“Analytics firm Chitika looked at tens of millions of (North American) tablet ad impressions from November 12-18,” Will Shanklin reports for Gizmag. “The Windows RT Surface barely registered, making up 0.13% of tablet web traffic. That means that out of every 10,000 tablet ad impressions, an average of 13 came from Surface.”
“This is hardly the start Microsoft wanted. It spent months hyping the tablet, marketing it as a new productivity-focused device,” Shanklin reports. “Steve Ballmer and company held two Surface keynotes, and spent millions in advertising. What happened?”
Shanklin reports, “Pricing didn’t help. Surface starts at US$500, the same as the iPad… It’s as if Microsoft didn’t notice the Xooms, Playbooks, and Galaxy Tabs that had already failed with that strategy… There’s also the tablet itself. Its operating system is complicated, split into two desktop environments. It has a sparse app library. The device’s display, battery life, and cameras are inferior to the iPad’s. A kickstand and a keyboard clicking sound aren’t going to make up for that.”
“Chitikia’s statistics are bad for Microsoft, but they aren’t much better for Google,” Shanklin reports. “The Nexus 7 and 10 combined for over seven times the web traffic of Surface. That sounds good at first, but it still only makes up about 1% of tablet web traffic. The iPad continues to dominate, with 88% of all tablet web traffic.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Getting a T-shirt with “I’m an idiot” printed on it is 50 times cheaper, and only slightly less effective, than wasting your money on beleaguered Microsoft’s garbage with a kickstand.
Related articles:
MKM Partners cuts Microsoft price target, estimates on lower than expected Surface, Windows 8 sales – December 5, 2012
Why Microsoft’s Surface tablet is doomed – December 5, 2012
App developers shun Microsoft’s Surface tablet – December 4, 2012
Microsoft Surface Pro to offer only half the battery life of Apple’s latest iPad with Retina display – November 30, 2012
Microsoft’s Surface Pro iPad killer to start at $899 – November 29, 2012
Microsoft’s Surface tablet flops, orders reportedly cut in half – November 29, 2012
TechCrunch’s Siegler reviews Microsoft Surface RT: ‘It’s time for a drop test – right into the garbage can’ – November 19, 2012
Slate reviews Microsoft’s Surface tablet: Too slow, mercilessly buggy; why is it so bad? – November 6, 2012
InfoWorld reviews Microsoft Surface RT: A disappointment; you’re better off with Apple’s iPad – October 31, 2012
Gizmodo reviews Microsoft Surface RT: Do not buy; inferior to Apple’s iPad; the worst of both worlds – October 25, 2012
The Verge reviews Microsoft Surface RT tablet: ‘The whole thing is honestly perplexing; who is this for?’ – October 24, 2012
ZDNet’s Kingsley-Hughes: Microsoft’s Windows 8 is an awful, horrible, painful design disaster – June 8, 2012
Analyst meets with big computer maker, finds ‘general lack of enthusiasm’ for Windows 8 – June 8, 2012
Dvorak: Windows 8 an unmitigated disaster; unusable and annoying; it makes your teeth itch – June 3, 2012
The Guardian: Microsoft’s Windows 8 is confusing as hell; an appalling user experience – March 5, 2012
More good news for Apple: Microsoft previews Windows 8 (with video) – June 1, 2011
>Their best option though is to seize the opportunity to go back to their roots…software. Microsoft could be far more successful in providing applications and services across all platforms.
But that makes too much sense Bro, Ballmer T. will never go for it. Oh well, for as long as it takes eh?
Go Apple!
Been traveling a bit lately and noticing these pop-up Surface stores everywhere – Times Sq., Michigan Ave. in Chicago (and also at Midway in a terminal which was just odd). People cruise by but no one and I mean no one is buying.
“Steve Ballmer and company held two Surface keynotes, and spent millions in advertising. What happened?”
*SMIRK* to the power of 10. 😆
Ah, The Surface, A left handed screwdriver in a right handed world. Only Microsoft could be so inventive. Obviously Ballmer was planning on having lots of kids. On a serious note the real tragedy is that the lack of genuine creative competition for Apple will eventually bite us (the consumer) in the ass.