Microsoft has confirmed it will release its Surface tablet PC the same day as Windows 8 - its next-gen operating system.
The company had previously stated that the Surface would be made available at the same time as Windows 8, however, it has now provided official confirmation.
"The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012. At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices," Microsoft said in its annual report, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Initially, only the Window RT version of the Surface will be available when the devices go on sale on October 26th.
Powered by ARM chips, the RT version of the device is expected to be far cheaper than the Pro edition of the Surface, which will ship with Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors around 90 days after the base version of the tablet.
Whilst there has yet to be any indication of pricing for the devices from Microsoft, it is expected the Surface will carry a price tag similar to that of the iPad and other devices on the market, in order to remain competitive.
"Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC," it said in a statement.
However, the lack of an official statement from Microsoft didn't deter Swedish retailer Webhallen from pricing the device, who listed the device on its online store with a price tag of £650 for the base RT version, and a staggering £1,389 for the Pro edition.

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