Microsoft [1] Corp. seems to be serious about its foray into the tablet market – the software giant is planning large volume production of its first tablet computer, Surface [2], in the fourth quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to component suppliers in Asia, Microsoft has placed orders to produce 3 million to 5 million of these tablets in the fourth quarter. That is similar to the orders that were placed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets and Google [3]’s Nexus 7 tablets, these suppliers say. Some component suppliers to [4]Apple [5] in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million units of a smaller tablet for the Cupertino, Calif. company in the fourth quarter. Mass production of the Surface tablets began earlier this month, according to two people familiar with the situation…