In an effort to spur struggling slate sales, Microsoft launched a TV ad campaign aimed squarely at the iPad. The strategy, which has spawned four commercials since May, focuses on highlighting the flaws in Apple’s popular tablet in comparison with the Surface.
But despite the agressive campaign, Microsoft still seems to be having trouble selling tablets. According to a new report, the Redmond company is planning to drop the price of all Surface RT models by $150 later this month—a move in response to lackluster sales…
The Verge has the scoop:
“Microsoft is planning to cut the price of its Surface RT tablets. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s Surface plans have revealed to The Verge that the price cut could occur as early as next week, with each model being cut by $150. Microsoft’s move to cut prices on its Surface RT tablets follow slow sales, and efforts to sell the devices elsewhere at lower rates.”
The Surface RT, which was the first and lower-end version of the tablet, has seen little success since it launched last fall. During the 2012 holiday quarter—a 3 month period where most products peak in terms of sales—Microsoft only sold about 700,000 units.
Here’s the latest Surface spot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oG0yZLEPN_Y
But don’t count Microsoft out of the tablet race just yet. Just yesterday the company announced a major restructuring in hopes to better the collaboration between its divisions. And it continues to hint that new Surface tablets are on the way with Haswell processors.
Anyway, if for some reason you’ve been dying to get a current-gen Surface RT, it looks like you’ll be able to score a 32GB model for $349.99, a 64GB model for $449.99, a 32GB with Touch Cover accessory for $449.99, or a 64GB with Touch Cover for $549.
What do you think, deal or no deal?