Microsoft Discontinues iMac Rival Surface Studio 2+

[nextstep33]

The best computer I every owned by far ... absolutely stunning 28" display that was so immersive. You had to actually use it to experience this effect, no other PC had/has this experience. The screen completely filled your field-of-view.
It slid down like a draftsman table with a one finger. You could surf the internet and make notes on one side with the pen.
Coding on it was insane, just so much screen space.

I purchased the original one for like $7,500 (AUD) knowing it had a 30-day return policy.
I had to return it, just cant justify that cost ... if they had got it down to like $4k it would have been worth it.
And I've had every iMac every released, 5k display, Studio Display, etc ... blows them away.

Apparently the manufacturing cost of the screen was astronomical, Msoft never got that down.

 

[kpluck]

It was never a direct competitor to the iMac, it was (or tried to be in) a completely different market.

-kp

 

[Digital Dude]

It’s disappointing to see this, as it was such a unique concept and, in my opinion, a far more practical format for illustrators. Honestly, I would have loved to have one myself—not just for creative work, but for everyday computer tasks. The ability to easily layout and sign documents would have been quite useful. 😢

 

[richinaus]

they never got a decent GPU into it and as typical MS does used old technology to run the amazing screen.

I really wanted one but never got one due to the outdated and under specced CPU + GPU combo [for the price and customer].

MS Surface line has had some great concepts, but always just seem to miss it on the specs for some reason [it actually felt a little deliberate to me to not annoy any partners......]

 

[bousozoku]

I really really wished they would have released it as a standalone display instead, releasing it, sometimes with 2 generation old hardware was crazy. I loved everything about the monitor itself, the aspect ratio was amazing for the way i work/workflow

Such a missed opportunity,i am 100% sure a standalone monitor would have sold so much better than the combo

That would have been interesting from a computer user standpoint, but not for the artists they were trying to get.

A drawing tablet with a display is easily available. They were initially the price of a computer. Now, they've dropped in price. Microsoft was likely trying to tie everything together to not upset Wacom, who is the industry leader in drawing tablets. If they had separate components, they might have been considered to be working against Wacom, and ended up in a lawsuit.

 

[Royksöpp]

Just release it as a standalone display. People would eat it up!

 

[nathansz]

How is a giant touch screen attached to a mini pc an iMac rival An iMac is a mini pc stuffed inside a not touch screen

 

[joloriquelme]

There's a problem with Microsoft products that most people doesn't know about it.

Microsoft only recognizes the existence of USA and Europe in the world as potential markets. For an uknown reason, they believe that there aren't more continents in Planet Earth.

Microsoft Surface line launched in 2012. It's almost 2025 and, in South America we still can't buy officially a Surface product in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia or Chile (where I live). We even haven't spanish keyboards for them if we buy it in the USA.

Panos Panay and the rest of Microsoft probably doesn't know that even we are known as the 'third world', there's a clear market for technology here. I don't know about other markets and countries, like China, or Russia (years ago of course). But, for Microsoft Hardware division, an entire continent of 440 million people simply doesn't count.

As oposite of that stupid marketing decision, the Apple ecosystem is fully available here in Chile: you can't buy a Surface Pro, or anything Microsoft except for Xbox, Software and services. But you can cross the street, go to a shopping mall and buy a M4 iPad Pro, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, a M4 MacBook Pro, an Apple Watch, or ANY Apple product, officially, with full warranty coverage from Apple.

If you can't go outside home, you can buy it online at apple.cl. And launch dates are probably two or three weeks away from official US launch date. We have AppleCare, Apple Pay, Apple TV+, etc. Only Fitness+ is missing, but Colombia actually has it.

So, if Microsoft fails, it's not because their products are bad or non-innovative. It's because those idiots doesn't sell them and they ignore potential huge markets. Instead, Apple knows it, and sell iPhones and iPads like hotcakes.

 

[drrich2]

Meanwhile, Apple has continued to update the ever-popular iMac with new hardware, most recently with the M4 chip, new color options, a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage and Desk View, and a nano-texture display option.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sounds like some spin going on here.

1.) The iMac never had a touch screen so the target demographic appears somewhat different.

2.) Apple killed the 27" iMac and now only offers the smaller 24" iMac and only the base M-series chip, not the M-series Pro versions.

So Apple ditched its offering in that size AIO range, and basically replaced it with the option connect a Mac to an Apple Studio Display, a very expensive monitor that gets good reviews and has a number of selling points but draws ire for high expense. Whole lot of Macs hooked to 4K 27" monitors because Apple's alternatives aren't compelling (and/or inexpensive) enough.

I don't think that an AIO and an external monitor are necessarily mutually exclusive products. Why not offer both? An AIO for those who want the integrated, 1-2 cable existence, and a monitor for those who don't mind extra cords, but want to be able to upgrade individual components.

