$499 Microsoft Surface Tablet Option Already Sold Out

If they sell five-million, that is two billion five hundred million dollars.

Hopefully the surface does what is promised, it looks to be a very promising product; I'd love one myself too.

I am holding out for the i5 option.

So what does "sold out" mean? How many pre-orders were available? A hundred? A billion? Seems a lack of context here.

Well, thats the main difference, Apple release hardware with beta software, this time microsoft is doing that, but you're not payin to be a beta tester, in fact AFAIK microsoft gives away hardware to be a beta tester.

Yes having Windows on ARM is a bit beta but at least is not like apple at all. i think windows 8 is going to be a bit of a researching product more than a beta one....they already have the Desktop users against Metro look and there is a high expentancy on their new tablets so they will release Windows 9 fast (2-2.5 years) but with windows we will see a more proper OS for both desktops, cellphones and pc's, even other smartgadgets like is happening with android and more importantly with great updates and service packs, and not the new os = new product that Apple and Google had made up.

Don't get me wrong i love android but i hate to relay in Sony or samgun or motorola to release the new os to my cellphone way too much time after it is released and many of the times have to take the "custom room" highway i like more to have it like old time when Os updates where "universal" in a sort of.

I like how the RT is sold out and is the shit version. Still nice, but not nearly as usefull as the Pro version that is coming out. I'd like to see them starting at $699 but alas I fear it will be a bit more than that.

Probably only had a few thousand so they could say...Nope All sold out. It helps to make things seem like there is a lot of demand for the product and if everyone is in such a big hurry to get theirs, you should be to. Marketing.

-CB

I am just going to sit back and see what happens with all the windows 8 stuff coming out. I will continue to use win 7 and my android tablet and phone.

all 20 that were featured in the commercial were sold

hahaha

The Pro version with the pen is the only one I'd consider buying. I don't know if I will or not.

How the hell do you sell out of a pre-order?

Oh yeah, marketing chicanery...

Wow? How old are you? Microsoft has never released a Windows OS that does not need heavy patching immediately after hitting the stores!!!

The price of the cover is rediculous. It looks like a rip off of Apples cover and they are charging 3x as much? The keyboard is a nice idea but again, I don't understand why they would charge $139.00 for a plastic cover when their cost is probably $10. Its details like this that make the whole thing almost laughable. The base price is OK, but I don't see how that is enough to get people running to grab one (like the Nexus 7 did).

Wow? How old are you? Microsoft Patches every OS every month on the second Tuesday. RTM was sent out nearly three months ago, so it will have three months of patching day 1. This is not hidden / uncommon knowledge...

I seriously doubt Microsoft is playing the "there is only one" rice crispy treat style marketing. They probably underestimated demand for the tegra3 version of the tablet. As long as Citrix and outlook work's we will (finally) be replacing the nightmare this is ipad + exchange....

Here here. In addition, native RDP from SoC. I could see the surface tablet actually being able to be modestly productive since they are also throwing in office. At the very least when you are sitting in bed at home.

Well initially i was going for a pro version, but then realised i actually have a gaming laptop for all those needs, and all i would really do on the tablet was email, web browsing and casual gaming. So given that, i'm thinking, as much as i hate to hear myself say it, that i will get an RT version. Still makes me feel funny saying that, but i will probably get over it.

This "news" is not officially news. The only source is Microsoft's own store, that lists the 32 GB version with the Touch Cover as being available since launch day (it is the same device, so they are not out of stock). Microsoft did not make any statement.

This is a rumour, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was just a normal business decision as Microsoft did indeed promise that the Surface would be available with the Touch Cover (as standard, one would believe, according to the ad, as that is one of the main features that sets it apart from the competition), which was very well pointed out by the Ars Technica article here: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/10/surface-pricing-499-for-32-gb-preordering-starts-today-at-9am-pt/. Postponing the availability of the cheaper device to a later date in order to conform to the initial publicity may just be damage control. Turning this into a "sold out" news is just plain unconfirmed.

They may have sold a few and then decided to place that message in order to do what I said above. That message on their site is no indication that the first shipment is sold out, let alone tells us how many they sold.

Can i buy a non RT tablet and put windows 7 on it ? I don't like that touchy 8 shiet

I dont think it works that way...

Microsoft would never give that data away, very sensitive to their business goals. With that information, Apple, Amazon and Google could learn a great deal about Surface that MS doesn't want them to know.

I'd guess that there have probably been upper hundred thousands of pre-orders. They say 3-5M sales by the end of the year, which includes the holiday season. Lump the first months sales and pre-orders together for simplicity, say half the sales are for Christmas and you get an upper limit of around 1M sales in the first month. A good chunk of those will be pre-orders, but not all, so upper hundred thousands.

Good start, but not exactly bursting out of the gate either.