We all knew that we were going to be in for quite the battle later this month, with Microsoft releasing its highly anticipated Surface tablet against Apple’s iPad HD and their upcoming iPad Mini. But I don’t think anyone anticipated that things would escalate as quickly for Microsoft as they have done for Apple in the past. Reports today suggest that Microsoft is looking a lot like Apple, with pre-orders for the USD $500 model of their Surface RT already selling out, a day after they were released.
The news comes directly from the Microsoft website, as seen in the photograph below. And although Microsoft has directly stated that they’re out of pre-orders for the base model of their popular device, you can clearly see that the “Delivery by 10/26” statement has been replaced with a “Shipment Within 3 Weeks” tag. The other two models (the USD $599 and USD $699 versions) still have pre-orders available and guarantee delivery by the “normal release date.” The two more expensive tablets come complete with the highly regarded “keyboard cover.”
This initial sell-out might come as quite the surprise to the general public, who has had a lot of mixed emotions regarding whether or not the Surface Tablet would have the ability to even put a small dent in Apple’s dominant run. And to be honest, the numbers probably suggest something a lot more poignant to Microsoft itself. The world is willing to “pay” for its technology, but only to a certain extent. It’s no surprise that the cheaper alternative have diminished in stock, and I am a little apprehensive to believe that individuals are clambering to purchase the “keyboard cover,” which currently sits at over USD $100 for each unit.
Regardless of personal opinion though, these numbers don’t lie. Microsoft is making an already impressive stand against both analysts and critics, and I’m sure it’s probably garnered some of Apple’s attention. It’s going to get very interesting to see what kinds of numbers Microsoft posts in the following days and just how much potential profit the tech giant can pull during this holiday season.
Photo Credit: Microsoft
