Surface Pro flies off the shelves following US launch

UK resellers claim customers are already buying HP's rival tablet in absence of Surface's channel presence

Microsoft's Surface Pro has reportedly flown off the shelves over the weekend following its US and Canada launch.

At the end of the last week, Canalys branded the launch of the vendor's consumer RT tablet offering, a "non-event", but the business device appears to be proving more popular despite its hefty price.

Reports from the US claim the Microsoft online store ran out of the tablet, which sells for between $899 (£573) and $999, and retail distributors Best Buy and Staples also reported stock to be thin on the ground.

Microsoft has not divulged any sales figures for its RT or Pro version so far, nor has it unveiled how many of the new Surface Pro devices were put on sale over the weekend.

However, former Microsoft engineer Hal Bereson said on his blog that he had been told retailers were equipped with an "adequate" supply, which he said suggests that uptake had beaten expectations.

Microsoft has remained tight-lipped on whether the business-focused tablet, which runs on x86 Windows Intel architecture, will be made available through the channel.

NCI Technologies managing director Andy Trish said the Surface Pro device is a "worthy competitor" of other business tablets in the market, but said he thought if it were set to be sold through the channel, resellers would have known by now.

Software manager at Bechtle, Richard Gibbons, said the Surface Pro's success in the UK rests on its availability through the channel.

He said: "They look great and everyone knows what to do with them - a great combination.

"However, its success in the UK - as a true business machine - will rest on its availability through the channel. If businesses are going to buy hundreds of machines it will need to be via their regular resellers. We're already seeing customers that were previously waiting for the Surface Pro start purchasing the HP ElitePad 900."