What makes Microsoft so slow?

[mitchellvii]

It is clear (to me anyway) that two of the most exciting improvements for the Surface Line are the Power Cover (providing up to 25 hours usage on the Surface Pro 2 according to MS) and the docking station. Awesome, can't wait to buy them when the SP2 releases!

Oops, what? Not until 2014 AFTER the holidays? Huh?

Typical MS. They always miss their moment don't they? They never get it right the first time and when it finally seems like they might, they take forever to bring it to market. So what is the issue? Aren't these products ready now? It's not like they are inventing cold fusion here.

Answer? Greed. If a current SP owner can just buy a power cover for $200 and get all day usage, why upgrade to the SP2? MS wants to see how many people upgrade before they release the product which makes upgrading unnecessary. I mean sure the SP2 has some benefits over SP but the 800 lb gorilla in the room is the battery life, isn't it?

And pricing? The touch cover should be $79, the type cover $99 and the power cover $129. Again, MS greed gets in the way of actually making money. I'm not sure what it costs MS to make a power cover but I'm pretty sure it costs A LOT less than $200 (since I can buy an entire tablet for that).

Some people wonder why I rag on MS so much? THIS is why. I have a large legacy commitment to MS products and it drives me nuts when they just can't get out of their own way. Now that they are into hardware they still have their software monopoly mindset. Dear MS, it is not longer your way or the highway. You MUST compete.

 

[Sher the Love]

I would imagine Microsoft shares the same factories as many other electronics manufacturers. They can only make so many products at one time especially when most manufacturers want Haswell chips which may even be back up. They could have started R&D for the power cover later than they did the new Surfaces and don't have all the kinks worked out. It seems many companies announce things long before they have any final products done.

As far as the pricing for the covers: type covers don't seem to be much of a new or different technology. Even though they might have physical buttons, the touch cover may be just as much to produce. Just because someone sees a product as inferior compared to another one, doesn't mean it's any cheaper to develop and make. Microsoft has tons of money but that doesn't mean they're going to use it to step all over there competitions feet who are running it's software.

By the way, nice to see you from the XDA Galaxy Note forums....

 

[TeknoBlast]

It's fantastic!

 

[mitchellvii]

I would imagine Microsoft shares the same factories as many other electronics manufacturers. They can only make so many products at one time especially when most manufacturers want Haswell chips which may even be back up. They could have started R&D for the power cover later than they did the new Surfaces and don't have all the kinks worked out. It seems many companies announce things long before they have any final products done.

As far as the pricing for the covers: type covers don't seem to be much of a new or different technology. Even though they might have physical buttons, the touch cover may be just as much to produce. Just because someone sees a product as inferior compared to another one, doesn't mean it's any cheaper to develop and make. Microsoft has tons of money but that doesn't mean they're going to use it to step all over there competitions feet who are running it's software.

By the way, nice to see you from the XDA Galaxy Note forums....

Microsoft is employing the same pricing with the Surface Pro 2 they did on their first release, pricing which pretty much everyone in the industry said was too high. Microsoft lost 900 million dollars when there was really no competition using that pricing model and now they are doing it again when there is competition? Sure the products are better this time but so are everyone else's while Dell and Sony are being very aggressive on their sticker (Dell XPS 11 with bigger screen, better resolution and more ports for only $1000 for instance).

Of course Dell and Sony can enjoy economies of scale in their manufacturing that MS cannot hope to obtain. Still MS should settle for very slim margins in order to gain marketplace acceptance. They have brought their software monopoly mentality to hardware and it isn't going to work. Based upon their pricing and technology, it looks like Dell and Sony are out to kick Microsoft's ass, probably as payback for Microsoft going hardware and competing against their partners in the first place.

And Microsoft's pricing will come down, after the sales suck and they are forced into a fire sale. The past is prologue, especially with Microsoft.

 

[Nuspieds]

The Surface Pro, being more than just a tablet, is in desperate need of accessories--for those of us who depend on it for far more than just its tablet capabilities.

So, much as I was excited to hear about the docking station, how disappointed I was when I was pre-ordering my SP2 and I couldn't pre-order the docking station because it is "coming soon." WTF??!! Sorry, but that's really poor execution on their part. Furthermore, what does "coming soon" mean? It is so far apart from the SP2 release that there isn't even a date.

I agree that those two significant and exciting accessories should have been released with SP2. They definitely missed the moment to make the SP2 launch really shine.

Obviously I am still looking forward to my SP2, but just disappointed I still have to wait so long for what to me are "essential" accessories.

 

[Deryl McCarty]

I think what is happening is not greed nor incompetence. I think its fear. Losing a Billion bucks on SP1 or SRT is not small potatoes. If you want keep your job (ask Ballmer about such things) then not losing a $B on SP2 is a great way to do so. So I think they underplayed their hand to not lose as opposed to playing to win. Once bitten twice shy applies.

 

[CrippsCorner]

The thing that worries me with some accessories (especially the dock) is how are they going to fit in with Surface Pro 3? I assume the dimensions will change a bit that time round... the dock should be made so it can adjust to different models... then again, like you say, they're out for the money so it may not be in their interests to let that happen.

Although, I still believe you're wrong about the Power Cover, it's price is high, but fair (compared to buying a laptop battery separately)

 

[eltos_lightfoot]

Eh, I can live without the docking station and power cover. I would rather they get them right than get them fast. Of course I come from the world of Apple. They wait until they have it perfect, and then wait some more.

 

[fonzman78]

Some people wonder why I rag on MS so much?

No, not really. We just come to expect it from you. This forum wouldn't be the same without our daily MS bashing. Someone has to keep us fanboys in place.

This talk about delay has me worried. I hope my SP2 256 isn't delayed. If so, I guess my SP1 will keep me happy until it finally releases.

 

[Sher the Love]

No, not really. We just come to expect it from you. This forum wouldn't be the same without our daily MS bashing. Someone has to keep us fanboys in place.

This talk about delay has me worried. I hope my SP2 256 isn't delayed. If so, I guess my SP1 will keep me happy until it finally releases.

Just hope it isn't anything like the Google Nexus 4 launch. I think that was released mid November, sold out almost immediately and wasn't available again till February (if my memory serves me correctly).

 

[bluegrass]

No, not really. We just come to expect it from you. This forum wouldn't be the same without our daily MS bashing. Someone has to keep us fanboys in place.

This talk about delay has me worried. I hope my SP2 256 isn't delayed. If so, I guess my SP1 will keep me happy until it finally releases.

What delay. I purchased my SP2 256K a couple weeks ago at the Microsoft store.

 

[beman39]

I kinda agree with Mitch, if MS would have priced their RT a little more aggressively and wouldn't have been so greedy with their pricing, then I'm CERTAIN they wouldn't have lost $900M with lost revenues, fact is I (and others) thought the price of MS's devices and KB was ridiculously high and that's why they are sitting with $900M worth of inventory! do you really think it was a coincidence that once they lowered the prices of the RT they started getting popular? REALLY?! same with piracy problems that were plaguing MS is because their prices of their OS was too much!