While Microsoft’s tablets may be scarce here in the States, the company announced today that it plans to make the Surface RT and Surface Pro available in several countries abroad in the coming months.
Starting in late March, the Surface RT will arrive in Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, and Taiwan. The Surface Pro will be available in the UK, Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and New Zealand in late March as well.
Microsoft also announced last month that the Surface RT will be sold in 13 European countries.
Meanwhile here in the U.S., Surface Pro availability is scarce more than two weeks after the tablet’s official debut. The tablet has certainly stirred up enough demand to generate lines at stores and sell out online. After all, it’s a milestone machine — the first honest-to-goodness, Intel-based, traditional Windows PC ever made by Microsoft, the company that makes Windows.
But tech companies can be very good at disguising their inability to provide an adequate initial supply — instead trying to leave the impression that shortages are caused by mobs of people wanting to get their hands on this hotness.
Todd Bishop wrote that he has no idea if Microsoft is doing that here. Readers commenting on some of our earlier posts are reporting some very small single-digit supplies of the Surface Pro at their local retailers in different parts of the country.
The fact that Microsoft pushed back the launch date is more evidence of manufacturing issues. But Microsoft didn’t disclose post-weekend sales figures, as Apple often does after a successful launch, so we don’t have any way of knowing for sure in the short run.
UPDATE, 3:30 P.M. — Story was edited to clarify the late March arrival dates.
Previously on GeekWire: Stylus Points: Why Penny Arcade’s Gabe is a fan of Microsoft’s Surface Pro
