When Redmond released the Surface running on the version of Windows 8 n the US and Canada on February 9 it soon went out of stock. Most of us thought this was Redmond’s cunning plan to make it look like the device's popularity, others believe that the inventory was low due as manufacturers did not expect to sell too many units. But there are signs that there really was a heavy demand for the product which was not filled.
According to a report in technology website CNET, the 128GB Microsoft Surface Pro was hoarded by early buyers and being flogged on eBay in a bid to make a quick buck. One seller is offering it for $1,300, even though it is officially priced at $999. The report says that there are other retailers who are selling it at a hefty price of $1,399 and $1,499. On February 15, Microsoft announced that it will be taking pre-orders for Surface Pro. However, the units will not be shipped for at least another two to three weeks, and even this inventory will be limited.
The thriving black market seems to indicate that Redmond is actually killing off demand for something that could be popular.