Ah, it only seem like yesterday Steve Ballmer was laughing at Apple and the iphone. Nowadays everyone is laughing at Microsoft whenever they release a product like the Surface.
Before the killer response to the iPhone and iPad, 1.5 million units would not have been considered to be bad performance. But Apple has changed the entire definition of what it means to launch new successful products. Unfortunately for everyone (including Apple) that has changed expectations to absurd heights.
I've posted this several times before, but these are the amount of times that new technologies took to achieve just 1 million units:
[…]
The Galaxy S III had 9 million pre-orders and I'm sure it sold more than 1 million units out of the gate. Then there is the Kinect which is only $150 but it's also an accessory. Oddly it still "holds" the record for fastest selling CE despite many, many Apple products far outselling it in the 90 day time frame. I guess you have to apply for the record to actually get it.
Sure the prices range from $500 to $1000 but it's still not doing well at 1.5 million units in about 5 months on the market.
Some people here seem to think that 1.5m is low? I am absolutely stunned that MS has found that many victims at all. We have Surface ads airing here at least 20 times a day on almost every channel since long before Christmas. They must be burning through piles of cash... If this is anywhere similar in other countries, these sales did not even cover the marketing cost. At least the RT has already passed one milestone successfully: longer on the market than the Kin.
1.5M units total ? Should we laugh? Or, should we re-read the article? Come on! Not possible.
"should we laugh?" I couldn't help it the second I read that they only sold 1.5 million units. COMBINED. 1.5 million units made me chuckle, but COMBINED, made me laugh uncontrollably.
Microsoft's answer to the iPad, the Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets, have stumbled out of the gates, moving just 1.5 million units since launch, according to a new report.
I can see it now. Next month, when Ballmer has to deliver Microsoft's earnings report.
"17,000 percent more sales than KIN!"
(P.S. 1.5 million / 8,810 peak active Kin users = 170.26)
I had not seen that prior story. That was within a year of the release of the iPad. I wonder what he would say now?
Well, something like this:
“I don’t think anybody has done a product that is the product that I see customers wanting,” Ballmer said in an interview picked up by AllThingsD. “You can go through the products from all those guys … and none of them has a product that you can really use. Not Apple. Not Google. Not Amazon. Nobody has a product that lets you work and play that can be your tablet and your PC. Not at any price point.”
I don't think so. The hardware's not that bad, but there's nothing compelling about the product - and it's price is close to more established products.
The RT is comparable to the iPad in terms of usage. Unfortunately, RT has only a fraction as many apps and no infrastructure. With the price being about the same, Microsoft has given no reason to buy the RT instead of the iPad (or Tab or Kindle or any other tablet).
The Pro is closer to a MacBook Pro or Ultrabook. It runs a full OS and 'regular' apps. Unfortunately, the Pro is every bit as expensive as a MacBook Pro - but is less usable, shorter battery life, etc. Again, Microsoft didn't give any compelling reason to buy it. The only advantage compared to an Ultrabook is the ability to use it as a tablet. Apparently, not that many people wanted that enough to give up the fact that an Ultrabook has a real keyboard and can be used on your lap.
Again, Microsoft didn't give any compelling reason to buy it. The only advantage compared to an Ultrabook is the ability to use it as a tablet. Apparently, not that many people wanted that enough to give up the fact that an Ultrabook has a real keyboard and can be used on your lap.
I wonder if Microsoft will ever catch on to the fact that their product being "not Apple" isn't good enough anymore.
A totally fugly UI which is unusable. is anyone outside of the microsoft drones suprised by the low sales numbers? Fail UI, failed on Zune, failed on Windows Phone and now has failed on Windows. Shocking I tell you...
It's like saying the Musk's Tesla is doing great compared to the original electric car released by Nicholas Tesla in 1918.
In a market where 58M cars were sold and GM sold 9 million cars. Is Tesla defining the market? Not yet.
But I definitely would like to buy a Tesla rather than a GM. And probably may when the Model X comes out. And I think so would any other sentient male who could afford one. There is no driving reason to buy a Surface anything, at least at those prices when I can get the real deal from Apple for similar price point or an Android much much cheaper.
Anand Lal Shimpi, AnandTech: Microsoft Surface Pro Review. "This is the first tablet that can truly replace your tablet, notebook and desktop if you want. No compromises, no new apps, and no waiting for Flash to die and HTML5 to take over."
Comments
see: http://appleinsider.com/articles/09/07/31/steve_ballmer_calls_apples_mac_growth_a_rounding_error
Ah, it only seem like yesterday Steve Ballmer was laughing at Apple and the iphone. Nowadays everyone is laughing at Microsoft whenever they release a product like the Surface.
The Galaxy S III had 9 million pre-orders and I'm sure it sold more than 1 million units out of the gate. Then there is the Kinect which is only $150 but it's also an accessory. Oddly it still "holds" the record for fastest selling CE despite many, many Apple products far outselling it in the 90 day time frame. I guess you have to apply for the record to actually get it.
Sure the prices range from $500 to $1000 but it's still not doing well at 1.5 million units in about 5 months on the market.
That is the original iPad from April 2010, hence the 4/10.
