Summary: Surface has design issues, which many complain about; the team behind it is breaking apart

Microsoft has lost billions trying to become a hardware maker in vain, mice and keyboards aside (those are not needed for non-desktop machines, so these too may pass). Notable failures include Xbox, which is reportedly still operating at a massive loss, not to mention phones and media players. Hardware is a big loss leader for the company [1, 2, 3], unless the online business outpaces it in terms of losses.

KIN had many flaws, but those didn't get so much coverage because hardly anyone had such a device. Despite denials, Surface seems to have serious hardware issues, not just Windows issues. May we see class action lawsuits at some stage? Hardware problems often lead to that.

Microsoft's booster Gavin Clarke does some PR for Microsoft's last attempt to seem legitimate as a player in hardware. He cites this vague nonsense from Ballmer.

Sales of Microsoft’s Windows RT-based Surface tablet are off to a “modest” start according to chief executive Steve Ballmer.

This Vista 8 machine failed so miserably to work when Sinofsky demonstrated it. For those who want proof that the Surface is dying in the market (Microsoft refuses to give sales figures), watch the news about Sinofsky quickly quitting the company. Sinofsky was already filling a gap left by many fleeing Microsoft executives (specially Windows at the time). The man who replaced fleeping executives is now fleeing too. Surface is a "modest" failure. Microsoft spent a lot of money advertising it in the UK, only to deepen the losses. Will Surface be more short-lived than the KIN (less than 2 months)? ⬆