How Can Microsoft Fix Surface Pro 3 Sales

Problems analysis

• Hardware: nothing seriously wrong
• Software: lack of apps
• Marketing: high price

How to fix problems

Windows

• Make Windows 9 (Threshold) can run existing Windows Phone apps as ‘emulated’ mode (as same as running iPhone apps on iPad) to fix the ‘lack of apps’ problem on Windows 8.x Metro side. It also helps bridging Microsoft vision on Universal Apps and ‘One Windows’.
• Allow other browsers (Chrome, Firefox) to run natively in Metro mode, alongside with IE. This can help improving browsing experience on Windows Metro.

App Ecosystem

• Release Microsoft Office for Metro. It will improve Microsoft ‘productivity on any device’ vision.
• Give up the goal of Surface as ‘entertainment device’ and shift it to ‘working device’.
• Enhance the ‘reading apps’ people use (i.e. Pocket, Kindle, Adobe Reader) in both number and capacity.
• Improve the use of Surface Pen on various use cases. Spreading more apps using the pen on tablet i.e. Evernote and other drawing apps. Follow Samsung’s playbook on Galaxy Note product line.

Marketing

• Cut down the price. The cheapest one (Surface Pro 3 — Core i3) at $799 is still too high. Lower the price down $100 or bundle the Type Cover instead.
• Replacing Surface ARM with Surface Atom at the same price range. Remove customer’s confusing on Windows RT and slim down platforms to maintain.