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Microsoft Likely To Launch All-in-One Surface At its October 26 Event (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the new-hardware dept.

Microsoft today sent out invitations to an event on October 26 in which it will discuss "what's next for Windows 10." The invitations follow months of rumors that a Microsoft Surface all-in-one PC, so naturally it's expected to be launched at the event. VentureBeat adds: It's also likely that Microsoft will talk about updates coming to Windows 10, given the billing of the event. Judging by the pomp of last year's Microsoft hardware event, the October 26 affair will be a big deal, too.Microsoft's Surface tablet, or Surface Book 2-in-1 aren't expected to see a refresh. Anyone who would like to see Microsoft take another go at smartphones at the event?

49 comments

  1. can't wait not to buy it by fred6666 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I never understood the point of all-in-ones. If I am going to pay $1500 (a surface is not going to be cheap) for a good monitor and PC, I will want the monitor to be usable with my next PC in 5-7 years.

    1. Re:can't wait not to buy it by DickBreath · · Score: 2

      A monitor has economic value long after the computer it's connected to becomes hopelessly obsolete. (to sidetrack: in the case of Apple, that obsolescence is artificially short.)

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    2. Re:can't wait not to buy it by pushing-robot · · Score: 2

      For the same reason people like laptops: looks better, no cable mess, less space required, easy to relocate. Nothing wrong with that.

      But the problem with most all-in-ones is that manufacturers aren't really serious about them and manufacture them in limited quantities. Once they're taken off the market the parts channels dry up fast, so when something like a power supply fails the machine is toast.

      Because of this, the iMac is about the only AIO I'd recommend; it's not hard to find replacement parts for ones even a decade old. Let the fashion-conscious buy this Surface AIO for now; in a few years, if Microsoft stays committed and sales are strong, I might give it a closer look.

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    3. Re:can't wait not to buy it by Drizzt+Do'Urden · · Score: 1

      I've got an iMac bought new in 2007. It is running El Capitan (can't upgrade to Sierra) which will be supported for an other 2 years. That iMac will be 11 years old when it will get obsoleted. Where's that artificially short obsolescence?

      --
      Menzoberranzan Networks
    4. Re:can't wait not to buy it by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      an All-In-One has the worst of both desktops and laptops. To heavy/bulky to move, and not upgradable/repairable like a laptop.

      The iMac is popular mainly because there is a market for an Apple desktop more powerful than the Mini and less expensive than the Pro. Most people who buy an iMac would have been better off with a mid-tower Mac desktop with a separate monitor.

    5. Re:can't wait not to buy it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoosh

    6. Re:can't wait not to buy it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It will be just like a lottery machine at home. Whenever you boot it, you never know if for example if it will start at all, or has it been obsoleted by a forced OS update or what does it look like and how it should be used that time.

    7. Re:can't wait not to buy it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      here's the "point" to an all-in-one:

      fits in the same size box as the monitor alone which means higher margins per shipping container

      hard to upgrade, just replace instead

      often underpowered in order to fit a thermal design.. just upgrade.. err i mean replace, when you realize you boght a piece of shit.

      hard to repair.. just replace instead

      less reliable than standard tower/monitor.. just replace when breaks.. cuz working on them is a pain in the ass.

      when one 'half' breaks, get to replace both parts.

      so the "point" is that it's better for the manufacturer and the retailers..... not necessarily for YOU.

      tip: if you truly want an "all in one" look or form factor.... get a vesa-mountable ultra small form factor and bolt it to the back of a regular monitor.

    8. Re:can't wait not to buy it by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      I've got two iMac G4s? Two for one trade??

    9. Re:can't wait not to buy it by Drizzt+Do'Urden · · Score: 1

      I'll be looking for something running Sierra in a few months, until then I'm keeping it! :P

      --
      Menzoberranzan Networks
    10. Re:can't wait not to buy it by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      an All-In-One has the worst of both desktops and laptops. To heavy/bulky to move, and not upgradable/repairable like a laptop.

