With an unnamed `inside' source at Microsoft revealing that the company laid out the launch details for its Windows-based `Surface' tablet at the recent TechReady15 conference and was considering a compelling $199 price-tag for the device, analysts are quite wary of the supposed `fire sale' of the Microsoft tablet.

Despite the fact that HP was successful with its $99 Touchpad `fire sale' which helped the almost-failed device turn into an instant sales win, analysts do not expect the software giant to resort to the `fire sale' approach for its upcoming Surface tablet to make it a runaway hit.

Noting that it would be astonishing to see a $199 price point for the Microsoft Surface tablet, Rhoda Alexander - director of tablet and monitor research for IHS - said that a `fire sale' strategy will result in a situation in which Microsoft will be "giving away money and losing money at the same time."

Expressing a similar opinion and voicing serious reservations about Microsoft tablet `fire sale,' Endpoint Technologies' chief analyst Roger Kay said that in case the software company decides "to go for the jugular and do the loss-leader to sell software," the move would "really screw" with its Windows-tablet partners which include Dell, Samsung, and Lenovo.

Pointing out that Microsoft's partners have put in a lot of effort and money on bringing their devices to market with the new Windows 8 OS, Kay said that if Microsoft tries to "mess with" its partners with a Surface `fire sale', it may end up losing its partners "entirely."