Microsoft Surface 2 pricing starts at $449

It's not often as a blogger/journalist that you hope your sources are wrong.

That said, I was really hoping my one source was wrong about Microsoft's plans for Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 pricing. And it looks like s/he was.

Microsoft announced its new ARM-based Surface 2 and Intel-based Surface 2 Pro devices on September 23 in New York City. Specs and packaging are largely what was rumored -- other than the fact that the Surface 2 will be available in silver. (Update: There won't be a black Surface 2, contrary to what I originally was told at the launch.)

The rumor was, according to my source, the ARM-based Surface 2 would start at $499 for the 32 GB version. Instead, Microsoft announced today that it will start at $449. As expected, the previous model (Surface RT) is staying at $349.

Surface Pro 2 was rumored to start at $899 for a 64GB version, with 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB models available at $999, $1,299 and $1,699, respectively, according to this source. The real price will be $899, Microsoft confirmed, with internal storage upgradable up to 512 GB costing $1,799, with the high end costing $100 more than what my tipster had said.

Prices include 200GB of SkyDrive storage for free for two years, as well as a year of free Skype international calling and Skype wifi hotspot support.

Launch date for the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 is October 22, as my source told me last week. No word (yet) today from the launch as to what the distribution plan is for the new devices. Preorders for the two Surface 2 models, plus most of the peripherals (minus the Power Cover, most likely), starts at 8 a.m. ET on September 24.

Update: Here's where the Surface 2s will be sold, according to Microsoft:

"The new models will be available at Microsoft retail stores, MicrosoftStore.com and select third-party retailers in 22 initial markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States on Oct. 22 and China in early November. Additional markets will be announced in the coming months."