Microsoft celebrates Surface Pro's 5th anniversary in style; offer huge discount

Microsoft's Surface with Windows 8 Pro has turned five and the company has decided to make it even more special for the consumers. If we look back, the first version was pretty strange -- a bit too big for a tablet, a bit too small for a laptop. But with the advent of Surface Pro 3, the company made a strong footprint in the market.

The first generation was an x86 tablet with an integrated kickstand and a detachable keyboard, but the third iteration had the altered screen resolution to 12-inches (up from 10:6-inches). It also used a kickstand that could place the device at any position from about 20-150 degrees. It also encouraged a lot of companies like Dell, HP, and Samsung in the coming years.

So, to celebrate the fifth anniversary, Microsoft is offering $200 off on two models of the latest generation Surface Pro. The Core i5 with 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM is available for $799, and the Core i5 with 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM is $1,099. The prices will last until February 19 only.

Besides, a study conducted by Creative Strategies on a panel of 1,300 US consumers, shows no less than 72 percent of the users who make do with a Microsoft Surface actually want it as their personal device as well, compared to 65 percent in case of the Apple MacBook.

The survey also shows that the Surface Pro is the popular choice among the users who want to replace their laptops with 2-in-1 devices. The Surface Pro outclasses the Apple iPad by 11 percent.

The study also shows that most Surface users are proud to be seen using a Microsoft device. Up to 77 percent of the respondents said that they enjoy working on a surface device, while only 52 percent of them had the same opinion about Apple devices.

Furthermore, the study suggests that most employees who get a Surface model fell more cared about the device, compared to who receive the Apple MacBook. However, both devices are said to be on par when it comes to functionality.

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According to the research, Microsoft's Surface lineup is the only "the only brand" that can go head-to-head with the Cupertino giant.