Microsoft Debuts New Dual-Screen Devices, Updated Surface Laptops and More

[torontotim]

They crushed it plain and simple.

While Apple launches 2019 MacBooks which are immediately added to a keyboard repair program, year after year after year, Microsoft comes along and sets the form factor of the future.

While Apple launches the 3rd iteration of the iPhone X chassis, Microsoft steals the iPhone 12's thunder 11 months early with the Duo. The iPhone 12 better be something incredible.

If all they do is reduce/eliminate the notch, they will simply have caught up with Android 2018 devices 2 years later and will have to continue to play catch-up as the world moves to folding, dual screen pocket devices.

The lackluster port selection and performance of the Laptop 3 suggest a strong 'Pro' Surface Book 3 is coming. They needed to avoid overlap across those product lines.

I'm holding out for an awesome 16" MacBook Pro in a few weeks, but it's going to cost 2 arms and 2 legs and is likely going to be the same form factor with thinner bezels and a better keyboard.

In the meantime, my $1250 2018 Matebook X Pro 13.9" 3000x2000 i7/mx150/16GB/512GB 2x USB C/Thunderbolt USB A good keyboard and large trackpad touchscreen laptop still beats out everything Microsoft just launched and everything Apple currently sells, at anywhere near the same price point.

 

[Rogifan]

Something is very wrong in the Tech when Microsoft are the ones innovating and making exciting products and Apple are boring me to tears. I love the idea of a fold out tablet with two screens. Having a hinge and not trying for a folding screen is sensible. I don’t think that tech is ready yet.

You love the IDEA. Let’s see if you love it when there’s an actual product on the market.

 

[Baymowe335]

Same goes for iPhone 11 (1792 x 828) vs any fullHD (1920 x 1080). I don't hate on Apple. I just want to be fair.

Screen size matters too.

The iPhone 11 screen looks great, honestly. I can't see pixels without really trying and even then it's hard. The OLED is better for blacks, contrast, and maybe brightness, but it's an excellent LCD.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

I’m confused. With the Surface Laptop 3 15” and it’s custom AMD Ryzen graphics chip, where does that leave the Surface Book? Is Microsoft abandoning it?

 

[moderniste]

This is all really exciting. I'm glad to see microsoft innovating and giving Apple some competition. I'm not planning on jumping ship any time soon, but it's nice to see what's out there.

 

[anthorumor]

You got to give it to MS for innovating with design. Can't say much for this other Fruit company.
But macOS is just so refined compared to Windows.

 

[DevNull0]

There will be a lot of haters here naturally, but for years now Microsoft/Google/Huawei events have been far more exciting than Apple events.

That's true. Apple has been selling the same rehashed products for years, while there's amazing innovation outside the kool-aid zone that most people here are deliberately blind to.

The only reasons I'm still here are Microsoft/Google/Huawei/Samsung/Amazon scare me way too much on what they do with my data, and Apple has some nice integrations in the ecosystem, I love being able to send SMS texts from my Macbook.

 

[stylinexpat]

Just USB-C, no Thunderbolt 3?

 

[wellander1]

Boo.
Do not want this.
Terrible os too.

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

What a funny feeling to be excited about hardware!

 

[dw2]

Honestly, these look very impressive. I'm excited for the Neo. I've been wanting a tablet that I can use apps side-by-side. Was thinking of getting an iPad Pro because iPadOS looks slick, but the keyboard and lack of mouse support are limiting for me.

 

[shyam09]

umm, its running android. so maybe get the facts right

How dare you expect people to read the article rather than blindly assert their flawed opinions. 😂

 

[Heineken]

There will be a lot of haters here naturally, but for years now Microsoft/Google/Huawei events have been far more exciting than Apple events.

Whats so exciting here? I only see gimmicks that are even harder to repair then apples running worse software coating about the same or more.

 

[0924487]

Good industrial design team over there, but specs and software are de facto trash for the price tag.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

User-replaceable SSDs. Does this imply less overall IO performance? Apple solders flash storage to the Mac motherboards with custom controllers and I was under the impression that this enables greater IO bandwidth.

 

[realtuner]

Why would anyone buy the Surface Pro X? It’s $999 for the base model (8GB/128GB) plus the keyboard and stylus.

A Surface Pro 7 with an i5 and the same 8GB/128GB is only $899. And it will run ALL Windows software without compatibility issues.

