How is the new Surface Laptop changing the landscape for windows PC?

[Rohan Bandekar]

The new surface laptop is not only another product from Microsoft, but it raises the bar for every Windows PC and Laptop manufacturers around the world. What do you think, which new innovations can compete with the new Surface?

 

[Octagon31415]

Microsoft can release anything they want and raise the bar as high as hey want, but the bar is ignored by the major part of Windows PC and Laptop manufacturers. The average quality is nose diving. The minority is doing their best and they do not need a raised bar.

If upgraded to Pro, I guess any Mac, including the forgotten Air, can compete. If left limited to Store, any iPad can compete. If the focus is on the pen, Lenovo Yoga Book and iPad Pro can compete.

If the focus is on value, like what is the best way to invest $1000 in all computing devices, nothing can compete.

 

[kratik vj]

Do we get SURFACE Pen with SURFACE Laptop ??

 

[kashgohel]

I think what Microsoft are doing is a clever initiative to increase sales while still staying relevant. They design and release flagship products and then leave it to other manufacturing companies like hp, dell, lenovo etc to design their own versions of it. At the end of the day, the others still use windows 10 and hence increase sales for Microsoft. It still a way better product though compared to Apple's line of products because Microsoft takes into account user feedback and improves its products accordingly. Price helps too.

 

[Rohan Bandekar]

SURFACE Pen

I think a surface pen would not be that helpful.
The stylus, for a natebook is not logical.
However the new surface laptop should have been 360 like the lenovo yogabook.
What do you think?

 

[TheFlyingDutchBros]

Interesting question. I would argue that the Surface Laptop will drastically change the PC landscape over time. The people who use it this year will probably like it, comment on the limitations of only being able to use store apps, and recommend that people upgrade to Pro. And as far as the short term is concerned, that's a legitimate way to look at it.

The thing is, Windows 10 S, for which the Surface Laptop is the flagship device, is aimed at students. When I say students, I mean students of all ages. Think about it, Microsoft's hardware partners will build low-cost Windows 10 S devices that schools will be able to easily set up and manage and kids will interact with on a daily basis. Said kids will get used to using UWP apps as their daily drivers and developers will start converting more Win32 apps to take advantage of the market created by the Windows 10 S in the education sector. Over time, UWP will become the primary application platform on Windows, ousting Win32, and eventually replacing it completely. Now, the kids who grew up using Windows 10 S probably won't notice most of this, but that's actually a good thing because those kids will be the next generation of developers, manufacturers, business partners, etc. and so over time the PC landscape will shift towards Microsoft's vision of a "mobility of experiences" with Windows 10 and it's new Fluent Design spanning many form factors and interaction models. What I'm saying is that while millennials grew up with a mouse and keyboard and a video game controller, this new generation is growing up with touch, pen, dial, AR/VR, keyboard, mouse and whatever else we might come up with. Microsoft is uniquely positioned to provide a platform that the new generation can interact with in all these ways and I for one think that their approach is far, far more forward thinking than most people give them credit for. People see Windows 10 S and think it's Windows RT all over again, but the truth is that the future of computing itself if changing and those people are too stuck in their narrow mindsets to see Windows 10 S for what it really is, a computing revolution in the making.

 

[SpaciousZebra]

I'm thinking that this pushes laptop manufacturers to innovate with the materials they're putting into their machines. This laptop is absolutely stunning, and if the fabric can hold up to normal wear-and-tear, the Surface Laptop should open the door for others to test out their own new materials.

Maybe the days of metallic shells on laptops are numbered!

 

[Jeffery Holderness]

I disagree with Octagon31415. I would say that many of Microsoft products have changed the PC market the last 10 years. I'd even go as far to say that it's the only thing keeping it afloat because before Surface and Microsoft's push for 2in1 devices the computer industry didn't know why their sales were slipping.

 

[theefman]

What exactly about this device "raises the bar"?