While it is hard to say that Surface RT from Microsoft has proven to be a massive hit in the market of tablets, Microsoft has said that due to high retailer interest in the device, it has decided to expand the production of the tablet. The company has also decided to allow the third-party retail stores to carry the device sooner than it was originally planned.
This expansion in the production and distribution of the slate would be started from mid-December. Previously, Microsoft had the plans of such an expansion after the start of the next year. However, due to the increased retailer interest in the device, the company has decided to make this move earlier than planned. Staples would be the first third-party retailer to carry the tablet.
It is hard to give a definitive opinion about the success of Surface RT, considering that Microsoft has so far not released the sales figure for the device. Surface RT runs a chip designed for smartphones, unlike the other computers running Windows. Due to this reason, Microsoft had to bring specific changes in its operating system in order to make it work for the new chip. An optional keyboard is also available separately for Surface RT which can be used to convert the tablet into a laptop with Microsoft Office applications.
The increased commitment of the company can also be estimated from the fact that some of the temporary holiday stores by Microsoft would be converted into permanent locations. Other than being available in all Microsoft retail stores from the US and Canada, the device would also be available online in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The present temporary stores of the company would either be converted into brick-and-mortar retail outlets or specialty store locations.
The increased attention that Microsoft has been paying to Surface RT clearly shows that the company is serious in expanding its market share in the domain of tablet computers. This does make sense, since the tablet domain has proven to be a highly lucrative area for other tech giants such as Apple, Amazon and Google, while Microsoft has only recently entered in the competition. Surface RT is the sole product from Microsoft that would decide the company’s fate in the tablet market.