      The iMac is popular mainly because there is a market for an Apple desktop more powerful than the Mini and less expensive than the Pro. Most people who buy an iMac would have been better off with a mid-tower Mac desktop with a separate monitor.

      You're simply dead wrong about that.

      You drop the iMac on a desk. Drop the keyboard and mouse (or multitouch pad) onto the desk. Power cable to iMac. Done. 1 cable (power). No other configuration other that a Mac Laptop is as elegant and clutter-free, including a Mac mini, Mac Pro or even your mythical mid-tower Mac. Those all call for a minimum of three cables (2 power and 1 video), not to mention about 4 more cables and at least two more boxes on your desk if you want any sort of external speakers, where the iMac has stereo speakers built-in that are perfectly adequate for typical office use.

    11. Re:can't wait not to buy it by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      It will be just like a lottery machine at home. Whenever you boot it, you never know if for example if it will start at all, or has it been obsoleted by a forced OS update or what does it look like and how it should be used that time.

      What forced OS update?

    12. Re:can't wait not to buy it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm using a 6 year old iMac. Video card died two years ago and I added SSD this year and now it does everything I need with awesome screen.

    13. Re:can't wait not to buy it by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      Many monitors have built-in speakers if you are into that. Otherwise, many people still add external speakers on the iMac.
      If people cared about having 2 fewer cables represented a significant part of the market, there would be tons of all-in-one PCs and they would be popular. They aren't, because people prefer either laptops or real desktops. If you actually had that choice with Macs too (you don't, as I explained), they would sell a lot less iMacs.

  2. Another go at smartphones? by yoda-dono · · Score: 1

    I don't think I'd ever want to see Microsoft push into cell phones again, it is bad enough they're everywhere they're at now...

    1. Re:Another go at smartphones? by DickBreath · · Score: 0, Troll

      I for one very much want to see Microsoft take another go at phones.

      And lose even more money than they did last time.

      Last time they poured billions and billions of dollars down this black hole. Ballmer brilliantly laughed at iPhone and Android and waited until it was way, waaay too late. Then they introduced Win Phony 7. Then obsoleted it with Win Phony 8. And just for fun made it incompatible with the Win Phone 7 apps, because they love developers.

      The Surface itself was Ballmer's master stroke of genius. In one single step, he alienated all OEMs, App Developers and Customers. OEMs because he back stabbed them by competing with them on hardware. App developers because of app store conditions, and the fact that without a customer base you can't actually expect to sell any apps. And without apps you won't get a customer base. (Welcome to not being the dominant player, the position you put everyone else into back in the 80's and 90's) And back stabbed customers because, well, it sucked. No apps. Very fast obsolescence. How good the initial hardware is is IRRELEVANT.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    2. Re:Another go at smartphones? by yoda-dono · · Score: 1

      I may well stand corrected here.

    3. Re:Another go at smartphones? by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Consider. Last time, Microsoft friggin' bought Nokia, and the black hole of Windows Phone completely destroyed Nokia in its wake. Nokia made only Windows phones, because, Microsoft. Thousands of people lost their jobs. But if it's not in America, then who notices. But many companies have been destroyed in the wake of Microsoft over the decades. And not because they couldn't build something better, but rather, because they could.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    4. Re:Another go at smartphones? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Actually, Microsoft hardly competes w/ OEMs - have you seen those things? They are way pricier than equivalent offerings from even HP and Dell, never mind Acer or Asus. The only things they compare w/ are the ones from Apple, where it's a different ball game altogether. And you can still install traditional Windows applications not on the store on Windows 10, since it's still a Wintel platform.

      Regarding the phone, I think it's a shame that it didn't take off. I have a Lumia 550, that's just fantastic - I easily prefer it to my Moto-X. Only issue - Windows Phone misses a few critical apps, like a VOIP app and something like Duo or FaceTime. If they just had those 2, they'd be off to the races.

  3. Still happy with my $200 Windows 8 tablet by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

    Lenovo briefly made something called the "Miix 2" that was Windows 8 + Office + 8-inch touchscreen with a few hours of battery life on an Intel processor platform. I bought one on clearance for $200 and it's still a great platform to play Civ 5, look at Office docs and browse the web.

