With marketing spin, it’s sometimes not what you say but how exactly you say it.
Paul had a very perceptive catch on his site the other day re: Microsoft’s claims about demand and sales of the new Surface Tablets.
And now we have the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. Arriving next week, the devices and some new accessories—virtually all the currently available accessories work on previous-generation devices, too—have been available for preorder since September 24.
And in the first week between that date and the device’s general availability on October 22, Microsoft claimed that “preorder stock of the Surface 2 (64GB) and Surface Pro 2 (256GB and 512GB) are close to selling out, [but only] at Microsoft Stores.”
That’s not all that impressive. It means that Surface 2 (32GB), Surface Pro 2 (64GB) and Surface Pro 2 (128GB) are not close to selling out. And those are the machines that I think make the most sense for most consumers, and are likewise the models for which Microsoft manufactured the most units. Put simply, only the limited-production versions of Surface 2/Surface Pro 2 are “close” to selling out.
Very well said. Don’t you agree?
All Comments
I ordered a Surface Pro 2 with 128 GB and ordered an additional 64 GB flash drive on sale for an add’l $49.99. Can’t wait to receive. I ordered 2 separate laptops that I returned, one from Dell and the other from Asus because the battery life just wasn’t there and it should be with this unit.
I think Microsoft missed the mark once again with the surface. They tout the tablet to be a work appliance for the rt model and a laptop replacement for the pro model. Both of these profiles are best suited with the type cover accessory, yet the type cover is not included and is sold separately. Personally, I will be waiting for the marketing dept. to clue in and bundle the type cover with the pro, before I pay the laptop price tag.
Jonathan, that would be acceptable only if it was an optional bundle. For example, I already own the original Pro, and already own the type cover. So if the only way to get a Pro 2, I had to get a type cover, that’d be foolish salesmanship. Also, if someone already owned the original surface RT with a type cover.
May I digress? I don’t care about any Surface from MS. I want my money back for Windows 8. So do the hundreds of customers that come in my shop every week complaining about it. What are they smoking in Redmond? What? 8.1? Please… It will take until Windows X to get back on track.
If you don’t care, why are you commenting on articles about Surface?
In what part of the world do you and your customers live?? And what’s the average IQ there?? Seems that you and your customers can’t figure out W8.
We don’t get much news on tech sites these days. All we get is more and more articles being negative about just about every product on the market. I know most bloggers fashion themselves tech critics, but it seems we only look for the negative. That being said, I do think Microsoft needs to offer various bundles as the year comes to a close. Whether it’s phone and tablet bundles, tablet and keyboard bundles, Xbox bundles wit phones or tablets. Just give people various options. And just because certain models are not as close to selling out as others does not mean they’re not selling at out. Of course the ones that they ordered less of will sell out first. Plus, they did say there seemed to be more demand for all models than the last time around. Plus, the one we think is most likely for consumers to buy might not end up being the one that is most popular. Maybe the 3 models that were mentioned are not the ones that people are most anticipating. Maybe the 64GB is more appealing than some thought. Maybe for whatever reason certain versions are the right pick for some people. And let’s not forget they just started going on sale.
Hi Ray. News no, opinion yes, Opinion and conjecture. But what bothers me the most is the way many blogger talk down to their audience, like we aren’t capable of drawing our own conclusions. Take reviews as a example, in they past listed the features and let us form the opinions, now reviews are just about what the blogger likes, as if he is some big deal and the world should bow down and conform.
Blogger X thinks “To maintain my SUPER EGO I must continually degrade the work of others, I know in the back of my mind I’m better than all those guys at Microsoft and it make my angry that after all this years my company is still smaller.”
No. I disagree. Not smart, not clever, not wise. a waste of time. Just be glad he isn’t reviewing your site.