It will definitely be interesting to see the numbers after one day (one week-end and why not, one week) of Surface pre-orders. Those who missed it, Microsoft flipped the switch on its webpage which is now accepting pre-orders for its Windows RT-powered Surface; secure one now and get it by October 26. However, with Microsoft’s track record of being initially silent about official Windows Phone 7 numbers we can’t get our hopes too high (though they’ll likely be happy to publish them if they will be good).

For what it’s worth, the Redmond-based company is purportedly counting on three to five million Surface units until the end of this year. These numbers are a solid indication of what Microsoft is expecting in terms of sales (while Apple sold 17 million iPads in the June quarter). The information comes from Asian suppliers who claim Microsoft has ordered the aforementioned numbers for this last quarter.

These numbers are similar to those Google ordered for the Nexus 7 and Amazon for its Kindle Fire. However, same sources report that numbers are two-to-three times smaller than what Apple allegedly ordered for its upcoming iPad mini (around ten million).

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Via: The Verge