I don’t see why anyone would take a chance in the Pro X given the uncertainty around what software will/won’t run.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

the duo and neo is what innovation looks like . Wake up apple, you havent innovated anything since jobs died . And nooo the apple watch or airpods were not Tims creation . do you think Jobs didn't leave them without a 10 yr plan to follow? get real .

 

[apolloa]

How do you know they’re excellent when nobody has been able to use them? Or are you just referring to the existing laptops?

Based on their history of devices, they all look to be excellent devices with nice designs. Certainly good enough to keep Apple on its toes.
Their are also plenty of hands on impressions already too, just like with Apple.

 

[Macintoshrumors]

Why would anyone buy the Surface Pro X? It’s $999 for the base model (8GB/128GB) plus the keyboard and stylus.

A Surface Pro 7 with an i5 and the same 8GB/128GB is only $899. And it will run ALL Windows software without compatibility issues.

I don’t see why anyone would take a chance in the Pro X given the uncertainty around what software will/won’t run.

ooooh idk, possibly people that do not use apple products and love MS and are android users? what kind of question is that? like someone on the opposite table asking why would anyone use Macbooks and iPads .

its commonly known windows machines have superior specs and with the detacable ssd, looks good on paper but the integration of software/hardware is where apple shines .

 

[kis]

If you didn’t write touch screen, it almost reads as my experience of MacOS recently.

Don’t get me started on iOS...

the difference being that MacOS and iOS work very well. I got back from a two-week business trip last Friday. I was carrying my iPad Pro and my colleague had one of our company’s Surface Pros. The latter had constant issues - she had to call tech support twice just to be able to start office 365. System updates popping up at the most inconvenient times, tablet mode running clunky - she was rather frustrated and I was seriously reminded of Windows 95. While I was having absolutely zero issues with the iPad. Also didn’t have her Office 365 login problems even though the iPad also uses my company’s Office365 environment. In theory, the Surface runs full-fledged productive applications. In reality, it runs them poorly.

 

[ghanwani]

since dan explicitly asked for my opinion, i'll say this --

when microsoft stops having n different versions of windows (home, pro, enterprise, etc.), when they stop forcing me to update my software instead of making it on demand, when they offer a free version of productivity software, when their mouse works as good as a mac's, when their phone runs something other than android, maybe, just maybe, i might be tempted to consider one of their products. until then it's all marketing to me.

these videos only cover the good stuff about these machines. they don't cover any of the negatives. we need to wait until we see full reviews on these products, and even then, i think i'll be sticking with apple for the time being.

 

[groove-agent]

I've always admired the Surface line. I feel MS is doing a pretty good job at innovation here especially running the same OS rather than a modified one like iPAD OS.

I actually don't mind the dual screen idea. It's better than looking at a crease.

Android on their own phone? What a fail. They should have been able to put a flavour of Windows on the phone. Never liked Android, probably never will. Not sure why MS chickened out on this one.

 

[Oraichu]

Looks terrible and clunky. Too much first gen tech with all these folding devices. Haven't seen a single sleek implementation of it.

 

[fokmik]

This is all really exciting. I'm glad to see microsoft innovating and giving Apple some competition. I'm not planning on jumping ship any time soon, but it's nice to see what's out there.

Like they did with the first suface pro and surface book? Get real, they look different and people loves to see different things, out of ordinary ...but with time...like even microsoft they come to the Apple's roots
Remember, the device to change your laptop was the motto for surface pro....after that they came and introduce the ultimate laptop (but but i thought surface pro should replace our laptops)....and after that they came with a standard laptop but with alcantara...now with aluminiu because...Apple knows better..but others love to take/try a different road...Now dual screens with a hinge like some sony's or ZTE..no need for that...we need a quick answer/call screen not to be bother to open the hinge 360degree to answer a freacking phone call...again anti-intuitive...but hey looks cool for the teenagers in class i guess
Innovating these days, people misinterpret and forget its core definition

 

[smulji]

Based on their history of devices, they all look to be excellent devices with nice designs. Certainly good enough to keep Apple on its toes.
Their are also plenty of hands on impressions already too, just like with Apple.

There hasn’t been a real hands on impression so far. Every media person that was given permission to see the Neo & Duo up close (and only a handful were given permission) were not allowed to take photographs or videos of the products. They were only allowed to talk about what they experienced. The remainder of the invitees were only allowed to take photographs from a distance. They weren’t allowed to touch them.

We won’t know what these products are really like until next year. In the meantime, I think the Surface Pro X was the most exciting product announced today.