Microsoft Surface Pro coming to UK in May

Microsoft has announced that its Surface Pro tablet will launch "before the end of May" in 19 countries including the UK.

The firm's tablet running the full blown version of Windows 8 is currently available in just three regions - the US, Canada, and China.

Microsoft Surface RT tablet, meanwhile, shipped on the same day the Windows 8 operating system was launched 26 October. Sales of this tablet with the cutdown OS have been disappointing, with Microsoft failing to release official figures.

However, Brian Hall, general manager of Microsoft Surface, remains positive, claiming Microsoft wanted to make sure the stock was in place to fulfil orders.

"To those of you who have pressed for information please understand that before making these announcements we make sure that we have the volume of devices in place and alignment with our retail partners to do each launch well," he said in the Surface blog.

Hall claimed that Microsoft's biggest challenge has been keeping the 128GB Surface Pro in stock.

"We've worked hard to increase availability, and most retail partners in the U.S. and Canada as well as the Microsoft Store now have the 128 GB product consistently in stock," he added.

"Looking forward to sharing Surface with more folks around the world."

Resellers who spoke to IT Pro at the beginning of March claimed that businesses were getting frustrated with Microsoft and that interest in the Surface Pro is likely to have all-but died once it is released.

Salman Chaudhry, a mobile computing analyst at market watcher Context, went one step further claiming the device would be an "an absolute rip-off" and users would be better off sticking to products made by OEMs.