A report today from IDC, shows that Microsoft has actually registered as a top supplier of tablets, with nearly 900,000 units (Surface Pro and Surface RT combined) shipped in the first quarter.
There's been a lot of speculation as to exactly how many tablets Microsoft has shipped, so this new number from IDC helps shed some light on how Microsoft's Surface campaign is performing. IDC also notes that the majority of the 900,000 tablets shipped were the Surface Pro. Understanding that the Surface Pro only went on sale in February 2013 seems to indicate what we already knew: Surface RT, hence, Windows RT, has not been a good bet for Microsoft.
Even at the 5thspot, Microsoft is still just a blip on the tablet radar. Ahead of Microsoft is Amazon.com (4), ASUS (3), Samsung (2), and Apple (1).
From an OS perspective, Android continues leading the tablet market, with iOS not as close behind Android as you might think. By the numbers, Android has made some significant gains over iOS, but that could also be due to Microsoft helping to erode the iOS market by taking share away.
Read the full report: Worldwide Tablet Market Surges Ahead on Strong First Quarter Sales, Says IDC
