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Ah, poor Microsoft. Despite ad campaigns and pop-up stores galore, it doesn’t look like Microsoft’s first big play into the hardware market has paid off in the first week. Even Steve Ballmer, the master of big optimistic predictions, is calling Surface sales “modest”.
To be precise, when asked about sales of the Surface RT by Le Parisien, Microsoft’s shy and understated CEO said that sales of Microsoft’s new baby “are starting modestly”. Which, coming from the Microsoft head-shed himself, is another way of saying it’s all going pretty terribly – while good ole’ Steve didn’t give any cold hard figures, I reckon it’s safe to say that the Surface isn’t going to be breaking any first-week sales figures. But, as Ballmer was very quick to point out in the interview, the Surface Pro is “on the way”. So, what do you reckon – is the RT destined to be the forgotten bastard child of the Microsoft brood? [Le Parisien via Techeye]
Steve Ballmer Hints At Surface Pricing
Tim Cook Says Surface Is a Dumb Idea*
Doesn’t surprise me at all, I haven’t been able to find anywhere I can actually see and play this this mystical device.
I haven’t seen one in store yet, but my friend got from from the Microsoft website an let me have a play.
It’s pretty impressive, so much so that I am just about to order one. I think it’s the first tablet that you can do work on, rather than just look at stuff.
Be careful, seen some reports of shoddy materials, cracks and wires etc…
I saw the reports, and will keep an eye on it, but I’m not too worried. The tablet itself felt really nice, as it much better than anything else I’ve felt. The colt keyboard cover is a little bit of a worry, so that’s what I think will need watching.
For all their faults, Microsoft support has always been great.
Also, real non-techies don’t actually know it exists.
my mum’s in the market for a new laptop and i suggested she give it a play and see if she likes it. As with everyone else, can’t find them anywhere. Microsoft have clearly missed a trick, especially in the run up to christmas. If these were everywhere i’m sure they could quite easily take some business away from apple
Picard has sure put on a few pounds.
Thats what I thought. The background could be part of the Enterprise.
hahahaha
made me laugh +1
hahaha
They should have learned a thing or two from Amazon and Google and priced these tablets at cost.
What and piss of the OEMs at the same time…
Totally agree with camholder – can’t find the damn thing anywhere.
MS – “We have modest sales”
US – “We can’t find them to try and buy…”
MS – “oh..er…”
i agree with most of below.. no hands on stuff, also i think its over priced when you consider that it does not have the backing (apps store for example) of the iPad.. MS should have flooded the stores on release date, PC word Amazon, phone stores etc..
been in 5 pc worlds and 8 currys now and cant find a single windows 8 tablet anywhere… and only 1 sony ultrabook with a touch screen.
To be fair not really Microsoft’s fault. Blame the OEMs for their mid to late November release.
The specter of the Zune looms.
My thoughts exactly. I managed to get one from US. Have it for the last 4 years, no problem. Better than any other HD MP3 player in value for money, quality and features. Fantastic menu system.
The fact that Zune 80 and 120 weren’t a smash hit is probably work of some amazingly incompetent individuals at MS.
I’m waiting for the pro, but yeah, no hands on opportunities are available for people in London.
I work in Green Park and stay pretty close to Tottenham Ct Rd, so if there aren’t many places (I haven’t seen any) to see and play with them in London, I am very doubtful of the rest of the UK.
And I thought Microsoft pushed back delivery dates just to keep up with demand.
It’s all a big pile of confusion, isn’t it! As expected from Ballmer.
Why would I want to go for the ARM version instead of the x86 version, considering how many apps there are that would run on x86?
Price?
What about price of the apps that you need to purchase? On x86 there are freeware version of every single applications you will ever need (not to mention pirated software). I am not so sure about the ARM version.
Sorry to go for the accuracy angle again but the actual quote was:
“We are starting modestly as Surface is available online and in a few Microsoft stores in US only.”
That isn’t saying sales are modest, it is saying the initial Surface push is modest, which matches the fairly understated launch of the device in the UK and most of the world.
Cheers. I get confused some times and forget I should only come here for the cool gizmo posts.
Well the quote (from a decent translation, not Google Translate) reads
“Q: How are your sales…for your tablet
A: We are starting modestly, because Surface is only available on line and in a few MS stores in the US”
Which implies that no, the *sales* are modest because the Surface is only available online etc, not that the initial Surface push is modest. (Although I agree, the initial Surface push is modest.)
Touché fellow accuracy pedant/actual author of the piece (although that little less snideness and a little more full quote emphasis in the original article would have probably resulted in a little less snideness in my comment, maybe).
Tell you what, next time I do a piece where the source material is in another language, I’ll include a full and accurate translation for you to peruse at your leisure. Deal?
I’m waiting for the Pro version.
The “modest” reference very clearly had nothing whatsoever to do with sales, but truth is often an inconvenient consideration for viral anti-Microsoft propaganda stories promoted by Apple’s own embedded journalists.
http://www.geekwire.com/2012/modest-ballmers-microsoft-surface-comment-means/