14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is yet to provide us with official Surface sale figures, but previous reports pointed at approximately 1.5 million shipped units since the October 2012 launch.
Analyst firm IDC, on the other hand, estimates that Microsoft has sold 900,000 tablets in the first quarter of 2013, which basically makes the Redmond-based tech giant the fifth tablet vendor on the market.
Most of these devices are Surface Pros, IDC said, while total combined Windows 8 and Windows RT shipments across all vendors reached 1.8 million units.
“Microsoft's larger challenges center around consumer messaging and lower cost competition. If these challenges are addressed, along with the desired screen size variations, then we could see Microsoft make even further headway in 2013 and beyond," said Ryan Reith, program manager for IDC's Mobility Tracker program.
Microsoft is working to expand the Surface product range as we speak, with sources familiar with the matter hinting that a smaller tablet with a 7- or 8-inch screen is under development.