Microsoft Surface tablets will go on sale Oct. 26, the same day Windows 8 goes live, the company disclosed in a 10-K report filed a few days ago with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While this is not exactly a ground-breaking revelation, it is the official confirmation we've all been waiting for.

When Microsoft unveiled its Surface tablet back in June, it only said it would debut in the fall, without giving an exact release date, but that was before it had set the date for its big Windows 8 launch. The company has previously said that Surface products "would be available the same time as Windows 8," so this is just a confirmation in writing.

"The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012. At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices," Microsoft revealed in its annual report. It is worth noting, however, that the date is for Windows RT Surface tablets only. According to Microsoft, the Intel-based Surface Pro will arrive roughly 90 days later.

Disclaimers

As often found in SEC filings, Microsoft also spiked its annual report with disclaimers about the potential performance of Windows 8. "In fall 2012, we are launching Windows 8...Its success depends on a number of factors including the extent to which customers embrace its new user interface and functionality, successfully coordinating with our OEM partners in releasing a variety of hardware devices that take advantage of its features, and attracting developers at scale to ensure a competitive array of quality applications. We expect to incur substantial marketing costs in launching Windows 8 and associated services and devices, which may reduce our operating margins."

In a similar disclaimer under the section "Risk Factors," Microsoft also addressed the issue of building both the software and hardware for the device, something the company has ot done before, but decided to do with Surface. "A competing vertically integrated model, in which a single firm controls the software and hardware elements of a product and related services, has been successful with some consumer products such as personal computers, mobile phones, gaming consoles, and digital music players," wrote Microsoft.

"These competitors also earn revenue from services that are integrated with the hardware and software platform. We also offer vertically integrated hardware and software products and services; however, our competitors have been in the market longer and in some cases have established significantly larger user bases. Efforts to compete with the vertically integrated model will increase our cost of revenue and reduce our operating margins."

Pricing

The Surface tablets will come in two main versions. One version, running Windows RT on ARM chips, is expected to be more budget-conscious, while the other, running Windows 8 Pro on Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, will likely cost a bit more.

There is no official word on pricing yet. There has been some wild speculation about sky-high price tags, but those rumors eventually proved to be unfounded. Microsoft suggested a more reasonable pricing scheme, though there is no exact price set at this point. "Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC," Microsoft said in a previous statement.