On Sunday, Steve Ballmer was quoted in a French publication as saying that sales of the Microsoft Surface tablet have been "modest". When you have a new tablet out, competing against the full-sized Apple iPad and the new Google Nexus 10, saying that your sales have been anything less than unbelievable is going to make the Board's ears perk up.
The Microsoft Surface RT
Microsoft felt a need to clarify Ballmer's statement by giving a comment to Pocketnow which stated that Ballmer's use of the term "modest" was in reference to the supply and distribution of the Microsoft Surface tablet which is available only at Microsoft Stores and online. Microsoft says that Ballmer feels that the reception to the tablet has been "fantastic" which is why it soon will be found in more stores and in more countries. Considering the dollar amount that Microsoft is spending on promoting the tablet, you would expect it to be made more readily available through more retail locations.
In retrospect, it does seem to make more sense to use the m word in relation to the rollout of the tablet itself, especially in light of the absence of any actual sales figures. So we will go with Microsoft's explanation for now and wait for Microsoft's Q4 earnings report to see how well the Microsoft Surface RT has been selling.
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: