Microsoft's dubious positioning of the Surface Duo killed an ambitious vision

[Windows Central]

The Surface Duo was ahead of the curve, literally. Despite massive improvements in the Duo 2, Microsoft's mistakes are all too familiar.

Microsoft's dubious positioning of the Surface Duo killed an ambitious vision : Read more

 

[tal99]

A few months ago I was looking into getting a Surface Duo to try this new category. But as soon as I learned that it will be out of support this September (and the Duo 2 one year later) I knew it wasn't worth it. This is not how you compete with Samsung or Apple!
And especially if you start with a small installed base you can't afford it. It's Windows Phone all over again. There also abandoning the installed base was the beginning of the end.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

Great article! Good hardware is everywhere. It's not hard to get good laptops, tablets, phones, etc. It's the software that matters and Microsoft is really, really awful at making software. So much of MS's successes are merely purchases.

 

[Kaymd]

Great article! Good hardware is everywhere. It's not hard to get good laptops, tablets, phones, etc. It's the software that matters and Microsoft is really, really awful at making software. So much of MS's successes are merely purchases.

MS Office is good software. I'd even say great.
Visual Studio is awesome. No other developer tool I've used over the years comes close.
Who else is doing what Microsoft does with Windows? It's the only desktop grade OS that is attempting to scale from tablets/touch to desktops and servers. And it is getting better at this.
To say that Microsoft is awful at making software is ridiculous.
The fact that MS struggled with Android is no surprise. Do you know how long it took for the Samsung Galaxy line to get 'good'? They've only been at this for about 3 years.
I'd criticize the pace of Duo release and updates, since the phone market is quite different from the PC/laptop space where iterations are on a longer cycle. The Duos could also use some more software refinement, but it's actually pretty good in its current state -- definitely not as good as OneUI from Samsung or the Pixel lines, but a few solid updates can get them close.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

MS Office is good software. I'd even say great.
Visual Studio is awesome. No other developer tool I've used over the years comes close.
Who else is doing what Microsoft does with Windows? It's the only desktop grade OS that is attempting to scale from tablets/touch to desktops and servers. And it is getting better at this.
To say that Microsoft is awful at making software is ridiculous.
The fact that MS struggled with Android is no surprise. Do you know how long it took for the Samsung Galaxy line to get 'good'? They've only been at this for about 3 years.
I'd criticize the pace of Duo release and updates, since the phone market is quite different from the PC/laptop space where iterations are on a longer cycle. The Duos could also use some more software refinement, but it's actually pretty good in its current state -- definitely not as good as OneUI from Samsung or the Pixel lines, but a few solid updates can get them close.

MS Office is awful old old old old old software. Still can't scale correctly on high-dpi displays. How much are you using Access and Publisher? Doesn't matter. Still paying for it. Windows is dogshit on tablets and getting WORSE. Visual Studio is good. But so what?

 

[Iamdumbguy]

A few months ago I was looking into getting a Surface Duo to try this new category. But as soon as I learned that it will be out of support this September (and the Duo 2 one year later) I knew it wasn't worth it. This is not how you compete with Samsung or Apple!
And especially if you start with a small installed base you can't afford it. It's Windows Phone all over again. There also abandoning the installed base was the beginning of the end.

Remember just a few years ago when they had all that garbage cheap AR nonsense? Abandoned ebooks. Had to swipe a browser. Had to buyout Accompli because OWA was the best they could do. Took about 4 years to turn Wunderlist into To Do. Several crap UI frameworks since Windows 8 which Microsoft won't even use. Couldn't deliver on swappable upgrades for the thing they used to call Surface. Everything MS does on Android is less than half assed and is often outsourced. You can't even trust them not to lie about emojis.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

MS Office is good software. I'd even say great.
Visual Studio is awesome. No other developer tool I've used over the years comes close.
Who else is doing what Microsoft does with Windows? It's the only desktop grade OS that is attempting to scale from tablets/touch to desktops and servers. And it is getting better at this.
To say that Microsoft is awful at making software is ridiculous.
The fact that MS struggled with Android is no surprise. Do you know how long it took for the Samsung Galaxy line to get 'good'? They've only been at this for about 3 years.
I'd criticize the pace of Duo release and updates, since the phone market is quite different from the PC/laptop space where iterations are on a longer cycle. The Duos could also use some more software refinement, but it's actually pretty good in its current state -- definitely not as good as OneUI from Samsung or the Pixel lines, but a few solid updates can get them close.

