The flagship of Microsoft Corp.’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) consumer PC products, the Surface, just got less expensive. The price of the base model dropped to $349, which is certain to be a reaction to lack of demand. The entire global PC market has slowed, although tablet computer sales have lifted. The RT is an odd hybrid — a tablet with a portable keyboard. It is, in other words, a product that sits between hardware success and failure.

The RT has to be a leader into Microsoft’s foray to hardware, which is part of CEO Steve Ballmer’s new vision for the company. He set a new structure for the entire management system and made hardware a priority.

Microsoft’s new promotion for the RT states that its 32 GB (tablet only) cost $499 previously.

The huge software company describes the product this way:

Work anywhere, anytime with Windows RT and Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview2. Keep tabs on news, friends, and entertainment with pre-loaded Microsoft apps. Visit the Windows Store to discover more apps and games.

That sounds like the most popular tablets without Google Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android OS or Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iOS, Windows RT has never caught on — a huge drawback for the Surface.

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