablet to surf the net, send emails, check facebook, and type some documents.

          Remember, there are other people in this world too. The Transformer might have suited you perfectly, but it won't suit everyone. The Surface RT might not suit you, but it might suit other people perfectly.

        • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2013 - 16:17

          Never slagged off the Windows tablet, just the ridiculous comments from MongBall.

          "How does it stand by itself without a cover?"
          Well by plug it into the keyboard (which adds an extra 8hr of battery)
          Or by the fold out flap stuck to the back

          "1 million apps is pointless if someone just wants a tablet to surf the net, send emails, check facebook, and type some documents."

          Again just responding to MongBall's ridiculous claims
          But not quite as silly as yours….Having 1 Million apps doesn't detract from a device.

          "The Transformer might have suited you perfectly"
          Yep pretty happy with it
          "but it won't suit everyone."
          Never said it would

          "The Surface RT might not suit you,"
          Actually who made the first comment to this post? never said it was a bad tablet.

          " but it might suit other people perfectly."
          Again who made the first comment on this post?

          Again my post was in response to the ridiculous comments from MongBall.

        • eug on 18/09/2013 - 17:06

          Oh right, sorry. His post seems a bit over the top, but aren't too inaccurate if you go by what he meant rather than what he wrote.

          Stand by itself without a cover (or keyboard)

          Attachable keyboard .. I think he means a cover-style keyboard. Really thin and light.

          USB port in that price range .. there probably are.

          The app thing.. I think he means no other tablet can run the same Windows 8 apps as your desktop (i.e. metro apps, lots are ARM compatible).

          Fully functional Office .. I've used lots of them - Kingsoft, QuickOffice Pro, OfficeSuite, Polaris, ThinkFree Office, Documents To Go.. and IMHO they are nowhere close to actual MS Office. Even a simple thing like copying an image from a website and pasting it into a powerpoint slide isn't straightforward.

      • Lenneth on 18/09/2013 - 12:51
        +1

        The newest Android has different user profiles.

  • Jack D Price on 18/09/2013 - 10:46

    Idiot's guide to the differences of the keyboard? Pricing seems extreme :/

    • Gehirn on 18/09/2013 - 10:52
      +1

      The touch is a flat touch pad with a keyboard imprint, the type is more closer and mechanical to a standard keyboard.

      • MasterScythe on 18/09/2013 - 10:56
        +1

        IMO, the touch is way better.
        This coming from a guy who hates touch screen phones and tablets.

        The type keyboards feel like the lowest end laptop keyboard youve used.

        Your best bet, if you want a 'real' keyboard for this, is to (ironically) buy the apple bluetooth keyboard. buy why would you when you have that amazing touch keyboard?

        • aec on 18/09/2013 - 11:36

          if this comes from a guy who "hates touch screen phones and tablets", i wont quote it. you are kind of unique…

        • mb0005 on 18/09/2013 - 11:51

          Yes the touch keyboard is great, all you have to do is turn up the speakers so you can hear the computer 'click' acknowledging you've made a keystroke. I can type just as fast on the touch keyboard 75wpm.

  • fbudd on 18/09/2013 - 11:00

    HH staff are totally clueless. What proof or ID must I use to fleece this from HH.

    • aec on 18/09/2013 - 11:37

      HH?

      Helly Hansen? it wont surprise me if they are clueless.

  • jnav on 18/09/2013 - 11:01
    +1

    My local JB aren't keen on matching. Are you able to post a copy of the email you received?

    • Gehirn on 18/09/2013 - 11:05
      +1

      +1 HN would be dreadful to match it with to without some email with it printed.

  • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2013 - 11:06
    +3

    :( thought it was surface pro… I don't want that RT useless version

  • 9674784 on 18/09/2013 - 11:13
    +2

    It's for institutions only, not students by the sounds of the brochure on their site. Pity, I would have grabbed one for $219 otherwise.

  • bargaino on 18/09/2013 - 11:20
    +1

    These machines are worthless, despite the hardware specs, as they are hobbled by secure-boot that cannot be disabled, and will only run RT.

    The surface-pro machines are OK, which is why they are not $200, I suppose :-(

    • mb0005 on 18/09/2013 - 11:52

      Goto the store and hold one, you wont find a better built machine for that price, nor a better operating system that runs most of the games and apps available on windows 8 desktop.

      • Trishool on 18/09/2013 - 13:10

        Since when does Windows RT play games that are available on Windows 8 desktop?

        • mb0005 on 18/09/2013 - 15:12

          Since they first launched it.
          I'm not talking about playing Crysis on it, i'm talking about casual gaming.
          If you've got Windows 8 you can look at most of the games in the store and it will say it will load on ARM, x86 and, x64 machines.

          I'm currently hooked on Soulcraft and Asphalt 7.

  • MasterScythe on 18/09/2013 - 11:24

    Hmm, RT only.

    Anyone found anything useful to do on RT that an android tablet cant do?

