Microsoft Now Has the Best Device Lineup in the Industry (char.gd)

An anonymous reader shares commentary on the new devices Microsoft unveiled Tuesday: At a low-key event held in a New York City warehouse, Microsoft unveiled its next iterations in the Surface lineup. Sitting in the audience, I saw the most coherent device strategy in the industry, from a company that's slowly built a hardware business from the ground up. The company took just an hour to unveil sweeping updates to its existing hardware, and what's clear after the dust has settled is that Microsoft's hardware division is a force to be reckoned with. Apple's dominance on the high-end laptop space looks shakier than ever, because Microsoft's story is incredibly compelling. Rather than building out a confusing, incompatible array of devices, Microsoft has taken the time to build a consistent, clear portfolio that has something to fit everyone across the board.

[...] What's interesting about this is the Surface hardware is now incredibly consistent across the board, making it dead simple for consumers to choose a device they like. Each device offers high quality industrial design, with consistent input methods regardless of form factor, and a tight software story to boot. That matters. Every single one of these machines has a touchscreen, supports a high-quality stylus, and current generation chipsets. The only question is which device fits your lifestyle, and whether or not you want the faster model. The peripherals work across every machine, and Microsoft has clearly gone to lengths with Timeline and Your Phone to make the software as seamless as you'd expect in 2018. Microsoft, it seems, has removed all of the barriers to remaining in your 'flow.' Surface is designed to adapt to the mode you want to be in, and just let you do it well. Getting shit done doesn't require switching device or changing mode, you can just pull off the keyboard, or grab your pen and the very same machine adapts to you. It took years to get here, but Microsoft has nailed it. By comparison, the competition is flailing around arguing about whether or not touchscreens have a place on laptops. The answer? Just let people choose.

Comments

Must be an ad

[Anonymous Coward]

Does not seem legit.

Re:Must be an ad

[ichthus]

Spoon-fed title and everything. *YAK*

Re: Must be an ad

[jabuzz]

With caveats yes. For example the GPU in the performance base of my Surface Book does not work. However I only have that as I wanted the 1TB disk, so that it does not work is meh for me. On the plus side the cameras dont work, which saves me putting tape over them. In the end I purchased it for the screen, and it is gorgeous. Everything else works, though to be fair I dont use the pen either or the touch screen either but they do work. I do however use the ability to undock the keyboard, turn it round and have the laptop as a sort of tablet thing, which i can the drop in this nice oak dock thing on my desk to make it easier to use a real keyboard, becuase fuck Apple and their chicklet crap.

Did Microsoft Invest in /.?

[mykepredko]

It's turning into a real MS fanboi site.

Regardless of how well put together the line up is, I refuse to surrender to Windows 10 - I don't like how Microsoft is moving everything to a monthly pay model and I'm very uncomfortable with them having access to my systems.

Which is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Obvious paid ad aside, the writeup is self-contradictory.

"Every single one of these machines has a touchscreen..."

"By comparison, the competition is flailing around arguing about whether or not touchscreens have a place on laptops. The answer? Just let people choose."

So with the Slashdot/Microsoft laptops, do I get to choose whether I want a touchscreen? Sure sounds like I don't.

Re:Hilarious

[citylivin]

Man sometimes people on here are like not in the real world. School districts use them pretty extensively. One in town has hundreds if not thousands for all their staff. We have about 20 of the devices in our company. From surface pro3 all the way to surface laptops. I see people at coffee shops with them all the time. Maybe its just your city that people don't have them in. They are a more expensive device that you would see more downtown and less in the suburbs.

My opinion having worked with them daily for over 3 years now is that they are amazing devices, but have extremely poor reliability long term.

First as for use, the ability to touch the screen all the time is something that i find myself missing when i have to switch to an old school laptop. I have used acer and asus laptops and dont find the touch done as well on those. I carry it around when i am away from my desk and its great to be able to quickly flip it open and turn something off or on, or edit switch configs in the field with a very small device that is quite snappy and full featured. They put some good hardware in there, in terms of performance.

As for reliability, all but one of our surface pro 3's has failed in some way. Most multiple times, and in the first year i think all had to be RMA'ed under warranty. Mostly this is because they over heat, sometimes the screen becomes unresponsive, and definitely at least 4 drop incidents have occurred where the screen cracked (A $600 fix). I have had some DOA as well. I have one that has a persistant USB port failure, and another that overheats and locks up when its sleeping (but performs fine if you shut it down as opposed to letting it go to sleep.

The surface laptops are somewhat newer, and not as many problems with them, but we did have one DOA unit out of the 7 or so we purchased. Microsoft store swapped it no questions asked though. I had a docking station that didnt output two display port outputs like it was supposed to as well, also swapped at MS store with zero hassles. When we purchased the surface pro 4, all had to be sent back for a manufacturing defect (recall) within the first month. But we got those right when they came out, like first units off the truck.

So in conclusion, i would recommend that if you have money and don't mind the fact that they are fragile and wont last more than 3 years, that one should purchase it. Like if you dont bat an eye about spending $1500 on a laptop every 3 years i would say definitely buy. The features they have and the lightweightedness and portability and convenience make up for the durability problems. Especially if its a corporate device where its not actually your money. Dropping it and having to spend $600 would be pretty brutal for a home user, with very few self repair options (they are more like a phone, or mac in this respect).

But they don't deserve all the hate i am seeing in this thread. If they were $400 bucks i would probably buy a few for home use. They are a great little package and everyone that uses one comments on how nice it is. Reliability is definitely an issue though, but less important for a business where you are swapping out old equipment for new usually after 3 years anyway.