Microsoft Surface Preorders Sell Out On First Day

It appears that silver lining for Microsoft Surface is growing bigger by the day as at the end of the first day of the pre-orders the $499 model is showing that shipments are being pushed back within three weeks.

The news gains significance as other two expensive models are available for delivery Oct.26, when Surface goes on commercial sale.

This implies that the buyers have purchased an expensive tablet running Windows RT and missing out on half the Surface experience as the $499 model comes without the cover.

The $599 Surface RT comes with 32GB internal storage space and includes a black cover while the $699 model is embedded with 64GB store and also includes a black cover.

Of course, the type cover can be acquired separately at a price of $129.99 in blue, pink or red while a white touch cover costs $119.99.

Apparently the cover resembles a normal laptop keyboard and includes the complete set of function keys, SlashGear has reported.

This apart, Microsoft has decided not to delve into the specifics, while a spokesperson told SlashGear: "No numbers to share, the $499 one is now on back order so that means the SKU is out but all three SKUs will be ready for launch day."

Though time is the predictor of how Surface will fare, it is certainly off to a good start. Stephen Baker, an analyst with the NPD Group told Computerworld: "The entry-level product includes no typing solution and is pretty transparently an opening price point gambit. But there's no way to know how many people bought, or didn't buy, one of the covers."

Noting that Surface without a Cover is just another tablet, Baker urged not to read too much into either the backorder, or the fact that the two covers were still available.

"With a cover, it's both a consumption and creation device." Ever since June, when Microsoft unveiled its Surface project, the company has promoted the cover-slash-keyboard.

"Given the focus of the product, Microsoft's concept was, 'This is a new kind of tablet, a new kind of notebook. It's either one or both at the same time,'" Baker pointed out to the Computerworld. By offering a Surface RT minus a cover, Baker argued, Microsoft was blanking out that message.