Microsoft Surface to hit third-party stores on Wednesday

Microsoft has confirmed that it has ramped up production of its Surface fondleslabs in advance of a new global retail sales push, one that should see the devices hit third-party retail store shelves as early as this Wednesday. "The public reaction to Surface has been exciting to see," Surface general manager Panos Panay said …

[Anonymous Coward]

So, it's official

Australia is the 51st state.

[The BigYin]

Re: So, it's official

Oz is the 52nd, the UK is the USA's bottom bitch. Although the UK has played up of late, it's going to need a bit of slapping to brought back into line.

[M Gale]

Re: So, it's official

You know, I'm thinking that a symbolic dumping of a crapload of Nike, Adidas, McDonalds and other branded goods into Liverpool Harbour would be amusingly ironic around now.

[asdf]

Re: So, it's official

If it makes you feel any better for some time now the US has been Israel's bottom bitch.

[Deadlock Victim]

Re: So, it's official

Downvote, because we all know that Canada is the 51st state/

[asdf]

Re: So, it's official

Canada is America's hat. Duh. Free holiday gift idea for the redneck on your shopping list.

http://www.zazzle.co.uk/canada_americas_tuque_trucker_hat-148672137412867523

[Anonymous Coward]

"Microsoft has confirmed that it has ramped up production of its Surface fondleslabs in advance of a new global retail sales push, one that should see the devices hit third-party retail store shelves as early as this Wednesday."

So they halved production only to ramp it up again in a new marketing push? Yep, that sounds like great management at work.

[dogged]

The hilarious bit is this -

and every one of its pop-up stores opened within a mile's distance of the nearest Apple Store, with most located just up the road – or down the mall corridor.

because obviously that's just a ripoff and MS should actually be opening stores up mountains or at the bottom of the sea in order to gain customers rather than where there's consumers who want to buy tech.

/snark

[Zaphod.Beeblebrox]

Re: The hilarious bit is this -

I agree, MS obviously is just copying Apple - it couldn't be that demographic and market reasearch told them Apple had got it right witht he locations of their stores, now could it? I think Apple should sue for brand infringement!

[fishman]

Late

With less than 2 weeks to Christmas, Microsoft is a little late. And selling them at Staples - an office supply store chain - not exactly a hotbed of consumer electronics.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Late

That could work. Lots of people (especially guys) do their Christmas shopping within 24 hours of Christmas.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Late

Surely that's what a 24 hr petrol station is for?

What woman would want a litre of Multigrade Oil, a set of wiperblades and a scrawny bunch of flowers for Christmas?

Mine's the one with the wife's Christmas list in the pocket.

[Goat Jam]

I'm Confused

Are there any MS stores in Australia? Who has been selling the Surface in Australia up to this point?

MS have been heavily advertising the surface for several weeks already.

Am I to understand that anybody who may have been tempted to purchase one by those adverts would not have been able to do so until now?

[Adam 1]

Re: I'm Confused

You could only get it from the online shop, which is really daft considering that even the 5 people sold on the spec would still want to pick one up in the flesh before handing over the hard earned.

[Goat Jam]

Re: I'm Confused

Man, that is nuts.

[hplasm]

Re: I'm Confused

A Touch device that you can't touch...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm Confused

"sold on the spec would still want to pick one up in the flesh before handing over the hard earned."

No, you are wrong. RICHTO bought one mail-order and that went well - oh wait

http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/containing/1645572

[RICHTO]

Re: I'm Confused

Still going through the chargeback process on that one FYI....Bought one new off eBay instead for 2/3 the price...and got better service...

Does have to be said that Surface tabs are very good in terms of design / functionality....even if the Microsoft Store does suck for customer service...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm Confused

"Bought one new off eBay instead for 2/3 the price...and got better service..."

So the price has plummeted then !

[Bluey1701]

Australian Outlet...

Harvey Norman has been confirmed as one of the Australian Outlets

[southpacificpom]

Re: Australian Outlet...

And it was a waste of time sending their staff on "special Windows 8" training if they are now to be sold in other high street stores. Wonder if the special training they had included being honest with the customer about real storage capacity of these toys?

[EddieElche]

but nothing in the UK

went into London a week or so ago and was visually assaulted by adverts for the surface but not a sign of it on Tottenham court road, oxford street, or any where else.

mail order only in the UK must = fail!

[JDX]

expanding the ways in which customers can interact with Surface

This sounds exciting. What are these new interaction opportunities?

[mrfill]

Re: expanding the ways in which customers can interact with Surface

Apparently, tests show its performance as a frisbee exceeds all other tablets

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: expanding the ways in which customers can interact with Surface

apparently mrfill doesn't know how to use a tablet!

what wank.

[RICHTO]

Re: expanding the ways in which customers can interact with Surface

Well it works very well as a skateboard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkSVIgtqr9U

And its good for breaking other devices with....

[Anonymous Coward]

numbers game?

Only offering the Surface via retailers when it is part-way through the festive season will make it really hard to work out its adoption rate vs. the competition (and thus assess success or failure), at least until the next quarter.

[Mike Brown]

Re: numbers game?

i think its safe to assume it is/will be a failure.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: numbers game?

safe to say mike has an iPad! FAIL!

[Purlieu]

Plan to fail

Of course it will be a failure - then Microsoft can (a) slash the price of these and "legitimately" gain market share because they are so cheap and (b) introduce the Surface 2 in about, oh, February, back at the original price so that (c) consumers will then buy the new one.

Any fule kno this

[Anonymous Coward]

MS need to dumb down to catch prospective apple purchasers. Shiny shop, clone army, done.

MS purchasers know what they are getting.

[The Godfather]

Special New Year deals..

It'll be two for the price of one in New Year sales....

Decision and push is late and not properly thought out, irrespective of any positives or negatives the product has. This has hallmarks of scampering up a slippery riverbank and sliding back to where one started.

[Sir Codington]

It's such a shame

If MS have given us full windows arm, or at least a version of visual studio for Win rt and not charged and insane price, the surface could have worked.

Charging £500 for something that does less than a CHROMEBOOK (chromeos has a remote desktop client through chrome and SSH built in) is just beyond stupid with android and iOS already dominant.

It's a shame, I actually like windows and C# for several things. Not everything, but the user interface is nice.

[RICHTO]

Re: It's such a shame

Not sure where you got that idea, but Surface already does a lot more in V1.0 than Chrome, Android or the iPad.....

[Anonymous Coward]

Sinofsky?

What was that all about then?

[asdf]

look on the bright side Stevie B.

At least Microsoft should be able to hire many of the ex RIM employees who have experience clearing out inventory of a failed tablet product on the cheap.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: look on the bright side Stevie B.

Nah - RIM will have them on retainers to help clear out the Blackberry 10.....