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Microsoft's Surface Pro Shortage Sham

The Surface Pro sold out on launch day, but its shortage was obviously contrived to create buzz.

February 12, 2013
Surface Pro

Oh no! The Microsoft Surface Pro sold out on launch day! You can't get one! What will we ever do?

This is clearly a publicity stunt, not much unlike the one Nintendo pulls every time it does something new with the Wii. Shortages create demand and apparently the public falls for this trick over and over.

Microsoft is getting plenty of attention for this. Much of last Sunday's This Week in Tech (TWiT) podcast was about the Surface and its shortage. Everyone was ever so worried, despite the fact that nobody in the group had any intention of ever buying one.

And check out these news headlines:

  • "Microsoft sells out of 128GB Surface Pro: Some customers fume, critics seize shortage as sign that Microsoft fumbled launch" via ComputerWorld
  • "Surface Pro Out, But You Can't Get It" via BYTE
  • "Retail Folly: Why Microsoft Surface Losses Will Result In A New Channel Strategy" via CRN
  • "Microsoft Surface Pro sell-out flap: Is the tablet really that popular?" via PCWorld
  • "Microsoft Surface Pro model sells out; skeptics say it was understocked" via The Washington Post

Story after story, writers are skeptical.

I honestly believe the shortage was contrived for a number of reasons. First of all, it adds some excitement to the product, which, while gorgeous, may not have any legs. Also, as I have discussed in this column before, it's too expensive.

Microsoft is just testing the waters for these things tablets. I expect the whole thing is a dry test to help decide which way to go next. The company intends to move these items through its chain of stores and doesn't want to be holding the bag for a slew of unsold or older models.

Of course, Microsoft, like Apple and everyone else in tech, hardly understands the concept of inventory dumping via a sale. This is the way retail works and both Apple and Microsoft better learn how to get rid of excess inventory. Right now, the thinking is to make fewer copies and avoid putting anything on sale.

I think it is possible that Microsoft is so paranoid about holding the bag that it would adopt the IBM strategy of doing a huge run of a product (many versions of the ThinkPad were believed to have been manufactured this way) then after the run is over, it's over. You move on to the next product.

This may be what is going to happen with the Surface, which would mean that there is something waiting in the wings already.

I personally like the idea of one production run, followed by a release of the next new and improved version. This puts the products automatically on the shortage boat creating a loopy demand as the folks clamor for the product before they are sold out.

That said, I am sure that if readers dig around, they can probably find a Surface somewhere to buy. There is no reason to panic.

You can Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter @therealdvorak.

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About John C. Dvorak

Columnist, PCMag.com

John C. Dvorak is a columnist for PCMag.com and the co-host of the twice weekly podcast, the No Agenda Show. His work is licensed around the world. Previously a columnist for Forbes, PC/Computing, Computer Shopper, MacUser, Barrons, the DEC Professional as well as other newspapers and magazines. Former editor and consulting editor for InfoWorld, he also appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, SF Examiner, and the Vancouver Sun. He was on the start-up team for C/Net as well as ZDTV. At ZDTV (and TechTV) he hosted Silicon Spin for four years doing 1000 live and live-to-tape TV shows. His Internet show Cranky Geeks was considered a classic. John was on public radio for 8 years and has written over 5000 articles and columns as well as authoring or co-authoring 14 books. He's the 2004 Award winner of the American Business Editors Association's national gold award for best online column of 2003. That was followed up by an unprecedented second national gold award from the ABEA in 2005, again for the best online column (for 2004). He also won the Silver National Award for best magazine column in 2006 as well as other awards. Follow him on Twitter @therealdvorak.

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