A new Microsoft initiative plans to "giveaway" tablets of the Surface with Windows RT.
In collaboration with Bing, Aug. 21 marked the launch of "Bing for Schools," an initiative meant to improve digital literacy for students by adding technology to schools.
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According to Bing Behavioral Scientist Matt Wallaert, "Bing for Schools" also teaches students how to search the web in an ad-free environment.
"We already know that search is an important tool for kids in school - a recent Pew poll found that 94 [percent] of teachers believe their students are very likely to use a search engine during a typical assignment," wrote Wallaert on a Bing blog. "We believe that schools should have the choice to make sure those searches are safer, more private, and ad-free."
The initiative allows schools to utilize Bing Rewards and use the credits to put a Surface with Windows RT tablet in classrooms.
"Any school can receive Bing Rewards credits - they don't have to be enrolled in the official Bing for Schools ad-free search program," added Wallaert. "We'll aggregate the credits for everyone supporting each school and when they reach 30,000 credits, we'll convert those into a Microsoft Surface RT tablet with Touch Cover that will be sent directly to the school."
School districts participating in the pilot program include Los Angeles Unified School District, Atlanta Public Schools, Fresno Unified School District and the Detroit Country Day School.
As Latinos Post reported, Microsoft Surface Director Cyril Belikoff announced that the tablets will start to sell via commercial channels in the U.S. and 17 countries abroad, including Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Microsoft revealed it was taking a $900 million charge due to "related to Surface RT inventory adjustments." The "adjustments" have been suggested to represent the unsold tablets of the Surface with Windows RT. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer addressed the Surface with Windows RT sales during an internal town hall in late July, stating, "We built a few more devices than we could sell."
The Surface with Windows RT prices dropped by $100 for both 32GB and 64GB tablets. The tablet-only 32GB Surface with Windows RT at the Microsoft Store is $349, down from the original $449 price, while the 64GB variant will cost the consumer $449, instead of $599. For consumers buying the Surface with Windows RT with a Touch Cover, it will cost an additional $100 for each 32GB and 64GB model.
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