Looks like the specs / pricing might be as follows.

Core i3, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage - $799

Core i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage - $999

Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage - $1,299

Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage - $1,549

Core i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage - $1,949

http://www.zdnet.com/surface-pro-3-price-and-spec-leak-70000...

Why not let me choose how much of each component I want? I'd be interested in having 64GB storage, with 8GB+ RAM and at least an i5. I personally don't need so much disk space on a portable device.

Because all the components come soldered to the motherboard out of the factory, I suspect, the same way Apple has been shipping notebooks recently.

Why? Last year it was a Core i5 for just $100 more. Now it's $100 less for Core i3 (and of course all the other components would be cheaper by now, too, which either allows them to improve some of them a bit, or keep buy them cheaper than last year, like the 64GB storage).

Impressive, as in cheap or expensive? It depends on your perspective.

I meant cheap for what it is (or seems to be).

Strange, I think it's the opposite. That's a lot of money for an i3 with little memory. It's cheap next to a MacBook Air perhaps, but still quite expensive.

MacBook Air base model ($900):

* 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor

* Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz

* Intel HD Graphics 5000

* 4GB memory

* 128GB PCIe-based flash storage

The base Surface is cheaper than the Air but the second tier Surface (The one with more or less parity) is $100 more than the Air.

Don't forget that with the Surface, you're also paying a premium for the touchscreen and digitizer with pen, which is not available on an MBA.

Edit-- removed the word "Wacom", turned out to be a false assumption.

however for $100 more you get a High DPI touchscreen and a digital pen but the GPU (HD4400) is a bit slower.