I'd like to see something along the lines of an Apple Studio Display with a cavity in the back you could plug what amounts to a Mac Mini 'module' into and make it an iMac, or connect as an external display to a computer (and let's really go wild I suggest adding HDMI and DisplayPort to the Thunderbolt option). You could swap out your 'module' ever few years and keep using the display (along with its spacial audio and center stage webcam).

Microsoft probably would have had better success with their AIO desktop if they left the drawing aspect out of it and made a non-drawing/touch AIO, and like Apple left the drawing screen to 3rd party companies like Wacom.

Sooo...it sounds like Microsoft and Apple competed, a winner emerged on the basis of leveraging 3rd party strength over the in-house 'walled garden' approach...and that winner was Apple.

I think you just blew my mind. It's like the Sun came up in the west this morning or something.

 

[Abazigal]

I am starting to see a trend here.

The Surface Studio was the subject of much gushing and praise (especially here) when it was released, and went on to bomb. Maybe there are some people who can and do genuinely get some great use out of it (like the Pennyarcade guy), and perhaps that's the issue - there is a fundamental disconnect between what a very niche group of more tech-savvy users want, vs what truly works and sells for the mass market.

The Surface Studio! - Penny Arcade

Videogaming-related online strip by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. Includes news and commentary.

www.penny-arcade.com

In contrast, if what you want is to make digital art accessible to the masses, you do something like this.

How the iPad Pro Changed My Illustrating Career

I am a simple 15-year-old who has loved to doodle for as long as she can remember. I adored my first generation iPad mini, so when the iPad Pro came out I decided I could use an upgrade. What an…

medium.com

The surface studio seemed doomed from the start. It was expensive (even more so than an iMac) and by cramming the processor into that tiny base, you are subjecting the hardware to severe thermal throttling. Maybe it is indeed the idea product for a select group of digital artists, and I suspect none of them are here amongst the Macrumours audience. They simply saw an opening to bash Apple, and they went for it.

Where have I heard this before? Ah yes, the latest 2 - iPhone mini and folding phones.

Perhaps we should start learning how to evaluate Apple products in a more objective light, rather than latch on to every opportunity to denigrate and criticise how they are lacking this feature or that function compared to a niche product category by a competitor that isn't selling.

Looks like Apple dodged a real bullet there.

 

[pottmi]

My wife has two of surface studios. They are great machines if you are not price sensitive. I got them for her when she developed carpel tunnel and could not use a mouse.

The magic of this machine is that it is super easy to move the screen, but the screen is rock solid when you are using the touch interface.

I will probably buy a 2+ for her to replace one of her machines.

 

[Dan in VA]

Microsoft has discontinued its Surface Studio 2+, marking the end of the company's only direct competitor to Apple's iMac, leaving a gap in the Windows ecosystem for high-end all-in-one PCs.

Microsoft has confirmed to Windows Central that it has ended production of the Surface Studio 2+, a premium all-in-one desktop designed for creative professionals. With remaining stock now limited to retailers and partners, there is likely no successor to the Studio 2+ planned. This effectively ends Microsoft's efforts to compete in the high-end all-in-one market dominated by Apple's iMac, a fixture of creative workspaces for decades.

First introduced in 2016, the Surface Studio formed an attempt to challenge Apple's hold on the creative professional market. Its standout feature was a 28-inch 4.5K PixelSense touchscreen mounted on a unique hinge that allowed the display to tilt into a flat, drafting-table position. Paired with accessories like the Surface Dial and Surface Pen, the Studio was designed to attract graphic designers, illustrators, and video editors. Despite its innovative design, the Surface Studio struggled to gain significant traction due to its steep price point, which started at $2,999 for the original model, and its reliance on hardware components that were frequently a generation behind current industry standards.

It's also notable that Microsoft has discontinued other Surface products such as the Surface Duo and Surface Earbuds. In recent years, Microsoft has pivoted toward productivity-focused hardware, such as its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop lines, and enterprise-oriented services like its Copilot AI tools. Meanwhile, Apple has continued to update the ever-popular iMac with new hardware, most recently with the M4 chip, new color options, a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage and Desk View, and a nano-texture display option.

Microsoft's decision to discontinue the Surface Studio line could leave a void in the Windows all-in-one market. While companies like HP and Lenovo continue to produce all-in-one PCs, none match the Surface Studio's combination of touch capabilities, drafting-table functionality, and premium design.

Article Link: Microsoft Discontinues iMac Rival Surface Studio 2+

They’ll pry my Zune from my cold, dead hands… oh nvm

 

[Pezimak]

I was among the few who fell for the hype and decided to purchase it, only to find that, as with many of Microsoft's products, it fell short of my expectations. Eventually, a family member took it over, using it as a standard PC and occasionally utilizing the touchscreen to navigate the web.

