Microsoft partners with resellers to boost Surface tablet sales

[Shawn Knight]

Microsoft on Monday announced a new initiative that they hope will ultimately help sell more Surface tablets. The changes, outlined in the Microsoft Devices Program, will see a number of third party resellers make the slates available for purchase to commercial customers like businesses, schools and universities.

Redmond has initially selected 10 companies that will be allowed to sell Surface Pro and Surface RT devices. These include (in no particular order) PCM, Softmart, CDW, CompuCom Systems, En Pointe Technologies, Insight Enterprises, Softchoice, SHI, PC Connection and Zones. We’re told that as the program expands globally, so too will the number of participating partners.

Patrick Hart, vice president of software marketing for PCM, said business customers are increasingly seeking devices that span work and play, can easily be managed and configured and have the right software to get the job done.

Softmart's vice president of national sales, Roe Miller, agreed with Hart, further noting that Microsoft’s new program demonstrates his company’s commitment to finding the perfect solution for corporate clients that rely on Microsoft devices and services.

In related news, Microsoft has also confirmed that a limited number of 256GB Surface Pro tablets are being made available in the states. CDW is already listing the higher-capacity tablet for $1,199.99 with availability pegged at four to six days. If you recall, Microsoft launched a 256GB Surface Pro in Japan early last month but left everyone else out in the cold… until now.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/53096-microsoft-partners-with-resellers-to-boost-surface-tablet-sales.html

 

[Guest]

Nothing will increase sales other than a decrease in price.

The surface pro has a ton of features, but when you boil it down why would anyone pay so much for a tablet with so few apps?

 

[treeski]

Nothing will increase sales other than a decrease in price.

The surface pro has a ton of features, but when you boil it down why would anyone pay so much for a tablet with so few apps?

Oh come on. If you're going to troll, at least put a little effort into it!

 

[Guest]

He is not trolling, its just an opinion, also my opinion and all others that I know.

 

[treeski]

He is not trolling, its just an opinion, also my opinion and all others that I know.

Asking why anyone would buy the Surface Pro with so few apps when it just broke the 100K mark for metro apps and has the entire Windows catalogue behind it... hrmmm...

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

He is not trolling, its just an opinion, also my opinion and all others that I know.

Asking why anyone would buy the Surface Pro with so few apps when it just broke the 100K mark for metro apps and has the entire Windows catalogue behind it... hrmmm...

yeah, a whole catalogue of windows programs that are not designed to be used with touchscreen devices.
and the 100k thing isnt that impressive, given both android and ios have more than 800k.
or maybe the price is absurd, given windows laptops, which run all of said windows programs, are only 500-700 bucks, where this thing is 1100?

 

[tipstir]

Microsoft needs to think outside the box. Android tablets sold dirt cheap and expensive. Microsoft should sell RT and 32-bit Pro for less. The 64-bit Pro should be no more than $399 for the 128GB storage. To stay ahead of the other tablets they need to push this.

Tough market out there for tablets today. Windows 8 Pro or Windows 8.1 Pro needs to come with Media Center and stop making it add-on. Also give customers the choice to load the full tile base UI or just make it option.

Those of us who like the Desktop look of Windows 7 should have the option to switch or just load that only.

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ].....

and the 100k thing isnt that impressive, given both android and ios have more than 800k.....[ ]....

First you subtract the malware, adware, and flat out bulls*** useless apps from that Android number. There's a whole lot of "crapps". I mean really, I get by on my desktop without a Starbuck's or a MacDonalds app, or 6 local TV station weather apps.

A while I'm at it, big screen movies look like s*** on a cell phone, so you could dump any app for that as well.

It seems every imbecile on the planet has learned to write code for cell phones. Hence, you get garbage like "calorie counting apps" If you just shut the damned phone off, and go for a walk, you wouldn't need that app either. Honestly, don't you think something is drastically wrong when you need your cell phone to tell you what you should eat?

 

[Teko03]

Nothing will increase sales other than a decrease in price.

The surface pro has a ton of features, but when you boil it down why would anyone pay so much for a tablet with so few apps?

While I agree the price point is high, you really can't say that the Surface Pro doesn't have a good number of apps at 100,000. Not to mention the Surface Pro also supports x86 applications. Sure they aren't touched optimized but you have the ability to use a keyboard, mouse & external monitor.

 

[Tanstar]

While I agree the price point is high, you really can't say that the Surface Pro doesn't have a good number of apps at 100,000. Not to mention the Surface Pro also supports x86 applications. Sure they aren't touched optimized but you have the ability to use a keyboard, mouse & external monitor.

So then you're paying $1200 for a computer chassis that's only advantage over a $300 e-machines computer (that comes with the mouse and keyboard for that price) would be size.

 

[captaincranky]

So then you're paying $1200 for a computer chassis that's only advantage over a $300 e-machines computer (that comes with the mouse and keyboard for that price) would be size.

Wow! Once the NSA gets a hold of that, and passes it on to M$, you'll "never, ever be getting back together"(*), with M$ for a job.

But, you can't run the eMachine on its nonexistent internal battery pack. That's gotta be worth $800.00, doesn't it?

Plus, you'll be banned for life from the "M$ Surface Dance Troop". Well that's probably for the best, since you won't be able to make an a** out of yourself break dancing on top of a desk, waving your desktop eMachine around, like a victim of St. Vitus Dance.

Clinging to that eMachine will never permit your admission to the in crowd either.

Why myself, I keep an iPad in one pocket, and a Surface tablet in the other, so I'll be ready to impress whoever I might run into. Different horses for different courses, that's my motto!


(*) OK,you caught me, I pinched that from a Taylor Swift song

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

I can see the Pro being quite useful for my IT team, but they are expensive and there is no docking station. So if anyone at Microsoft is paying attention, make a quality docking station so I can replace laptops with these and you'll have some more sales.

 

[Railman]

Do you need a traditional docking station. We have a hub device on each desk which is connected to my laptop by USB cable. A mouse, keyboard and twin monitors are also connected to the hub. Surely a Surface Pro can use that setup.

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

We desire one, mainly because of desk space and cleanliness, but also because I've never used a hub where everything worked well. Maybe these hubs are better now, but in the past I've always dealt with some sort of lag or functions that didn't work at the same time as other functions.

Yes there are hubs that work with the Surface, but that isn't what we want... Right now we all have laptops with docking stations which is nice and smooth, but we do desire something lighter and smaller than a laptop. We have tried ultrabooks with the flip around screens but they are still a bit too heavy and cumbersome for our liking. Personally I really like the Surface tablet, the only thing really keeping me from buying them is a nice docking station solution. But I'm just one piece of the market.

 

[avoidz]

Surface Pro is interesting to me, but it's just too damn expensive.

 

[Railman]

Especially as you can pick up a high end laptop for far less money with a decent sized screen.

 

[captaincranky]

Well, M$ seems to have everybody pretty well trained. I say that because, it seems everybody needs to justify not buying a "Surface".

It's just weird. It seems like some people feel it's expected of them to buy one. Steve Ballmer expects you to buy one. Me, quite the opposite. You can leave them on the shelves 'til they curdle, I could care less.

 

[cliffordcooley]

You can leave them on the shelves 'til they curdle, I could care less.

The Surface doesn't need more time, the Start Screen passed that point on day one.