Although enthusiasm seemed high for the new Microsoft Surface tablet, for some reason enthusiasm quickly dried up, just in time for Christmas. Analyst William Power from R. W. Baird said that Microsoft’s Surface sales have been modest to date.
It’s still too early for any concrete sales numbers, but the news coming from R. W. Baird, indicates which tablets were the most popular amongst consumers this holiday season. Baird’s William Power does weekly checks of mobile device sales.
It seems the Microsoft Surface was not being “encouraged” or promoted from retail chains like BestBuy and Staples. Power recounted conversations he had while speaking with sales reps at the stores; Apple’s iPad was the most highly recommended, while Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD and Google’s Nexus 10 were all recommended as alternatives. Reps from both stores did not “push” or recommend the Microsoft Surface Tablet.
Here’s Power’s full note as reproduced by Barron’s:
“Microsoft’s Surface, which Best Buy just recently started carrying, was not recommended to us by reps without us asking about it specifically. When asked about sales to date, reps noted that the device was new and indicated that early demand has been modest relative to the iPad and Kindle Fire. We would also note that the device was in stock at every store we contacted […] We contacted Staples stores in an effort to further gauge Microsoft Surface sales, though our impression from speaking with reps was tablets are not a major seller at Staples. Tellingly, Staples doesn’t currently carry the iPad. When pressed for details, Staples reps indicated that Surface volumes have been modest to date. Most reps told us that the primary appeal to Surface buyers is the ability to run Microsoft Office. Consistent with our Best Buy checks, the Surface was also in stock at all Staples stores we contacted. Outside of the Surface, the Google Nexus 10 was cited as another strong tablet option.”
It seems the Nexus 7 and other Galaxy Tabs were left out as alternatives. No comparison will be able to be made until exact sales numbers come through. We will keep you posted.
But for a less ‘scientific’ analysis, check out a ‘study’ put together by Twitter user Axian (via Hacker News); he compiled the number of the “first tweets” from new owners of tablet devices:
Rhett Dail
Rhett is the founder and Editor in Chief of GeekMagazine. He became facinated with technology and gadgets after joining the Washington DC IBM PC users group back in the early 1980's. Since then, he has been building and running many popular online services and news sites. Over the years he has become more passionate about technology, gadgets, and the future of technology. He loves keeping up with lastest trends with gadgets and technology. Technology is moving at a great pace and as it does, Rhett will make sure that you know about it.
