Microsoft tablet and iPad to duke it out at large companies

Windows 8 Pro tablets have a shot at slowing iPad adoption at large companies, said Deutsche Bank -- though an analyst tempered the assessment with reservations.

Microsoft Surface tablets running Windows 8 Pro can "leverage" the large existing base of Windows customers, giving them a better chance at checking the "penetration" of Apple's iPad at large business accounts, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore wrote in a research note on Monday.

But Whitmore quickly qualified this as a "best case scenario" because Microsoft is "swimming upstream against the consumerization of IT," referring to employees who bring their own iPads to work.The Intel-based Pro version will likely be priced in the range of $900 to more than $1,000. "Or roughly in line with similarly configured ultrabooks," he wrote.

That's roughly a 20 percent premium over the most expensive 64GB iPad with 4G, according to Whitmore. And Windows Pro Surface tablets must also contend with the iPad's superior battery life and the iPad's large number of third-party apps, he said.

RT tablets -- less expensive Surface tablets built around Windows RT and ARM silicon -- have even less chance against the iPad, Whitmore said.

Below is a Deutsche Bank breakdown of iPad and Surface tablet pricing and configurations.

This article comes from:http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57460277-92/microsoft-tablet-and-ipad-to-duke-it-out-at-large-companies/