14 DAY TRIAL // While Microsoft doesn’t say a thing about the way its tablets are selling right now, an unofficial report indicated that the company had sold a total of 400,000 units of the Pro model launched in early February.
That’s not bad at all, especially given the 128 GB model shortage that Microsoft had to cope with soon after launch, but some experts believe that the company could do a lot better.
Doug Lampe, Lockheed Martin’s IT manager, said in a statement that the Surface Pro still needs a number of upgrades in order to succeed in some specific industry sectors, especially when it comes to the enterprise market.
"I'm not sure the Surface Pro will ultimately be successful in the enterprise environment without some changes. Having to deal with the kickstand, keyboard, et cetera and then adding a third-party dock or network adapter just sounds like too much trouble, especially when I can install Windows 8 on my current device and possibly have a better overall experience even without the keyboard," Lampe was quoted as saying by InformationWeek.
"Add to that the long lead time for big companies to federate a burn for a new OS and the Surface isn't likely to be coming in our doors any time soon."
Microsoft is betting big on the Surface Pro, as it’s the first tablet in the history of the company that comes with the full version of Windows 8 Pro. As compared to the Surface RT, the Pro model packs support for desktop applications, so it could easily serve as a simple mix between a laptop and a tablet.
The Redmond-based technology giant is now working to bring the Surface Pro in some new markets, as Canada and the United States are currently the only two countries that are selling the device.
The United Kingdom and some other markets are now in the pipeline, but Microsoft is yet to announce the official launch dates.