Windows 8 Tablets Selling on eBay for Steep Price
Developers Hocking Free Devices on Auction Site
It's only been a year since Windows 7 hit retail shelves. Many people (and particularly businesses) are only now making the transition from older operating systems, including 2007's Windows Vista and, in particular, the decade-old Windows XP. But already we're starting to learn more about Windows 8, which probably won't get a wide release for at least another 10-12 months.
Right now you can get a Windows 8 tablet computer on eBay this very minute. The only problem? You'll be paying about five times the value of your average tablet computer.
Windows 8 got its first unveiling last week at Microsoft's BUILD conference, held in Anaheim, California. The target for such a conference was the tech industry's developer population, which Microsoft hopes will embrace Windows 8 when it's released (presumably next year).
So, how do you win over a developer? The same way you win over anybody: give them free stuff. Those who attended BUILD were greeted not just with smiles and energetic presentations, but free Windows 8 tablet computers built by industry heavyweight, Samsung.
Pretty cool, huh? Access to an operating system that is, in technology terms, virtually light years away?
For some developers who got access to the free swag, the deal is also proving very lucrative. Ever since the BUILD conference began, devs have been selling their Samsung Windows 8 tablets on eBay, and reaping in some serious cash while doing it.
Right now there are a handful of these devices available on the auction site for around $2,000 to $3,000. The "Buy it Now" option gives bidders the chance to skip the bidding for $3,500.
On the surface, it sounds like a bad deal. But these are actually quite powerful tablets, under the hood. The Samsung device comes with a dual core, 1.6 GHz x86 Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, front- and rear-mounted cameras, 64GB storage space, and an 11.6-inch display. There's even access to one full year of service from AT&T.;
If you're drawing comparisons, a device with similar specs from Apple will run you well over $1,000.
To date, about a dozen of the BUILD tablets have been sold on eBay at an average price of $2,844. That means you're paying about $1,200 for the hardware and $1,600 for the cutting-edge software.
For those interested in making such a purchase, be aware that this is a primitive build of Windows 8, one that Microsoft is unlikely to fully support for at least a year, if ever.
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