This afternoon we got the opportunity to get our hands on the Microsoft Surface Studio 2. This is the Microsoft Surface Studio for 2018 - I need to mention that because, on the surface, this device looks almost indistinguishable from its predecessor. It's just as thin, just as bright, just as powerful - but then again MORE powerful because it's working with new storage, a new CPU, and a new GPU.
Though the main draw of today's Microsoft event is undoubtedly the new Surface products the company has on hand, hardware wasn't the only topic of the day. Microsoft actually started its show by revealing that Windows 10's October 2018 update is going live today, and it has some interesting new features coming along with it. Some of these features are things we've heard about before, but many of them are centered around cross-platform compatibility between your phone and your PC.
This afternoon we got the opportunity to get our hands on the newest version of the Microsoft Surface Pro. That's the Microsoft Surface Pro 6, the 2018 edition of the tablet-with-kickstand. This is extremely similar to its predecessor, coming with the same overall size, same display, hinge on its kickstand, and connectivity. This device has a single full-sized USB port, mini Display port, and a proprietary Surface connector.
Microsoft is releasing the Windows 10 2018 update, the one it announced back in late August. The availability was confirmed by Microsoft today during a press event, its name referring to the month of its release, of course. Though anyone can manually update now, automatic updates will take a handful of days to start.
Today Microsoft revealed the 2018 Surface Laptop, and with it a new lease on life. This year's Surface Laptop isn't all that different from it's most recent predecessor. In fact it's almost identical, save the new color and the new processor inside. It's almost as if the Surface Laptop was selling so well that Microsoft decided to save the big changes so their higher-priced models could get there first. But that's alright with consumers - it's not as if anyone else is changing the game in the laptop market right now anyway.
Today Microsoft's Panos Panay stood on stage and revealed a new device - sort of. This was the Surface Pro 6, in four colors - one of which was new. The Surface Pro is back for another season, this time in black. This device is extremely similar to the otherwise most recent Surface Pro, save in the newness of its processor and availability of different combinations of internal storage and RAM. Like other products revealed by Microsoft today, it is as if the company looked at its product line and said, hey, we've got a pretty good thing going on, let's stay the course!
Today we're going to run down the various different devices and software we're expecting Microsoft to show at their big Surface event on Tuesday. This event takes place at a time that suggests they'll bring some hardware AND software to the party, including Surface devices and Windows-based updates. We'll be at the event, too, so stick around for up-close and personal looks at whatever's in store.
While majority of the interest for Google's event next week naturally revolves around the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL phones, the event will most likely go beyond that. There's the already leaked Google Home Hub and the recently leaked new Chromecast. And then there's the Google Pixel Slate, the Chromebook believed to be internally called "Nocturne". This tablet-like device is going to be a lot of firsts for Google, including the first time it concedes space with another and rivaling operating system.
Microsoft has shaken up its Surface Hub 2 plans, splitting the 50-inch modular touchscreens intended for collaborative working into two products, though it means the juiciest features now won't arrive until 2020. Previewed earlier this year, the Surface Hub 2 is targeted at businesses; while it can be used as a single display for meetings and brainstorming sessions, it promises to really come into its own when multiple panels are joined.
Microsoft’s and Qualcomm’s campaign to get Windows 10 running on ARM-based Snapdragon chips has mostly fallen flat on its face. While the idea of power efficient, always on, and always connected PCs is undoubtedly tempting, the execution was sorely lacking, especially when it came to banking on last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. The new Snapdragon 850 aims to correct that, presuming it goes in actual commercial products, but it will be the Snapdragon 1000, a.k.a. Snapdragon 8180, that may finally make those dreams come true.
For years now, Microsoft has been fighting what really feels like a losing battle against Google and Mozilla, two big players in the internet browser space. Though Microsoft Edge replaced the oft-disparaged Internet Explorer in Windows 10 - and, in fairness, makes its share of improvements - a lot of people out there still prefer to stick with Chrome or Firefox. How do you get those people to give Edge a chance? It's clear Microsoft doesn't know, because it's resorted to using annoying pop-up warnings when users try to install another browser.
Data storage on most PCs is cheap. Or t least cheaper than, say RAM. Adding more is almost never a problem, unless you’re talking about devices with more or less fixed storage capacities and little or no expansion capabilities. Like laptops or tablets. Since Windows 10 has to cater to them all, Microsoft is making it smarter about the way it handles data storage. In the upcoming Windows 10 update, it will make its Storage Sense feature free up even more space by offloading old files to everyone’s favorite dumping ground: the cloud.