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The Microsoft Surface tablet is a sleek looking device with an included keyboard, brand new Microsoft OS and massive ad spend support. What the... Is The Microsoft Surface Failing? Orders Cut By 50%

The Microsoft Surface tablet is a sleek looking device with an included keyboard, brand new Microsoft OS and massive ad spend support. What the Surface tablet isn’t is a massive seller.

A new report suggests that Microsoft has failed to gain a foothold in the tablet sector and has been forced to cut Surface RT tablet orders by up to 50 percent.

Unnamed sources at DigiTimes suggest that the tablet has not come close to meeting Microsoft expectations and that early excited over sold out units was just the result of a small initial order size from the tech firm.

Microsoft Surface Tablet Failure

The report also suggests that new shipments into Microsoft’s channels have been slow, signaling more trouble ahead of its tablet device.

Microsoft had originally told its suppliers that it would require 4 million Surface tablets by the end of 2012. Recently the company cut that request back to 2 million units. In comparison, Microsoft called the Apple iPad a direct competitor to the Surface, yet Apple in the same period of time has moved approximately 4.7 million iPads from its entire line.

Microsoft was initially planning to release the Windows Surface Pro with full Windows 8 support in December but now may choose to release the device early in order to increase consumer confidence before the end of the holiday shopping season.

Is The Microsoft Surface Failing? Orders Cut By 50%

 

It has also been suggested that Dell, Asus and Samsung have been slow to adopt the device on the vendor side.

Microsoft in the meantime has a lot riding on the Surface Tablet line, the company angered many of its traditional OEM partners when it decided to release a hardware component of its very own. Many manufacturers felt like Microsoft was dealing them a slap to the face after years of loyal partnership service.

Do you think the Microsoft Surface Pro can save the company’s individual device manufacturing or is it already dead in the water?