During an internal town hall event earlier this week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and COO Kevin Turner spoke to employees about the recent $900 million writedown the company took for the Surface RT, reports The Verge.

"We built a few more devices than we could sell," said Ballmer, in reference to slow Surface RT sales. Ballmer also went on to say that the company isn’t happy with its Windows sales, either. "We're not selling as many Windows devices as we want to."

surfacert
Microsoft has been heavily marketing the Surface RT as an iPad competitor in a series of negative advertisements that highlight the Surface RT’s multitasking capabilities, its accessories, and its low price.

Earlier this month, Microsoft was forced to drop the price of its Surface RT tablets by $150, making the base price for the 32 GB tablet just $349, or $449 with a Touch Cover included. Despite the slow sales of the Surface RT, Microsoft is pushing ahead with plans for a second generation tablet.

Top Rated Comments

MetalRCG Avatar
164 months ago
Steve Ballmer needs to just step down.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
164 months ago
"We thank everyone for their patience, we're making iPads as fast as we can." - Steve Jobs
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
164 months ago
So basically, Microsoft is saying they built more than one Surface?
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
johncarync Avatar
164 months ago
Step down? No...stay on.

I think the best thing for Apple (and Google) is if Ballmer stays as CEO of Microsoft.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ValSalva Avatar
164 months ago
"We built a few more devices than we could sell," said Ballmer

At least he has a good grasp on the situation :D
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
164 months ago
People can see thru the negative advertisement and can see what iOS devices can do better than Androids. Stop all this BS advertisement and spend your resources in making a better product!!

Surface doesn't run Android.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...