Some people here seem to think that 1.5m is low? I am absolutely stunned that MS has found that many victims at all. We have Surface ads airing here at least 20 times a day on almost every channel since long before Christmas. They must be burning through piles of cash... If this is anywhere similar in other countries, these sales did not even cover the marketing cost. At least the RT has already passed one milestone successfully: longer on the market than the Kin.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chandra69
1.5M units total ? Should we laugh? Or, should we re-read the article? Come on! Not possible.
"should we laugh?" I couldn't help it the second I read that they only sold 1.5 million units. COMBINED. 1.5 million units made me chuckle, but COMBINED, made me laugh uncontrollably.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
What are the numbers for the first-gen iPad? That would be a much better metric.
Well it was 3 million in less than 3 months (80 days), so for the first gen that number would be 1 month or less.
Not really appropriate...
It's always relative only to the 'current market'
It's like saying the Musk's Tesla is doing great compared to the original electric car released by Nicholas Tesla in 1918.
In a market where 58M cars were sold and GM sold 9 million cars. Is Tesla defining the market? Not yet.
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Microsoft's answer to the iPad, the Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets, have stumbled out of the gates, moving just 1.5 million units since launch, according to a new report.
I can see it now. Next month, when Ballmer has to deliver Microsoft's earnings report.
"17,000 percent more sales than KIN!"
(P.S. 1.5 million / 8,810 peak active Kin users = 170.26)
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOtherGeoff
Queue up the "Microsoft's Tablet Growth is a 'Rounding Error' compared to Apple's iPad Market" in 3... 2... 1...
see: http://appleinsider.com/articles/09/07/31/steve_ballmer_calls_apples_mac_growth_a_rounding_error
I had not seen that prior story. That was within a year of the release of the iPad. I wonder what he would say now?
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
That is the original iPad from April 2010, hence the 4/10.
Bah, I read 4 as "iPad 4".
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheUnfetteredMind
I had not seen that prior story. That was within a year of the release of the iPad. I wonder what he would say now?
Well, something like this:
“I don’t think anybody has done a product that is the product that I see customers wanting,” Ballmer said in an interview picked up by AllThingsD. “You can go through the products from all those guys … and none of them has a product that you can really use. Not Apple. Not Google. Not Amazon. Nobody has a product that lets you work and play that can be your tablet and your PC. Not at any price point.”
This was in October.
I don't think so. The hardware's not that bad, but there's nothing compelling about the product - and it's price is close to more established products.
The RT is comparable to the iPad in terms of usage. Unfortunately, RT has only a fraction as many apps and no infrastructure. With the price being about the same, Microsoft has given no reason to buy the RT instead of the iPad (or Tab or Kindle or any other tablet).
The Pro is closer to a MacBook Pro or Ultrabook. It runs a full OS and 'regular' apps. Unfortunately, the Pro is every bit as expensive as a MacBook Pro - but is less usable, shorter battery life, etc. Again, Microsoft didn't give any compelling reason to buy it. The only advantage compared to an Ultrabook is the ability to use it as a tablet. Apparently, not that many people wanted that enough to give up the fact that an Ultrabook has a real keyboard and can be used on your lap.
When I saw their ad, with freaky dancers swirling and clicking and pirouetting on the desks, I realized that the product was dead on arrival.
Originally Posted by jragosta
Again, Microsoft didn't give any compelling reason to buy it. The only advantage compared to an Ultrabook is the ability to use it as a tablet. Apparently, not that many people wanted that enough to give up the fact that an Ultrabook has a real keyboard and can be used on your lap.
I wonder if Microsoft will ever catch on to the fact that their product being "not Apple" isn't good enough anymore.
Now where are all those I-want-the-surface-coz-it-is-a-real-tablet-with-pc-performance blah blah blah micro-softies?
A totally fugly UI which is unusable. is anyone outside of the microsoft drones suprised by the low sales numbers? Fail UI, failed on Zune, failed on Windows Phone and now has failed on Windows. Shocking I tell you...
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOtherGeoff
It's like saying the Musk's Tesla is doing great compared to the original electric car released by Nicholas Tesla in 1918.
In a market where 58M cars were sold and GM sold 9 million cars. Is Tesla defining the market? Not yet.
But I definitely would like to buy a Tesla rather than a GM. And probably may when the Model X comes out. And I think so would any other sentient male who could afford one. There is no driving reason to buy a Surface anything, at least at those prices when I can get the real deal from Apple for similar price point or an Android much much cheaper.
So it sold less than that... Really less. I see them everywhere: Fnac, staples (?), etc. Collecting dust... useless garbage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by willb2064
General consensus from the press .... was that it ... wouldn't even make a dent in Android tablet sales let alone ipad.
Really? No reviewer in a major made a specific sales forecast claim about it not making a dent in Android or iPad sales. Here are some examples:
Pogue: "Microsoft's Surface Pro Tablet Changes the Game" ("http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/10/microsofts-surface-pro-tablet-changes-the-game/")
John Biggs, TechCrunch. The Microsoft Surface Pro Proves That The PC Is Back.
Scott Stein, CNET: Smart almost-laptop nearly gets it right.
Anand Lal Shimpi, AnandTech: Microsoft Surface Pro Review. "This is the first tablet that can truly replace your tablet, notebook and desktop if you want. No compromises, no new apps, and no waiting for Flash to die and HTML5 to take over."
I think it would be fair for Tim to say that MSFT is a low volume player