    1. Re:Still happy with my $200 Windows 8 tablet by unixisc · · Score: 1

      I had a WinBook for less than that, and it simply didn't last. I'd go w/ a Surface, but I'd need them to be more configurable, as I point out in another post below.

    2. Re:Still happy with my $200 Windows 8 tablet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a Surface 2 RT that I got for $199. It has a mini-version of MS Office that does everything I need and it has that attachable keyboard. MS abandoned RT and basically zero apps exists for RT devices but I don't care. For web browsing and typing docs the thing is perfect and it gets 2x the battery life of your Miix.

  4. msmash/manishs _Again!_ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Anyone who would like to see Microsoft take another go at smartphones at the event?...", and... and... finish the damn sentence!

    Here, I'll have a go:
    "Is anyone, who would like to see Microsoft take another go at smartphones at the event, planning on attending?"

    Oh, here is another winner:
    "The invitations follow months of rumors that a Microsoft Surface all-in-one PC, so naturally it's expected to be launched at the event."

    How about:
    "The invitations follow months of rumors of a Microsoft Surface all-in-one PC, so naturally it's expected to be launched at the event."

  5. My Surface wishlist by unixisc · · Score: 2

    I'd be in the market for a Surface, if I could customize what I wanted. Microsoft has a few fixed configurations which one can either take or leave. But what they have is either overkill in some cases, or inadequate in others.

    I'd like a Surface w/ more than 4GB of RAM - ideally 16, but I would just need 64GB of flash drive. Nothing like that from the Surface lineup. And since these are all soldered, there's not even the option. But the result is either Surfaces that are just too pricey, or ones that don't cut it.

    1. Re:My Surface wishlist by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      but I would just need 64GB of flash drive

      Errr you have used Windows 10 right? Do you realise the OS itself will take half of your disk space without installing a single program let alone the many that make the Surface Pro quite usable?

      There's a very good reason they got rid of the 64GB version. Many customer complaints from people who didn't want to buy a 32GB device. Your desire for 16GB of RAM clearly shows you intend to run something more than minesweeper. I find my 128GB model to be on the edge of usefulness, and even then I load a lot of stuff on the external 128GB SD card. The 8GB 256GB model hits a sweet spot for being incredibly useful in my opinion.

    2. Re:My Surface wishlist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Try a refurb of an older generation Surface Pro.

      Newegg has a Surface Pro 2 with 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and an i5 processor (4th gen).

      It's $400, and comes with Win8.1 Pro 64-bit (which is way more tablet-friendly than any of Win10's non-Mobile editions).

    3. Re:My Surface wishlist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      False. Win 10 can install on a laptop using 18gig of space.

    4. Re:My Surface wishlist by unixisc · · Score: 1

      False. My WinBook, which had 32GB of flash disk space, had 20GB of it eaten up by Windows 10. If it had 64GB, it would have been just fine. As it is, b/w OneDrive and an SD card of appropriate density, I can store all data - files, music, videos, et al, while on the main flash disk, I'd have whatever applications I download or install remotely. So I don't need even 128GB of hard disk (which would be fine had the tablet been cheaper). As for the 16GB, I'd like to run Steam and my Steam games w/ it.

    5. Re:My Surface wishlist by Kjella · · Score: 1

      If those are requirements it seems one of those barebones NUCs attached to a VESA mount on the back of your monitor would fit the bill. I got one of those for my mom, added an 8GB stick so it has 2+8 instead of 8+8 and 64GB SSD. Both CPU and GPU are pretty anemic but it's very responsive under light load.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    6. Re:My Surface wishlist by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      False.

      What you claim is irrelevant. My figures come directly from Microsoft's website of how much free space is available for on 64GB models of the Surface Pro 3 out of the box. The SP4 has almost identical figures on all models with common harddrives.

      As for the 16GB, I'd like to run Steam and my Steam games w/ it.

      So you either want to run Steam which can happily run on 4GB of RAM, or you want to run some top tier games of which you'd be lucky to fit one on your HDD if you installed no other software on your device, and good luck running that from Onedrive.