    I much prefer Windows 8 to Android, but with limited app support, and no x86 apps…. well… what can I use it for?

    • eug on 18/09/2013 - 11:43
      +1

      I find Windows 8/RT's navigation much more intuitive than Android. I have a Thinkpad Tablet 2 and a Nexus 10 and the TPT2 is much quicker to navigate around.

      The fact that the Surface RT comes with Office included is a big plus as well, for people who want to use it for work or assignments.

      If someone is looking for a tablet for games and random apps, I would look elsewhere. But if someone wanted one for work, they're very worth taking a look at.

      None of the Android office suite apps I've used come close to MS Office.

      People who flat-out say RT is useless probably either want to play games on their tablets (probably the majority), or are just following what the media says.

    • Astro551 on 18/09/2013 - 11:45

      if you need good office suite for uni/work (yet to find one on android, kingsoft is ok i guess). And if all you're doing is surfing web/typing documents/watching vids then this is fine.

      I find a lot of android tablet apps are just substitutes (or try to make better) what the web can already do (not in all cases). Like you can use the full web spotify player on RT (dunno if you can do this on an android/ios tab but yeh).

  • ocoolio on 18/09/2013 - 11:27
    -6

    Do NOT buy the RT - it's already a dead platform (no new apps will ever appear on it).
    Total waste of money

    • mb0005 on 18/09/2013 - 11:47
      +1

      Have you even checked the Windows App store before commenting? Most of the Windows 8 Apps on your PC will run on the RT.

  • UserInterface on 18/09/2013 - 11:28

    Any way around not being a student?
    I want one of these for RDP..

    • Astro551 on 18/09/2013 - 11:39
      +1

      if only you had to be a student.

      This order form with retail SKUs and pricing is valid only for direct sales to schools and educational institutions within Australia.

      Unless you're responsible for a school or educational institution's budget you won't be able to take advantage of this price.

      If JB/HN are switched on they won't price match this. Otherwise you got a good deal I suppose (not really legitimate though)…

      Here's the normal student pricing.
      http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msaus/en_AU/pdp/productI…

  • mooreshady on 18/09/2013 - 11:43
    -4

    still too expensive for RT.

    • AlexF on 18/09/2013 - 12:11

      … Surface RT's best feature is mini-Office but 1366x768 is pretty useless for reading.
      But, a real student needs a real laptop, not this wanna be.

      • eug on 18/09/2013 - 12:14

        5 days isn't too far off! The rumours say it might be full HD. Reading on the Nexus 10 screen is pure pleasure compared to 1366x768.

        • AlexF on 18/09/2013 - 12:16

          Hopefully, the new Office on RT will be proper touch-optimised, not just with bigger icons.

        • eug on 18/09/2013 - 14:29

          I actually find it fine at the moment. For the things I use Office for, I'd usually have a keyboard+trackpad or mouse connected anyway.

          I'm worried about feature-heavy software being too optimised for touch, as that means things will be buried more deeply as there's less space to put buttons and quick access shortcuts.

    • lamerthanlam on 18/09/2013 - 12:25

      Yeah. Because a gold iPad is worth $10000 because it's apple.

      Really.. The ignorance…

  • ziggy1312 on 18/09/2013 - 11:53

    These type of deals will continue , there is millions of units unsold still

  • nerd1 on 18/09/2013 - 12:10
    +1

    Offer to Institution ONLY. Student offer starts at $350.10 inc GST for 32GB Surface.

    Harvey will not match $219 price.

  • eug on 18/09/2013 - 12:11
    +4

    Uh-oh, this is starting to look like it's becoming an RT vs Android debate.

    Everyone needs to keep in mind that different people have different requirements.

    Some people use their tablets to play games and run random apps, but minimal productivity apps like office suites. An Android tablet or iPad would suit them well.

    Some people don't play games - believe it or not. They mainly use their tablets for communicating - facebook, Skype, emails, surfing the web while in front of the TV. That sorta thing. An RT (or Win8) tablet would be perfectly suitable for them.

    Some people want to do the above as well as run productivity apps for work like Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc. The RT would be really worth a good look at since it comes with Office.

    To top it off, the Surface RT is better built than any Android tablet I've owned. The kickstand looks pretty handy as well, and the normal Windows-like file system makes it easy for non-techy people to find and save files as they'd already be familiar with their PC's file system.

    The full-sized USB port makes copying files in and out easy with a USB stick too - everyone knows how they work, vs getting MTP to work reliably, or fiddling around with an OTG dongle since the majority of Android tablets don't have a full-sized USB port.

    Different people are… different. Some tablets are more suitable for some people. Just because RT is useless to you doesn't mean it's completely useless for every other person out there.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2013 - 16:23

      No Eng, you're making it a Droid v Win debate,

      Most comments are on how the deal is useless for 99% of people as they aren't
      "responsible for a school or educational institution's budget"

      • eug on 18/09/2013 - 16:55

        You might want to scroll up and read the other half of the posts that were made before mine.

