The Barclays analyst chopped his forecast for December quarter Surface unit sales to 700, 000, from 2 million.

FORBES: Microsoft: Barclays Cuts Ests On Weak PCs, Slow Surface Ramp

Microsoft has set expectations on the Surface unit in a number of ways (such as pricing, which I discussed yesterday), but the expectation generated with consumers does not seem to be matching up with reality.

FORBES: Microsoft Has A Problem With The Public's Expectation Of The Surface

Coal mining accounts for 90% of sales at Joy's underground division and 33% at its surface-mining unit (copper and other ores account for the rest).

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Featuring sharp angles to take up less surface area, the compact main unit includes cardboard cushions to prevent any damage to furniture.

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But if Microsoft can build up the sales of the Surface Pro in 2013 and reach four to five million unit sales a year, they will have a healthy income stream from their Surface range.

FORBES: Microsoft Surface Outsells The Nexus 10 And Points To Redmond's Post-PC Future

How many Surface users are expecting a lot more from their unit and will simply return the tablets?

FORBES: Microsoft Has A Problem With The Public's Expectation Of The Surface

It involves the docking a small robotic spacecraft onto the surface of an asteroid and then using the same propulsion unit that got it there to push the asteroid off its course.

CNN: Space's threat to civilization

Surface represents a major shift in strategy for the Microsoft Windows business unit.

FORBES: Microsoft Announces Surface, Its New Windows 8 Tablet

Using the Sokka unit basically involves kicking a ball against a flat playing surface containing a number of electronic sensors that monitor accuracy and technique.

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They generally require the drillers to file a plan for royalty-sharing when the drilling permit is issued for a specific unit, based upon known geometry of hydrocarbon reservoirs and surface area.

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The unit also found what it said were a number of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles about 50 yards away, and about 150 gas masks of a higher quality than others left behind by retreating Iraqi troops.

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While the build quality of our review unit is generally top-notch, the bottom-left corner of that glass surface is not perfectly flush with the body.

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