Microsoft Surface 2nd generation tablets being prepped for June
It doesn’t seem that long ago since the first Surface tablets released and we have now heard that Microsoft Surface 2nd generation tablets are now being prepped for June. Sources from the supply chain in Taiwan have stated that the new tablets will be announced at the Build Developer Conference from June 26 to 28.
It’s fair to say that the original Microsoft Surface didn’t exactly wow consumers and only achieved around half of the expected sales of 3 to 4 million so far. Sales of the Surface RT number around 1 million, with the Surface Pro achieving only half of that. Sources claim that Microsoft is producing 7 to 9-inch tablets in quantities of between 1.5 and 2 million units.
We recently told how smaller-sized 7 to 8-inch tablets such as the iPad mini and Google Nexus 7 are taking over the tablet market so this may be a wise move on Microsoft’s part. It’s also expected that Windows Blue (an update to Windows Phone) will launch at the Build Developer Conference. This should bring many improvements including the device being able to boot direct to the desktop.
As well as this we’re informed that the next wave of Microsoft Surface tablets will have Nvidia and Intel chipsets so it’s possible that Microsoft may use the Tegra 4. At present Microsoft is expanding sales of the existing Surface tablets to more regions including Malaysia, Mexico, Korea, Thailand and others. Therefore although Microsoft is being cautious over the initial production of the next-generation Surface tablet it will be hoping to revise those numbers upwards.
We’d like to know your thoughts on this news. Are you a fan of the current Microsoft Surface and look forward to what the next will have to offer? Maybe you think Microsoft would do better to give up on the Surface? Let us have your comments on this.
Source: DigiTimes
Comments
5 thoughts on “Microsoft Surface 2nd generation tablets being prepped for June”
MS needs to get a much better pricing structure on the Surface-they are not competitive with Apple or Android based tablets.
You realize you’re apples and oranges right? The Surface Pro by definition is an ultrabook, not an ARM based tablet with reduced power.
What MS really needs to do is get Surface Pros with the Haswell chip to market as soon as possible. That would make Surface Pro an instant buy, right now the battery life is too short for a tablet. Even though it has ultrabook power, to the masses its still a tablet, and tablet use means that they stay untethered to power more often than not.
Microsoft did a fantastic job. There’s way too many choices and consumers are driven by popularity. It’s a confusing time for older tech’s who latch on to tried and true while the newbies want what will be the most sold. Then there are the people like me in the middle who are obsessed by devices and tech. I love my pro and I didn’t buy it for the above reasons. I have an Android phone, Microsoft Computer (pro), iPod touch, and a custom Linux open source machine. There’s a universe out there don’t be afraid people, go explore what’s best for your needs.
You know, Apple and Android as well as Symbian operating systems came out with touch interfaces that were all relatively different form each other. Nobody complained abou tthe learning curve or how to move apps or delete them or where to go to edit what settings. Everyone just felt thier way around and learned. Its that simple. My 5 year old daughter can navigate windows 8 very well and she loves her ipad as well. Things are not as difficult as people make them out. Metro is actually very well thought out. We all miss “Start”. Microsoft just chose to try a new way and everyone is so in love with Windows 7 (which is a good thing). But please understand the goal here. Microsoft has to compete in a new market for business applpications needs and I believe they did come up with a winning combination of the knowledge they have been building on over 23 years of dabbling in Windows CE touch, and Windows phones and PDA’s from IPAQ, Audiovox pocket Thera phones, The Palm Pro windows phones to the first rendition of Metro in Windows 7 phones. They are making strides and they have a plan. Microsoft will never give up Metro. Just take a whole 5 minutes of your time and learn the new interface. I can actually get everywhere I need faster usign the Charms, Search feature. Type a search and anything you need pops up in a split second. Microsoft had to unload functions that slowed the OS. They had to meet a fast boot requirement in order to compete against the glorified cell phone/tablet market Android and Apple were puching. They had to assure business applications and legacy functions were in place. They had to make sure thier OS was portable. Maybe everyone does not understand truely what you are getting in Windows 8 and what Microsoft has accomplished. it s genius and a work of art. It needs tweeks of course and they will occur over time. Anything new in a first rendition is never perfect. Look at how many times Apple and Android Operating systems have upgraded thier OS to improve on thier Ideas. Nobody complained to them. So why is it so much different when it comes to Microsoft? The new Surface Pro is likely the largest quantum leap forward in technology we have seen in at least the last 15 years in the PC industry. I encourage people to take a scientific approach to this and just take some time to understand and learn the differences. They are not hard to pick up and you always have the Windows 7 decktop embedded. they will not take that away. Look at DOS… Its been around forever and every rendition of Windows has always had a command prompt for us techt people to use. It is not fair to say in any context that Microsoft failed to wow comsumers. They are starting something and a process needs to be tweeked over time.