  • Roary on 18/09/2013 - 12:15

    Will this play the latest Call of Duty?
    If so its perfect for Univeristy

    • cyrax83 on 18/09/2013 - 12:18
      +8

      Sure will, just the readme.txt though.

  • lamerthanlam on 18/09/2013 - 12:20

    The no apps argument is so dated.

    Yes. Android and iOS has heaps of apps but are all of them useful? Not really. For your needs, there is usually an app that does that on the Windows Store. Sure, you might not find the exact same app as it is available on Android and iOS but there are alternatives.

    The only real complain here with regards to apps are games. The games library is still lacking though there are some awesome windows only games. Unless you are an avid mobile gamer… the "windows store has no apps" argument is invalid.

    EDIT: Also, I'm fairly certain this is an educational institute offer. Would be nice to see how many people are actually able to make use of this offer.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/09/2013 - 12:35

      it's not dated, because Win RT is even worse than Windows phone 8, was wondering why they needed Win8 + Win RT + Windows Phone 8, the RT version is clearly in a weird position… it only supports ARM CPUs so unless they can make WP8 apps work on it, it won't be useful.

  • itstuan on 18/09/2013 - 13:19

    It's a good deal nevertheless, perfect for someone who just need basic stuff. At $219 its cheaper than any tablet junk you can find. Still whining about RT? then get the surface pro!!!

  • Jacku on 18/09/2013 - 14:08

    Im not a student nor work for education… any idea how to get it?

    • itstuan on 18/09/2013 - 14:18

      Get someone who is to get for you

  • UserInterface on 18/09/2013 - 14:52

    Hopefully students will buy it and flog them on ebay :)

  • nerd1 on 18/09/2013 - 14:57

    NOT AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS. The offer is to the institutions who will go and buy these tablets at a discounted rate (dumped) for their students to use.

  • purebreed on 18/09/2013 - 15:31
    +1

    This deal is only available for students. I know because I bought one. No point trying for pricematch.

    For students, you would need to contact the IT Procurement Manager of your University (Call or email, just keep bugging them. They are known to be lazy and unwilling to do anything. Dont get those small fry IT assistants, they cant help you and all they do is just delay the whole process, go straight to the boss).

    1) Show them the link
    2) Forget about the instructions given on the Microsoft website, its too confusing for administrative school staff. They have to somewhat fit in your personal purchase order within the University's purchasing policies, so its going to be complicated.
    3) Inform them that you have spoken to JBHIFI Commercial, and that they are okay with receiving the school's order through an official order letter with the school's letterhead (No minimum order requirement). Its best that you call someone from JBHIFI Commercial, get them to state this in email so you can forward it to your IT Procurement Manager.
    4) Once your school has sent them the order letter (no need for Purchase order), JBHIFI will send you a email requesting payment through Credit/Debit Card on their automated telephone system. Make your payment, record down reference no and send it back to the JBHIFI person who emailed you with the payment request email.
    5) Wait for payment to go through and wait for letter of authorisation to pick up (do inform JBHIFI where you want to pick up beforehand)

    Its tedious, some Universities' IT department might help you, some might not. So its down to a bit of luck and you have to go through a relatively lengthy process (just took me less than a week though).

    For non-students, you might want to hook up with those students who are interested in purchasing. If that helps. A lot of work, but it all depends on how much you really want it I guess.

    I used to have the IPad and a android tablet. I sold them because I felt that the technology is just not good enough at the moment to justify having one (things like SUPER DUPER HD, sufficient amounts of RAM, that kind of stuff. whatever some of the tablets make up for it, they lack in other ways). It probably is me just being too picky. Lol.

    Anyway, I only use the tablet computer for movies and net-surfing. So the Surface RT is sufficient for my needs. Especially when I have to take a lot of notes in school. So get it if you're really interested in productivity purposes. Its good for that.

    • Astro551 on 18/09/2013 - 15:59

      cheers for the advice, might give it a shot. will probs wait until the next surface announcement to decide(sept 23?)… though might not be enough time to order heh..

  • ozbarghunter on 18/09/2013 - 16:15

    I am a training institution and walked into JB to get 10 of these - and they wouldn't match the $219 price … I'll wait a bit longer …

    • cornbeef on 18/09/2013 - 18:09

      I also am a training institution but couldn't fit through the doors.

      • easternculture on 18/09/2013 - 23:08
        +1

        I also am a training institution but couldn't fit through the doors.

        I train @ the gym every day and cant fit through the doors, have to walk sideways :p

  • laser on 18/09/2013 - 20:16

    This is a pretty useless bargain as its only for educational institutions, how many of us run an educational isntitution?

    • itstuan on 18/09/2013 - 20:27

      twenty one

    • easternculture on 18/09/2013 - 23:09
      +1

      This is a pretty useless bargain as its only for educational institutions

      Does it qualify if you post kindle eBooks and Udemy courses on ozbargain ?

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