It sounds like Microsoft's first-ever PC is performing better than anyone expected

Microsoft was expecting to ship roughly 15,000 Surface Studio PCs in the first quarter they were available, but the company may end up shipping as many as 30,000 units instead, the company's Taiwan-based suppliers tell DigiTimes.

The report also says Microsoft is anticipating shipping another 30,000 Surface Studio PCs in the first quarter of 2017, the first full quarter it'll be on store shelves. 

That 30,000 number may not sound like a lot, especially compared to the millions of Macs sold every quarter, but take this into consideration:

• The Surface Studio is way more expensive than lots of PCs, starting at $2,999 and going all the way up to $4,199 for the most tricked-out models.
• When Microsoft announced the Surface Studio in October, it was almost immediately back-ordered until 2017, with Microsoft warning against holiday season shortages. The computers didn't actually shipping to customers until early December.

Given those factors, even Microsoft was keeping its expectations low, per that report. The Surface Studio is a very cool product, but it's hard for even Microsoft to deny that it's mostly a niche product.

Still, as DigiTimes points out, the fact that Apple is overdue for a dramatic iMac refresh probably drove some interest in the Surface Studio, the same way that Microsoft says disillusionment with the new MacBook Pros drove Surface Pro and Surface Book demand.

“We don’t break out unit sales, but Surface continues to drive significant sales, as evidenced by high demand for our newest devices," says a Microsoft spokesperson.