Here's your great software. Even funnier considering they are killing Outlook for a web wrapper.

https://imgur.com/a/KU4Vd7q

 

[Diego Rico]

MS would be better off creating a smaller form factor Surface Pro 10. The power of the Surface Pro line in a Surface Go "size". There really isn't a reason for MS to jump into mobile if it's going to use Android as it will never be able to dictate the direction of the underlying OS, which will limit its ability to do something that isn't already being done in mass else it will be stuck trying to modify the underlying OS to fit its use-case device.

If MS truly wants to jump back into mobile, then it needs to develop its own mobile OS and play the long game. It can even use the Surface Pro 10 in the smaller form factor as a bridge to the more mobile-focused device.

 

[naddy69]

“If MS truly wants to jump back into mobile, then it needs to develop its own mobile OS and play the long game. ”

And lose billions of dollars again? That ship has sailed. 7 years ago.

MS could not make a compelling device using Android. If you think they can “develop its own mobile OS and play the long game” at this point, then you are dreaming. Exactly how long should they keep selling something that no one wants to buy?

They sold around 40,000 of the Duo 1. That number was reported here. I have not seen any numbers for the Duo 2. Let’s be generous and say they sold 100,000 total of the 1 and 2.

That’s pathetic. It’s also not nearly enough to continue with it.

“Who else is doing what Microsoft does with Windows? It's the only desktop grade OS that is attempting to scale from tablets/touch to desktops and servers. And it is getting better at this.”

No, it is not getting better. Windows can’t scale up OR down. There is a reason why the world runs on Unix. It is endlessly scalable. From mainframes to PCs to all phones to watches. THAT is scalability.

Windows runs on PCs. Period. Windows runs most of the front end of the world. Essentially the dashboard. The heavy lifting on the back end - app servers, web servers, database servers - runs on Unix/Linux.

And the front end is no longer 100% Windows. Macs, iPads and Android tablets are perfectly fine for many front end tasks. Macs and iPads run on Unix. Android is Linux. Even MS Azure is 75% Linux.

 

[Jan Meffert]

Het ECO systeem Windows heeft denk ik z'n langste tijd gehad. Steeds meer mensen stoppen over naar Apple, Android, etc. omdat het Windows ECO systeem niet
meer compleet is. Het ontbreekt gewoon aan mobiele apparaten zoals telefoons, horloges, oordopjes, e.d. wat de toekomst is! Microsoft heeft de consument, waarmee het groot is geworden, compleet genegeerd door zich hoofdzakelijk op de zakelijke markt te richten. Wanneer wordt de CEO wakker en beseft hij dat hij met het huidige beleid zijn eigen ondergang aan het graven is?

 

[HelloNNNewman]

Het ECO systeem Windows heeft denk ik z'n langste tijd gehad. Steeds meer mensen stoppen over naar Apple, Android, etc. omdat het Windows ECO systeem niet
meer compleet is. Het ontbreekt gewoon aan mobiele apparaten zoals telefoons, horloges, oordopjes, e.d. wat de toekomst is! Microsoft heeft de consument, waarmee het groot is geworden, compleet genegeerd door zich hoofdzakelijk op de zakelijke markt te richten. Wanneer wordt de CEO wakker en beseft hij dat hij met het huidige beleid zijn eigen ondergang aan het graven is?

Transalation:

I think the ECO system Windows has had its day. More and more people are switching to Apple, Android, etc. because the Windows ECO system is not
is more complete. There is simply a lack of mobile devices such as phones, watches, earphones, etc. What is the future! Microsoft has completely ignored the consumer that has made it big by focusing primarily on the business market. When will the CEO wake up and realize that with the current policies he is digging his own demise?

@Jan Meffert - Zorg ervoor dat je in het Engels post.
(Of voeg in ieder geval de vertaling toe aan je bericht)
Bedankt

 

[Iamdumbguy]

MS would be better off creating a smaller form factor Surface Pro 10. The power of the Surface Pro line in a Surface Go "size". There really isn't a reason for MS to jump into mobile if it's going to use Android as it will never be able to dictate the direction of the underlying OS, which will limit its ability to do something that isn't already being done in mass else it will be stuck trying to modify the underlying OS to fit its use-case device.

If MS truly wants to jump back into mobile, then it needs to develop its own mobile OS and play the long game. It can even use the Surface Pro 10 in the smaller form factor as a bridge to the more mobile-focused device.

How is Windows 11 going to be better on a smaller screen? HOW? They're going to build yet another garbage UI framework that no one, including Microsoft, will use? You have brain worms.