Surface with Windows 8 Pro may be out sooner than expected and cheaper

Before getting into the matter, I anticipate that the news is not official I don't know whether to classify the matter as a rumor with foundation or lucubration with sense. The truth is that, as reported by DigiTimes, manufacturers of components for Surface tablets with Windows RT are seeing cut their orders in half

This data, whose source is not confirmed, could be true and would indicate that the Microsoft product is not having the reception that the company expected: four million units until the end of the year. We return to the possible reasons later.

Based on this circumstance, the Taiwanese portal establishes a cause-effect relationship by which it ventures that the Redmond giant could advance the release of the Intel version to the market with Windows 8 Pro of the tablet in early December, with a lower price than anticipated.

Business results for Surface with Windows RT

There are several reasons that could be hurting the commercialization of Surface-ARM. The first determining factor would be the price: between 499 and 699 dollars depending on the version. A product that is difficult to fit with this cost, in a market dominated by the iPad in high-end devices and by Android tablets in the mid-range segment.

Given the current global economic recession consumers evaluate very well where they want to invest their money If they have enough purchasing power, it is normal that bets on the security that the Apple environment entails.It is an established product, with an evolution in the market embodied in three generations of the product and an ecosystem of applications behind it capable of satisfying the needs of individuals and companies.

If the budget is somewhat fairer, the Google-Android option is attractive because it has a wide and varied range of services , most of them free. It's not just about buying a device, you also have to think about what's next, with all the necessary investment in applications and accessories for the device itself.

We are facing a product that is close to the lower price level with Google and the upper one with Apple, a narrow space to make its way in a partially saturated market. The computer giant's sales forecasts are for the markets where the launch has taken place, so the possible cut in half in its sales forecast is not a consequence of the device not being sold in some countries.

In addition to the price there is the user experience factor The fan of the Microsoft operating system may prefer to have the closest thing to what you know: the desktop version. In this sense, there will be people who are waiting for Surface-Intel with Windows 8 Pro.

A feasible perspective

Would it then be logical for Microsoft to bring forward the release of the flagship of the saga? If it can be. Let's not forget the dates we are on. The Christmas campaign is approaching, a period of very high consumption that the company could take advantage of to wipe away the results of Surface-ARM. Although selling less does not necessarily entail losses, the truth is that Microsoft's partners and investors had other profit expectations.

Advancing the launch on these dates can be beneficial for Microsoft, and if the offer is at a competitive price, even better. It would be a great start and a real chance to compete in the high-end market.

Another issue will be Microsoft's relationship with technology partners, in particular laptop manufacturers, who have been allies while Microsoft only sold software, but are now rivals as the company enters the hardware market. A difficult balance to maintain, whose future is only in the mind of Ballmer and his most direct collaborators.