[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Microsoft Surface sales not expected to top 600,000 this quarter here

[apreiser]

I think more people would want one if Microsoft showed people using the office applications instead of a bunch of people dancing I front of a fountain. I mean, what the hell does breakdancing have to do with getting out your divisions budget requests? Go slap whoever approved this commercial and hire a firm who knows how to showcase your products.

[apreiser]

In front of, not I front of. Editing is not working for me

[TsarNikky]

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I think more people would want one if Microsoft showed people using the office applications instead of a bunch of people dancing I front of a fountain. I mean, what the hell does breakdancing have to do with getting out your divisions budget requests? Go slap whoever approved this commercial and hire a firm who knows how to showcase your products.

Office applications on a Surface? The form factor itself prevents it from becoming any kind of serious competitor for office applications. Maybe as a secondary or auxiliary computer, but certainly not one's main computer. Thus, the commercials are correct for the marketplace being targeted.

[ajpelkey]

I believe the problem with Windows 8 Surface, and in many cases, all Windows 8 tablets and hybrids as a whole is the lack of availability to handle and compare. I am leery to buy because I want to see how it feels and performs. I want to see size and use the keyboards to experience in person rather than on a computer screens descriptions. I think Best Buy, being the current largest chain, should be used to give people a chance to play with it. When I went, they had one MS tablet and one hybrid and no Surface tablets. I want to try out my electronics like I try on clothes to find the right fit and right price.

[tbsteph1]

Another WAG from someone who has no reason to know other that rampant speculation. Might as well ask my grandson what he thinks.

[dbviragoh765]

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I think more people would want one if Microsoft showed people using the office applications instead of a bunch of people dancing I front of a fountain. I mean, what the hell does breakdancing have to do with getting out your divisions budget requests? Go slap whoever approved this commercial and hire a firm who knows how to showcase your products.

This. Same problem with the Windows 8 ads. A guy jumping into a pool with his guitar is not going to convince me to 'upgrade' a perfectly good OS.

[informativez]

HP sure would have been happy with sales of 600K units of any computer this quarter instead of slurping a bowl of Braziliand!cks like they are doing

[ScottHolodakkz4h]

MS is making commission on the sales of apps in their store. They need to cut the cost of the hardware so deeply that they are taking a hit on the sales of the hardware. They can recoup the money on the subsidies on the app sales, just as they do with the XBOX 360. $650 for a 32GB RT tablet w/keyboard and $900+150 for the Pro w/keyboard is not going to happen. $350, $600... probably. I'd definitely buy a pro for $600.

[dan404]

To me the Surface RT makes no sense whatsoever. Obviously I am not even close to the target market for this contraption but I have played around with one.
It's not a good tablet or laptop and I found it very awkward to use for anything other than watching Netflix videos.
Second I think it is a very bad idea to market the Surface the way MS has.
Every non techie friend I have does not understand there is a difference between Windows 8 the OS and MS Surface.
A very common statement I hear is I guess my next computer will be a Mac.
Fortunately MS still has tons of cash to burn and can handle waiting out the general public to get it.
Just my two cents.

[mpz9]

There is only so much 60 stores in the U.S and Online sales can do...600,000 is actually a pretty high number..I'm thinking more 300,000-500,000. Its a shame, they came out with a solid tablet and nobody can get their hands on it. Well at least Win phone 8's are selling.

[melgross]

A problem with the Ads is that they are forcing people to think that this device NEEDs a keyboard, which, indeed it does, if one is intending to use Office on it.

But people want a tablet. A tablet that doesn't require a keyboard. So these Ads, while cute, aren't helping. They show nothing of how the tablet works. They show no features. They show usage models, I.e. people using them. They show no software (other than a very quick glimpse).

They give absolutely no reason for wanting one, other than that the keyboard clicks on, and that maybe you can dance with it. But then, Microsoft sucks at marketing. They never needed to do that well before, and it shows.

[melgross]

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There is only so much 60 stores in the U.S and Online sales can do...600,000 is actually a pretty high number..I'm thinking more 300,000-500,000. Its a shame, they came out with a solid tablet and nobody can get their hands on it. Well at least Win phone 8's are selling.

