Microsoft Surface sales not expected to top 600,000 this quarter

December 06, 2012

Middling reviews and limited distribution may be putting a damper on sales of Microsoft's Surface tablet, according to brokerage firm Detwiler Fenton. The Boston-based firm estimates that Microsoft will sell between 500,000 and 600,000 Surface with Windows RT tablets in the December quarter. The fact that Surface is only available through Microsoft's online store and small number of retail shops is a big factor, the firm said, and mixed reviews haven't helped. Image: Microsoft.com I'd take that estimate with a grain of salt, as it's not clear where those numbers come from – certainly not from Microsoft. Still, it's not the only hint of low sales for the Surface. Last month, Digitimes (itself an iffy source for rumors) claimed that Microsoft cut its Surface RT orders by half, from four million to two million, citing supply chain sources. Microsoft hasn't revealed any official sales figures, but last month CEO Steve Ballmer was quoted by Le Parisien as saying Surface RT sales started off “modestly.” Microsoft then claimed that Ballmer was actually talking about distribution, rather than sales. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2018827/microsoft-surface-sales-not-expected-to-top-600-000-this-quarter.html