dgstorm
Editor in Chief
According to some unsubstantiated rumors at CNET, when the new Microsoft Surface tablet finally goes on sale later this year, you might have a hard time finding it. According to their report, the tablet will not go on sale in regular retail chains like Best Buy or Target, but instead will be available on in Microsoft Stores in the United States only. This doesn't seem like a huge sell-through plan, especially considering there are only about 20 Microsoft Stores in the country.
It's hard to see this rumor as being that accurate, since it wouldn't make much sense for Microsoft to basically make it impossible for a large swath of consumers to never even be able to see it, let alone purchase it. Perhaps they will also offer it online as well, or perhaps this rumor will simply turn out to be false. There is one other possibility as well. Maybe these rumors are accurate, and this is Microsoft's plan to avoid angering all of their Windows Tablet partners, while drumming up business for their brick and mortar stores. We will keep an eye on this to see if any other details emerge.
Source: CNET