O'Donnell is, of course, referring to the RT version of the Surface tablet, which is slightly less expensive at $499, though isn't compatible with older Windows software. "It's something that we've predicated all along because of the compatibility that Surface Pro offers," O'Donnell added. Overall, Microsoft has sold nearly 1.5 million Surface devices, including both Pro and RT versions, and was announced only three months ago.
Even though the RT version sold out initially, Microsoft was surprisingly able to keep up with demand quickly. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case with the Pro. The high-end, 128GB Pro version of Surface has been continuously sold out since it was released on February 9. This model of the Surface tablet has only recently become readily available in the last week or so.
Regardless, the numbers being put up by the Pro are nothing compared to that of Apple's iPad. Apple sold more than 20 million iPads in the quarter ending in December, though Apple has been in this market substantially longer than Microsoft has and has also had time to fine tune its device. However, like Surface RT, the 9.7" Retina iPad starts at $499 while the iPad Mini is even cheaper at $329.
The trick with the Surface is that it puts a conventional, mainstream laptop into a 2 lb, 0.5" thick tablet. The Pro version comes with a 10.6" 1,920 x 1,080 full HD resolution display, Intel Ivy Bridge processor, 4GB of memory and a full-fledged solid-state drive, which is exponentially faster than the flash drives found in Apple and Android tablets.
Nonetheless, the numbers posted by Microsoft are impressive, especially considering the lackluster reviews that Windows 8 has been receiving. Windows 8 is the operating system that the Surface uses, though the OS has clearly been designed for use on touchscreen devices. It will be interesting to see what kind of numbers this tablet will post in the coming months.
Source: CNET - Microsoft Surface Pro sales hit 400K in a hurry
