Sunday, April 30th 2023
Microsoft to Shrink Surface Accessories Lineup Due to Poor Profits
According to the Nikkei, Microsoft is cutting production for a wide range of its Surface accessories, i.e. keyboards, mice, docking solutions, headsets etc. This is despite the fact that the company has invested heavily into its Surface brand of computers and accessories over the past decade. This is said to be in response to the poor performance of the business unit in Microsoft's last financial report. The Nikkei mentioned that Microsoft is suspending all standalone keyboards in the Surface series and it seems like Microsoft is also looking at calling it quits when it comes to its own branded accessories, or there won't at least be any new models from the company in the foreseeable future.
Microsoft used to be a significant competitor in the keyboard, mouse and webcam market, but with increasing competition from more brands, it seems like the company has been having a hard time making a niche for itself in what can only be said to be a crowded market. Consumer expectations have also changed and most people don't want membrane keyboards any more and are instead buying more expensive mechanical keyboards. Microsoft has also been late to market with many of its Surface computers and have delivered overpriced and underwhelming products, which in turn has led to fewer sales of both the computers and the matching accessories. We'll have to wait and see if Microsoft makes an official announcement as to what will happen to its Surface brand of products, but right now it doesn't look like there's a very bright future for the Surface line of products as a whole.
Source:
The Nikkei
Microsoft used to be a significant competitor in the keyboard, mouse and webcam market, but with increasing competition from more brands, it seems like the company has been having a hard time making a niche for itself in what can only be said to be a crowded market. Consumer expectations have also changed and most people don't want membrane keyboards any more and are instead buying more expensive mechanical keyboards. Microsoft has also been late to market with many of its Surface computers and have delivered overpriced and underwhelming products, which in turn has led to fewer sales of both the computers and the matching accessories. We'll have to wait and see if Microsoft makes an official announcement as to what will happen to its Surface brand of products, but right now it doesn't look like there's a very bright future for the Surface line of products as a whole.
30 Comments on Microsoft to Shrink Surface Accessories Lineup Due to Poor Profits
They should allow ms users to access the google playstore until their own becomes relevant, or their surface tablets will soon follow their keyboard and mouse fates
They also added the following:So yeah, I'll take an official statement over what "four suppliers" supposedly told Nikkei.
Quality was good, but the value was just so poor.
Is that so hard to understand? Microsoft will most likely stop making Surface branded hardware that isn't releveant to their Surface products, such as a desktop keyboard that can be used with any computer, as the Nikkei piece points out. Also, never trust a company statement in a case like this, as they're never going to admit to canning something and look bad, they'll just siltently stop offering certain products down the road and then the excuse will be something along the lines of the product not fiting in their lineup or that it's being discontinued for some kind of reason.
There's nothing strange with discontinuing products that don't sell well, all companies do that, it's just being honest about it or not.
The Nikkei:So what do you mean "neither article said that Microsoft will stop making Surface branded accessories?" :laugh:
The Verge's article disputes Nikkei's claims with a direct statement, which The Nikkei then updated their article to mention it at the end, contradicting themselves.And what happened to this? There is an official statement. Are you going to update your article?
If you read through a few more times, you might understand my comment in the end, as well as the context of the two other stories.
It's about the survival of the Surface brand as a whole and this is what my last statement was about, not these fairly unimportant accessories.
Considering the sales of the actual Surface branded computers have been a failure as well, this is the statement that matter and that's the one I'm waiting for.
I have no reason to update the news post with the statement given to the Verge, as it doesn't have anything to do with the future of the Surface brand.
Your article, Nikkei's article, The Verge's article are all focused on Surface Accessories (keyboards, mice, other peripherals). Microsoft's statement was also about Surface accessories.
Here's the summary:
1) Nikkei incorrectly stated that Surface-branded accessories are coming to an end. They have their sources, so that's ok.
2) You reported Nikkei's article stating "According to the Nikkei, Microsoft is cutting production for a wide range of its Surface accessories, i.e. keyboards, mice, docking solutions, headsets etc."
3) The Verge got a statement from Microsoft saying that is not true, and only Microsoft-branded accessories will be discontinued, while the focus remains on Surface-branded accessories.
4) You are now refusing the update the article with the official statement that Microsoft provided despite saying that you will do so in your article.
But thank you for presuming my first language. Is English yours?
Your article is still focused on Surface accessories. It's in your headline, which was proven wrong with an official statement. Microsoft isn't touching Surface accessories. They will continue to exist.
Why you won't update the article to include that statement despite saying that you will is beyond me.
That your reading comprehension doesn't understand this part, isn't my fault.
If you have further issues with this news post, please take it up with the management.
All I see is a flawed article based on incorrect and outdated information. Just pointing that out. Really all you have to do is change the headline to "Microsoft-branded accessories", include the official statement, and your article will finally be based on facts.
But, that's your decision to make.
Also I would take the Surface Pro over a true laptop, the versatility to switch between tablet mode and laptop mode is incredible. Tablet mode for media consumption, laptop mode for work.
Such a shame as I like their screen ratio the laptops overall.