AfterDawn: News

Bloomberg: Only 1.5 million Microsoft Surface tablets sold

According to a new Bloomberg report, Microsoft's Surface tablets are falling short of sales predictions.

The company has sold 1.5 million Surface tablets since launch, with 400,000 being the new Surface Pros with a full version of Windows 8 but a heftier price tag.



Microsoft had ordered 3 million Surface RT, say the sources, meaning there is plenty of inventory still out there.

By comparison, the global tablet market reached 128.3 million units shipped in 2012, with Apple accounting for just over 50 percent of those.

Despite the tablets being generally well accepted, the company has been hampered by consumer confusion, especially over the two different types of Windows. Windows RT, found on the $500 Surface RT, can only run applications built specifically for its ARM architecture. The $900 Surface Pro runs on an Intel chip so it can use all legacy Windows software.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 14 Mar 2013 19:19

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• 12 comments

• xtago

  Microsoft is a software company and it should stick to that thinking and forget about the hardware stuff.

  14.3.2013 20:43 #1

• CurtisQ (unverified)

  Actually, the Surface RT and Pro are very well designed and built. I own both and love them dearly. And from what I can tell this feeling is true for all Surface owners. They are awesome machines. One thing that would help however, would be to not think of them as tablets, but as laptop replacements in a tablet form factor. I realize that Surface RT is a bit on the light side in this regard, but clearly they were designed to do work, not just play (as the competition does). Kickstands and detachable keyboards make the Surface an awesome hybrid. The Surface RT comes with MS Office free which is how I get much of my work done. Surface Pro runs all the legacy Windows apps, which is how I get the rest of my work done. Actually, when I added Office to the Pro is does outshine the RT by far, but at nearly double the price.
  
  It does not help that Microsoft does not seem to want the Surface to succeed very much. I guess they feel they cannot have their cake and eat it too. Fear of angering their hardware partners kept MS from pushing Surface much at all. And it may continue to hold Surface back in the future as well. Stores cannot sell what they do not have for long without massive customer complaints.
  
  But one thing is certain, Surface is awesome and it users (myself included) know this all too well.

  14.3.2013 22:26 #2

• buddyleem

  Epic fail . IOS and android coming to a world near you
  

  Hack a bit, invest a bit, work a bit, jerk a bit

  15.3.2013 01:37 #3

• pensfan12

  Originally posted by CurtisQ:
  But one thing is certain, Surface is awesome and it users (myself included) know this all too well. I have only played with one in store but I have to agree. It's a solid concept.
  
  It will come into its own from the second iteration onwards.
  

  
  

  15.3.2013 05:22 #4

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by xtago: Microsoft is a software company and it should stick to that thinking and forget about the hardware stuff.
  
  And if they didn't do Surface, they might not have done that horrid Windows 8!

  15.3.2013 13:29 #5

• Digmen1

  Yes Micorsoft should stick to software
  
  If I was a hardware manufacturer I would be p'd off with them wanting to put their software on my machine and then selling machines in opposition to me.
  
  But their mice are nice and their keyboards and Xbox 360 sells well.

  15.3.2013 14:27 #6

• 1nsan3

  what they thought this pile of crap was gonna be a huge seller!! I wouldnt take one if it was givin to me.
  
  Im a power user, I like my desktop and power hungry laptops..
  
  not no 15 year old kids facebook laptoppy!

  15.3.2013 22:16 #7

• joebloe12

  Originally posted by 1nsan3: what they thought this pile of crap was gonna be a huge seller!! I wouldnt take one if it was givin to me.
  
  Im a power user, I like my desktop and power hungry laptops..
  
  not no 15 year old kids facebook laptoppy! LOL! So...tell us what you REALLY THINK about these tablets!
  

  16.3.2013 04:38 #8

• voyager

  Expensive ,that's the reason.

  16.3.2013 07:53 #9

• 1nsan3

  Originally posted by joebloe12: Originally posted by 1nsan3: what they thought this pile of crap was gonna be a huge seller!! I wouldnt take one if it was givin to me.
  
  Im a power user, I like my desktop and power hungry laptops..
  
  not no 15 year old kids facebook laptoppy! LOL! So...tell us what you REALLY THINK about these tablets! ive tried one, they are crap. There great for....surfing the internet. checking out how your pie chart business is doing lol.
  
  other than that, these have no actual power do do any gamming, or video editing. There for those that ya see on comercials. really thats it too . oh yea and put them on a big table and dance around them lol.
  
  oh yea dont forget to look at your pie chart stocks too there good for that lol.

  17.3.2013 21:07 #10

• 1nsan3

  If they had windows xp. they would be sweet. but windows 8 is a huge fail. 2 gigs of ram just to turn the damn thing on. UMMMM NO!!! i like my laptop. it may be thicker but that means more juice

  17.3.2013 21:08 #11

• pensfan12

  Originally posted by 1nsan3: If they had windows xp. they would be sweet. but windows 8 is a huge fail. 2 gigs of ram just to turn the damn thing on. UMMMM NO!!! i like my laptop. it may be thicker but that means more juice XP? Surely you can't be serious...
  

  
  

  19.3.2013 00:35 #12