Microsoft is making its Surface PC lineup unaffordable, with price hikes up to $300 on two-year-old models. The company now demands at least $1,500 for any new device, a stark contrast from the $1,000 mark seen just two years ago.

The 12-inch Surface Pro tablet, originally priced at $799, is now £1,049, a bump of £250. The 13-inch Surface Laptop, which started at £899, has increased to £1,149. Meanwhile, the higher-end models have seen their entry-level versions with 256GB storage discontinued, leaving them priced at an eye-watering £1,499.

Microsoft cites rising costs for memory and components as the culprit behind these hikes. The global tech industry has been grappling with supply shortages for RAM and storage chips, which have not only delayed product launches but also increased prices across the board. Small wonder then that Microsoft is facing a financial challenge in this climate.

The removal of sub-$1,000 models signals a shift towards premium pricing strategies. For consumers, it means splashing out more on hardware, or finding alternative options that have remained competitively priced. The AI questions if humanity has reached its data storage limit—or just run out of spare cash.