Microsoft Orders Up to 5 Million Surface Tablets for 2012

News
By Zak Islam
published

Shipping figures are in line with Google and Amazon's Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire tablets.

Microsoft is instilling enough confidence into its Surface tablet that it has commenced a "large volume production" of the device, which may see up to 5 million units being shipped during the fourth quarter.

According to component supplier sources in Asia, the Wall Street Journal said Microsoft will build between 3 million and 5 million Surface tablets before 2013 arrives.

Sources suggest that Microsoft's figures are in line with both Amazon and Google for their Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 tablets, respectively.

Back in August, IDC analyst Bob O'Donnell told CNET that he expects Microsoft to produce "a little more than 3 million Surface tablets" before the coveted Christmas holiday season arrives.

As for Microsoft's expectations of Surface's commercial performance, chief executive Steve Ballmer had said it hopes to sell "a few million" over the next 12 months.

Microsoft recently unveiled the long-awaited prices announcement for Surface, which launches alongside Windows 8 come October 26.

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Zak Islam
25 Comments Comment from the forums
  • cknobman
    Cant wait for the fire sale on these things. With the high price and huge stockpile of these I expect to pick one up in February when they cut the price by $200 to get rid of old stock.
    Reply
  • rgjhawkins
    I really hope the surface tab does well, I'm so bloody bored of Appla and Android.

    I think the pro version will be great, imagine having all those great steam indie games on the move :)

    best of luck MS!
    Reply
  • belardo
    Wow, this is going to be fun... TouchPad 2.0, by Microsoft!
    Reply
  • huron
    I was hoping to check one of these out, but don't really feel I can merit one just to play with...plenty of other toys already that fill a similar niche for me.

    I do hope they do well...competition in the market is a good thing. I hope they can help spur more innovation in the market....how can this be bad to have more players in the market competing?
    Reply
  • p05esto
    Having a tablet is nice, but only for web browsing, occassional simple game and checking email (not responding to email). That's all I use the 3 tablets in our house for. My wife likes to read books on hers and surf the web a little. For these activities the price is WAY too high. I know there are Kindle's etc, but I like the option of doing more (not that I ever will, lol).

    Anyhow, GO MS, I hope you do well..... although I hope Win8 dies a horrible death, my experience with that on a test computer was terrible (I started to cry and shake it was so bad). It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. MS better have an update all ready to go that allows bypassing the start screen and that adds a decent start type of menu back in. The backlash will be intense and the best thing they can do is push out an update ASAP in response. I hope you are listening MS!
    Reply
  • jankeke
    huronI was hoping to check one of these out, but don't really feel I can merit one just to play with...plenty of other toys already that fill a similar niche for me. I do hope they do well...competition in the market is a good thing. I hope they can help spur more innovation in the market....how can this be bad to have more players in the market competing?Well, it can't be bad, especially if they do well. When there is competition the costumer is always the winner.
    Reply
  • killerclick
    Since Windows Metro must die, all devices running it must fail, so Surface, other W8 tablets and hybrids as well as WP8 smartphones.
    Reply
  • hate machine
    From the surface website.

    "32 GB without Black Touch Cover

    Order now for shipment within 3 weeks"

    Yup these things sure aren't selling folks...
    Reply
  • hate machine
    Also, congrats to Zak Islam for posting a non Apple article!
    Reply
  • slabbo
    so they expect to sell 2.5 million a month? that's pretty damn ambitious if ya ask me, especially with that $500 minimum price tag.
    Reply