We were starting to wonder what had happened to Microsoft's Surface with Windows 8 Pro. Originally slated - excuse the pun - for a January release, the weeks have rolled by without an official release date penned in.

The Surface Pro, as it's so often abbreviated, will be available from February 9 in the US and Canada with an opening price of $899 (USD) for the 64GB version. There is also to be a 128GB version that's been penned in at $999.

The Surface Pro comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, the full version of Windows 8 Pro - not the "app-based" Windows RT of the standard Surface - and includes a Surface Pen to scribe your best via the touchscreen.

READ: Microsoft Surface RT tablet review

Unfortunately there's no official verdict on when the Surface Pro will arrive in the UK and the rest of Europe. We know it will, but Microsoft is remaining tight-lipped on that front.

However, there is more info about Surface accessories which include new limited-edition touch covers, priced at $130 a piece, and a Wedge Touch Mouse that's designed to "complement the Surface experience in all its forms [by] providing four-way touch scrolling". Very swanky for the more PC-like user experience.

For now UK-ers it's a case of holding your breath. The confirmation of US price and availability does mean the cogs are turning, so we don't think the UK Surface Pro release will be too far behind.