      Sorry but I can't agree with your choice that a top tier laptop in one spec should be married with a bottom tier of another.

  6. So WinPho was the by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dive?

  7. I'm guessing the Surface Phone will be present too by filesiteguy · · Score: 2

    Having grown very tired of Android and still not liking Iphones (I tried, trust me), I'm sticking with Windows Mobile. While i enjoy my shiny new Elite X3, I'm curious what a Surface Phone will bring to the table.

    --
    The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
  8. Yes, more phones! by DogDude · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yes, more Windows Phones, please! They've got, hands down, the best phone OS out there. Not a lot of Windows 10 Phones out there, but there should be more.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Yes, more phones! by uvajed_ekil · · Score: 1

      Yes, more Windows Phones, please! They've got, hands down, the best phone OS out there. Not a lot of Windows 10 Phones out there, but there should be more.

      Hands down? I don't think you understand that phrase.

      --
      This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
    2. Re:Yes, more phones! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My favourite part is how it doesn't have basic functionality like change the stock keyboard, who needs complicated options and apps?

    3. Re:Yes, more phones! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agree 100% -- love the OS but need more phones.

  9. Yay, more hardware i'll never buy by HBI · · Score: 1

    Why would I want a locked down product like this? What possible advantage is this system going to give me over commodity hardware, besides eliminating choice?

    Looks from here like (barely) cut-rate Apple...and if i'm going to do that, might as well go to the source rather than the imitator.

    Desktop Linux seems to be closer and closer to the mainstream the further down this road we go.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
    1. Re:Yay, more hardware i'll never buy by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Desktop Linux seems to be closer and closer to a daydream the further down this road we go.

      FTFY

  10. Re:I'm guessing the Surface Phone will be present by The-Ixian · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Yeah, I am with you.

    The constant security flaws in Android with no patches in sight are a major determining factor for not sticking with that platform.

    On the other end of the spectrum, I have a work issued iDevice and it is ok... but is so vanilla... it is the same as every other iDevice... no room for customization because Apple locks everything down.

    My Lumia 920 with Windows 10 is my daily driver. Does everything I need it to, runs like a champ and looks distinguished.

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  11. Re:I'm guessing the Surface Phone will be present by filesiteguy · · Score: 1

    lol

    --
    The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
  12. This could be pretty sweet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If it's like a cintiq

  13. MS Phones, ew by uvajed_ekil · · Score: 2

    Anyone who would like to see Microsoft take another go at smartphones at the event?

    No, no one wants that.

    --
    This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
  14. More WinPhone if and ONLY if by TodPunk · · Score: 1

    I want to have Windows Phones of relative power available on every major carrier. None of this only-on-AT&T crap. These aren't iPhones. People aren't going to go out in droves for a new thing that doesn't have any apps, any transitions, any anything. You need to get it out, get it to people on their terms, take a loss on the hardware if you have to, and get development going on it.

    That's the crux of it for me. On my Linux boxes it's less integrated, sure, but with my Windows boxes it would be better integrated like an iPhone and a Mac. They've got some cool useful features both for business and personal use. They've got really good dev tools (and no, developing on Android or iOS is not very entertaining, so even my criticism of WinPhone10 tooling still puts it at much much more accessible than its competition).

    They've got an uphill battle, but they could at least start it right this time! The abysmal launch of WinPhone 10 devices even had T-Mobile's CEO swearing at them for an afternoon.

    --
    This forum Sig is licensed under the LGPL.
  15. Re:I'm guessing the Surface Phone will be present by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    Uah someone gave modpoints to a person who lacked a sense of humour.

  16. Re:I'm guessing the Surface Phone will be present by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, I love my Lumia 640 and would love a reason to upgrade to something 12 months newer.

  17. invitations by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, can the Feds come to the Party this time? :)
    My real machine has to be able to dual or triple Boot.
    Play on Windows, Work on Linux, Mobile with Android.
    I'm still afraid that a Windows phone will get a Blue Screen in times of Emergency.