At least it lives on and hasn’t become e waste in a landfill. Microsoft could have just widened that base part and put in more cooling and much beefier components. And allow expandable storage and RAM even if it used laptop parts. It could have been a true powerhouse with a stunning display.

 

[Pezimak]

The best computer I every owned by far ... absolutely stunning 28" display that was so immersive. You had to actually use it to experience this effect, no other PC had/has this experience. The screen completely filled your field-of-view.
It slid down like a draftsman table with a one finger. You could surf the internet and make notes on one side with the pen.
Coding on it was insane, just so much screen space.

I purchased the original one for like $7,500 (AUD) knowing it had a 30-day return policy.
I had to return it, just cant justify that cost ... if they had got it down to like $4k it would have been worth it.
And I've had every iMac every released, 5k display, Studio Display, etc ... blows them away.

Apparently the manufacturing cost of the screen was astronomical, Msoft never got that down.

Yeah it was expensive, but the mechanism for the screen would have cost a fortune to R&D, that slim and one finger movement, but it holds position in any position. Not easy to do, plus the screen was said to be utterly stunning, and again at that thinness and 27”, not cheap to R&D and build, I guess that’s why the PC components suffered and weren’t truly powerful. And it was an expensive machine.

Still if people want one best keep an eye out for clearance bargains now!

 

[drrich2]

I have a question about not only this Microsoft All-In-One but also other Windows PC AIO personal computers. A common complaint (which I share) about 5K 27" Intel iMacs is that (since back around late 2014, IIRC) they don't offer 'target display mode' so as to have the capability to serve as an external display for another computer.

In other words, you can't use the thing as 'just a monitor' for another computer.

Does the Microsoft Surface Studio 2+ or any other Windows AIO PC have such a capability? If so, how does it work?

 

[Abazigal]

I have a question about not only this Microsoft All-In-One but also other Windows PC AIO personal computers. A common complaint (which I share) about 5K 27" Intel iMacs is that (since back around late 2014, IIRC) they don't offer 'target display mode' so as to have the capability to serve as an external display for another computer.

In other words, you can't use the thing as 'just a monitor' for another computer.

Does the Microsoft Surface Studio 2+ or any other Windows AIO PC have such a capability? If so, how does it work?

To my knowledge, it is not possible to connect a cable to the surface studio and use it as an external display. The closest is to project another windows PC to it wirelessly, but there will likely be lag and not a perfect replacement.

 

[junior]

Would still be a great product if they ditched the computer aspect of it. A controller and touchscreen like that for a powerful PC would be pretty damn awesome, and be useful for year. An underpowered all-in-one for that price is pretty bad.

 

[svish]

It was a good all in one. HP produces some very good computers. All in Ones from them will be good enough.

 

[Chuckeee]

It was a good all in one. HP produces some very good computers. All in Ones from them will be good enough.

Strongly disagree

The Studio was over priced and under powered although the display was magnificent. And nowadays HP products are pure junk, horrendous infant mortality issues, problems right out of the box.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

They’ll pry my Zune from my cold, dead hands… oh nvm

Premium hardware matched with best (at the time) software then horribly marketed to it's sad death.

 

[msackey]

I worked at Microsoft for 11 years. There isn’t a lot of career benefit or advancement to be had at Microsoft for supporting an existing project. You pretty much have to constantly burn what exists and launch something completely new to justify your work impact, and once something ships the people who did it tend to jump ship to the next “new” thing. That’s why you see products get launched, abandoned, replaced over and over again.

Wow that is horrible; horrible way to work and a horrible way to shape our society — and I do mean it. Of course, MS is not the instigator of this kind of tendency to break things, but it is certainly helping with the momentum. This way of being (operating) is terrible for a broader ecological mindset where we want to not overuse resources (resources of any kind from physical, environmental, mental, etc.).

 

[ipedro]

Probably the only Microsoft hardware I was jealous of as a Mac user. It inspired me to use my iPad Pro as my main design device which I still do to this day.

An “iPad Studio” meant to be used on a desk like this would be a day one buy for me.

 

[Powerbooky]

Apparently they still have haven't learned from their previous failures in this field. This was another desperate Microsoft attempt to compensate the already dropping market-shares. I always have said it, Microsoft should not ever try to design/make hardware. MS at its core is and always has been a software company. And still they can't get Windows OS and Office right for decades now.

 

[RandomTox]

Apple is pretty much doing the same now. Lack of update of a bigger screen iMac is a good evidence of that. It's all about higher profit margins these days and not about what customers want.

 

[groove-agent]

Microsoft is the epitome of quitting. Other companies prove that a concept can be lucrative, but rather than continuing to improve and refine their products they bail thus fail. This is why I can't get behind or invest in any of their products.

Zune, Windows Phone, Surface Pro. Cool ideas, but they just can't pull it off. In particular the Windows Phone was a nice alternative from Android and iOS. Given the foothold they have via Windows, they have a huge advantage, still they couldn't do it.