Skip to main content

Why are we waiting? Microsoft posts vague info about Surface Pro availability in Europe and beyond

Microsoft SurfaceMicrosoft’s handling of the rollout of its new Surface Pro tablet has been criticized from the very first day it hit stores in the US and Canada early last month. Many outlets, as well as Microsoft’s online store, sold out of the 128GB Surface Pro by lunchtime on launch day, with many customers who’d been waiting patiently in line from early morning complaining that sellers had hardly any devices in stock from the get-go.

Even now, Microsoft’s online store is showing an out of stock notice beside the 128GB Pro device.

Recommended Videos

And now it looks as if potential customers outside of the US and Canada are beginning to lose patience as they wait for some meaningful news on availability of the Surface Pro in their respective locations.

In a blog post Thursday titled Broadening the availability of Surface RT and Surface Pro that may as well have said Some useless information about when those outside North America might or might not see the Surface Pro, Microsoft offered few details regarding rest-of-the-world availability.

“Many people have left comments here on our blog asking about Surface Pro availability in other countries beyond the US and Canada,” the post says, building expectation that we might, nearly nine months after it was first unveiled and almost a month after it launched in North America, get some concrete information about its launch in other locations. But then: “We are happy to be able to tell you that Surface Pro will be heading to Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in the coming months. We will follow-up with another blog post with more details.” Great.

“…in the coming months…” – about as useful as a Touch Cover without a tablet. The post also mentions something about a “phased approach” to the rollout of the RT and Pro versions of the Surface tablet “beginning in late March.” The lack of clarity has evidently riled many would-be customers, with the post’s comments section filling up with mostly negative responses.

Consumers just want clear, honest information, but Thursday’s vague announcement is anything but, with many of those interested in the Pro tablet likely turning their attention to the competition instead of choosing to wait and wait and….

Below are just a few of the comments from the Surface blog post:

UK-based Nigel wrote, “Too little, too vague, too late! If there’s no specific date for UK release by the end of next week, I’ll have to give up and move on. Can neither afford nor be bothered to keep waiting with no end in sight.”

dkNigs said, “Sorry but this launch has been absolutely pathetic, and now you make the exact same availability announcement a month later?”

tinRobot: “I need it now; I’m going to Europe for six weeks at the end of March….it appears I’m left with no choice but to buy another manufacturer’s tablet.”

KayTannee: “Please sort this out MS….I’ve started looking at other options, its just a shame that most the other x86 tablets are terrible. *Sigh*”

Gaburko, meanwhile, sums up Microsoft’s announcement perfectly: “Someone of the surface team woke up and decided to post something totally confusing on the blog and then went back to bed.”

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
The new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro are finally living up to their potential
The new Surface Pro on a table.

Copilot+ represents a new era for Windows laptops, and it's a fresh reimagining for Surface as well. You'll notice that the generational number in the name is gone with this new era -- one that comes with a new design, higher performance, and AI features.

Both the new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro come exclusively with up to a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, which brings massive leaps in performance, battery life, and AI capabilities over the previous generation of Surface devices.

Read more
Hurry! Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 have hefty price cuts today
The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode on a table.

Microsoft's Surface devices are high-performance machines that are designed to maximize the capabilities of Windows 11. If you're on the lookout for Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals, don't miss this chance to get a discount from Best Buy on the latest consumer models, as the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are only available for commercial users for now. The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is on sale for only $800, for $300 in savings on its original price of $1,100, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is also down to $800, for $500 in savings on its sticker price of $1,300. You better hurry with your purchase though, as we're not sure when these offers will expire.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 -- $800, was $1,100

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 -- $800, was $1,300

Read more
Best Buy just knocked $440 off this Surface Pro 9 with keyboard
The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode on a table.

Microsoft's line of Surface Pro devices are highly functional and extremely portable, which is why there's always high demand for Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals. Here's an offer that you wouldn't want to miss -- a $440 discount from Best Buy for the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with Surface Pro Keyboard, which slashes its price from $1,540 to $1,100. The savings won't be available for a long time, so if you're interested in taking advantage of this bargain, you have to proceed with the purchase as soon as you can.

Why you should buy the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 with Surface Pro Keyboard
The performance Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is smooth and fast enough to handle all of your daily activities for work or school, as it's powered by the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and 16GB of RAM that's on the same level as top-tier laptops, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. The device also features a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen with support for Dolby Vision for impressive picture quality, and dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz for an extremely smooth on-screen experience. It runs on Windows 11 Home, which is pre-loaded in its 256GB SSD.

Read more