It's not a high number. There are about 60 stores, including those "pop-up" stores Microsoft opened, plus the website, which can handle far more sales than the stores.

Those sales include the pre-sales, which weren't all that great apparently. TI's is a very disappointing number, if true. And I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Microsoft never announces numbers when they are bad, just when they are good. The fact that they are refusing, point blank, to give out sales number is evidence that they are bad.

And I don't n
Know where you get the idea that Win Phone 8 sales are all that good. Yes, they are selling. But the top of the line 920 had to be dropped to $99 for a 2 year contract to give the sales a push. That's pretty bad as well.

[melgross]

Whips! Editing is tough today, they don't seem to take. It's obvious where the edits were attempted.

[DevelopingZack]

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The form factor itself prevents it from becoming any kind of serious competitor for office applications. Maybe as a secondary or auxiliary computer, but certainly not one's main computer. Thus, the commercials are correct for the marketplace being targeted.

Seriously wrong. I have the Samsung 500t Smart PC (Tablet Form Factor) and it could easily replace the computer at the receptionists desk. Form Factor has no bearing on performance, but the quality of the processor does.

[kignacho]

Surface is a single product, if you are comparing them you should compare all the tablets running Windows RT. Just like the desktop/laptop question. MS is making two tablet styles for their given markets. Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, Dell also make Windows tablets. Shouldn't their numbers be considered when comparing to Android and Apple tablets?

[kignacho]

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There is only so much 60 stores in the U.S and Online sales can do...600,000 is actually a pretty high number..I'm thinking more 300,000-500,000. Its a shame, they came out with a solid tablet and nobody can get their hands on it. Well at least Win phone 8's are selling. It's not a high number. There are about 60 stores, including those "pop-up" stores Microsoft opened, plus the website, which can handle far more sales than the stores. Those sales include the pre-sales, which weren't all that great apparently. TI's is a very disappointing number, if true. And I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Microsoft never announces numbers when they are bad, just when they are good. The fact that they are refusing, point blank, to give out sales number is evidence that they are bad. And I don't n Know where you get the idea that Win Phone 8 sales are all that good. Yes, they are selling. But the top of the line 920 had to be dropped to $99 for a 2 year contract to give the sales a push. That's pretty bad as well.

The 920 was always priced at $99 just like the 900 before it. It wasn't dropped for a sales push. That was the Day 1 price.

[garak0410]

Let me first say I own a Surface and decided to embrace this new "8" ecosystem by also leaving Android for Windows Phone 8 (Lumia 92) and I have no regrets. That said, I am not too concerned yet because Microsoft products generally have had slow adoption. People tend to forget the slow adoption to Windows XP and even Windows 7. I am in Little Rock and we have a successful Apple Store but no Microsoft store and nowhere to purchase a Surface. I assume the majority of people who wanted a Surface would have headed to their local Best Buy or Wal-Mart to look at one. Selling only in their stores and online was a mistake...in my opinion.

[toothie007]

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To me the Surface RT makes no sense whatsoever. Obviously I am not even close to the target market for this contraption but I have played around with one. It's not a good tablet or laptop and I found it very awkward to use for anything other than watching Netflix videos. Second I think it is a very bad idea to market the Surface the way MS has. Every non techie friend I have does not understand there is a difference between Windows 8 the OS and MS Surface. A very common statement I hear is I guess my next computer will be a Mac. Fortunately MS still has tons of cash to burn and can handle waiting out the general public to get it. Just my two cents.

What is awkward about using it? Please say.

[Guitar1969]

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To me the Surface RT makes no sense whatsoever. Obviously I am not even close to the target market for this contraption but I have played around with one. It's not a good tablet or laptop and I found it very awkward to use for anything other than watching Netflix videos. Second I think it is a very bad idea to market the Surface the way MS has. Every non techie friend I have does not understand there is a difference between Windows 8 the OS and MS Surface. A very common statement I hear is I guess my next computer will be a Mac. Fortunately MS still has tons of cash to burn and can handle waiting out the general public to get it. Just my two cents. What is awkward about using it? Please say.

I am curious as well - I have one and love it. Do you use any other type of tablet device?