Microsoft loses money on each Surface sold

Computerworld - Microsoft lost $39 million last quarter selling its Surface tablets, the company acknowledged in filings today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).


While Microsoft reported increased Surface revenue for the October-December 2013 quarter of $893 million -- more than double the $400 million in the quarter ending Sept. 30, 2013 -- it pegged the cost of that revenue at $932 million.

Microsoft loses money on each Surface sold - Computerworld

 

[EMINENT]

I only use a Surface 2.

Usually messing around. When I need to do real work, I remote to my home desktop. If I need anything, I have Plex on the desktop serve all my movie needs, IE handles flash tv, Onedrive handles music and files everywhere. Very lightweight and simple management.

One device.

 

[HerrKaLeun]

WHS: I think you have a valid point and for your worklfow the multiple devices make more sense.

My (personal) worklfow is to use 5.5" Android phone for email/web/GPS on the go, use Desktop in the office for actual work. and in the field (for inspection incl. taking pictures and sharing on sharepoint and verifying and marking up construction documents) and for meetings etc. I want to use the Surface Pro inc. the ability to remote into my PC. Laptop would be too clunky, and literally everything I need is based on x86.

 

[whs]

WHS: I think you have a valid point and for your worklfow the multiple devices make more sense.

My (personal) worklfow is to use 5.5" Android phone for email/web/GPS on the go, use Desktop in the office for actual work. and in the field (for inspection incl. taking pictures and sharing on sharepoint and verifying and marking up construction documents) and for meetings etc. I want to use the Surface Pro inc. the ability to remote into my PC. Laptop would be too clunky, and literally everything I need is based on x86.

See, my workflow is pretty placid. I am 76 and retired since 21 years. For me it is all panem, et circenses. Whatever work I do is for the fun of it. I make mostly tutorials for here and other places. Have to give something back after 53 years with computers.

Most of that work I do on my desktop with the nice 22" screen. There at least I can clearly see things.

 

[HerrKaLeun]

WHS, thanks for all that, I didn't know you had that much experience, you must have seen it all.

I'm sure from a computing -power point mobile devices theoretically can suffice at some point. However, human nature will always require some large-screen (or multiple screen) desktop and some small-screen mobile device. No matter how fast our SSD and CPUs will be, and how small we can make them - whne doing actual work humans will need large devices, when mobile small ones. Once MS understands this difference they hopefully will provide two GUI for large ( and dual/quad_ screens and one for small screens.

 

[whs]

Yeah, I have seen it all from the time when memory (RAM) was a drum and you had to install the computer in basements because of the drum vibration and the weight -> to the toys of today. I must have been around 100 operating systems and their flavors - in fact during 35 years I participated in the development, support and marketing of operating systems.

Times are different today because every layman is expected to become an expert in computers - but that is not so. As long as everything works as designed, it's easy peasy. The problems arise when something blinks. 90% of the users don't know what to do then. But they can always come here - we'll help them out.