Microsoft Surface RT sells only 1.1 million since launch

Microsoft have only sold 1.5 million of their Surface tablet tablet computers according to a report released this week. The sales are a combination of Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro operating system units. The low sales can be blamed partially for the limited amount of apps available for the Windows RT device and the high asking prices.

Microsoft are said to have sold only 1.1 million Surface RT tablets and 400,000 Surface Pro tablets, according to a report from Bloomberg which claim the information comes from sources close to the company.

Microsoft launched the Surface RT in October 2012 and the Surface Pro in February. Even though the Pro is priced much higher, sales so far are actually quite positive.

Microsoft pricing is also high, matching the cost of the flagship Apple products.

Rich Sherlund, an analyst with Nomura Equity Research said “Some of the reason is Windows 8’s awkwardness and compromise in trying to bridge the two platforms and some is that it will take time to deliver more compelling form factors and lower prices and a richer ecosystem of developers and apps for the Microsoft store. There is room for skepticism after the sluggish start so far with Windows 8, but there is also reason for optimism about the second half of calendar 2013 when several improvements converge.”

To make matters worse Microsoft partners are abandoning the platform. Samsung announced that they will stop selling their Ativ Tab media tablet which is powered by Windows RT. They say the sales forecast is bad and there is low demand already.

Kitguru says: Microsoft will be pushing the Surface Pro hard in 2013, and even with the high cost it seems popular.

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