Microsoft Surface is a powerful and premium touch-enabled device designed and developed by Microsoft. The Surface devices ship with a unique form factor design and are pre-loaded with Windows operating system. You will find several types of Microsoft Surface gadgets such as hybrid tablets, detachable notebooks, convertible desktop, laptops, and interactive whiteboard. Microsoft also released accessories that sync with the Surface devices.
Microsoft Surface History
Microsoft Surface was launched on June 18, 2012, by Steve Ballmer at an event in Milk Studios, Los Angeles. Microsoft made a bold decision to integrate Windows with its hardware system named Surface. Panos Panay was the General manager who worked behind the development of the Surface devices. You should note that the Surface is the first device designed and developed by Microsoft.
Microsoft started pre-orders for the 2012 Surface tablet on October 16, 2012. Microsoft Surface Pro was launched during the sidelines of Windows 8 general availability on October 26, 2012, followed by the public availability starting February 9, 2013. The device was made available via Microsoft Stores retail and online marketplaces followed by other electronic retailers in the United States and Canada. Microsoft revealed the pricing for the 64GB and 128GB variants of Surface with Windows 8 Pro. Microsoft scheduled a launch event on February 8, 2013, but was cancelled at the last minute. Interestingly, the 128GB variant of the Surface tablet was sold out on the same day of its release.
Surface 3
Microsoft announced Surface 3, which is a compact version of the Surface Pro 3 on March 30, 2015. The Redmond-based software giant revealed the launch of the Surface Enterprise Initiative on March 30, 2015. This project was launched in collaboration with Accenture, Avanade, HP, and Dell. The purpose of the initiative was to engage more customers to reap the benefits of Windows 10. Dell sold Surface Pro via its business and enterprise channels with support, warranty, and configuration including deployment.
Surface Pro 4
Microsoft launched Surface Pro 4 and the new Surface Book on October 10, 2015, with shipping by March 2016. In June 2016, Microsoft revealed that the production of the Surface 3 would stop in December 2016. The company gave 6 months for the customers to arrive at a decision. Microsoft Surface Studio and Surface Book with performance base was launched on October 26, 2016. Microsoft also announced the availability of Surface accessories such as the wheel and the Surface Dial with shipping starting from November 10, 2016. The Surface Laptop was announced on May 2, 2017, followed by the fifth-generation Surface Pro on May 23, 2017. The Surface Hub 2 with a new rotating hinge was launched on May 15, 2018. Microsoft announced the Surface Go tablet with a 10-inch display and up to 128GB of storage in June 2018.
Microsoft announced the launch of the Surface Pro 7, Surface Laptop 3, and the Surface Pro X with Microsoft SQ1 ARM processor on October 2, 2019. These devices were shipped with a USB-C port. Microsoft also showcased products such as the Surface Neo, a dual-screen tablet pre-loaded with Windows 10X, Surface Duo, and a dual-screen Android smartphone. Microsoft released Surface Duo on September 10, 2020, followed by Surface Pro 8, the Surface Duo 2, and the Surface Laptop Studio on September 22, 2021. Microsoft recently released new Surface devices including AI-enabled Copilot+PCs.
Microsoft Surface Processor
Microsoft integrated a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 based on the ARM architecture instead of the Intel x64 architecture. The device was shipped with Windows RT. Microsoft embedded Nvidia Tegra 4 to the second-generation Surface 2. Microsoft migrated to the Intel x64 architecture with the release of the Surface 3 and infused the Braswell Atom X7 processor. The Surface Pro X employed Microsoft SQ1, which is a custom ARM64 processor. Microsoft improved the chipset with every release of the Surface device. The recently released Microsoft Surface devices ship with Snapdragon X series processor and are codenamed Copilot+PCs.
Microsoft Surface Storage
Microsoft Surface devices are available up to 1TB storage. In early days, the Surface devices were made available in 32GB storage. However, with the changing technology landscape, Microsoft opted for 64GB and above storage. Microsoft discontinued 32GB model with the release of the third-generation Surface devices. Microsoft Surface devices include a dedicated microSD card slot except for the Surface Pro X. You can plug in a memory card up to 200GB storage.
Surface Design
The early generations of Microsoft Surface was designed using VaporMg magnesium alloy coating. The design provides a semi-glossy black durable finish, which is also called dark titanium. Microsoft adopted a matte gray finish with the actual magnesium color via the semi-transparent top coating. Microsoft Surface and Surface Pro devices featured a kickstand that flips out from the rear of the device. The purpose of the Kickstand is to enable users to watch movies, and videos and perform other related tasks ergonomically. While the first generation Surface devices had a 22-degree angle position kickstand, the second generation shipped with a 55-degree angle kickstand. Microsoft adopted the change based on the feedback. Microsoft Surface 3 was shipped with 22, 44, and 60-degree angle positions. Microsoft shipped Surface Pro 3 with a next-generation kickstand that angles between 22 and 150 degrees. The company added 15 degrees of hinge rotation with the fifth-generation Surface Pro.
Software
The Surface and Surface 2 models were shipped with Windows RT, which is based on Windows 8. The devices can’t be upgraded to Windows 10 because of the ARM chipset. The Surface Pro 4 and above was shipped with Windows Hello facial biometric authentication. Microsoft is currently shipping Surface devices with Windows 11. The Copilot+PC devices have exclusive AI-enabled features such as Recall, Paint Cocreator, Windows Studio Effects, and much more. Even though Microsoft announced Recall feature, the company aborted it to address privacy concerns. According to the latest reports, the Recall module will be available in October 2024.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned about the history of Microsoft Surface devices briefly followed by the various technologies that are integrated with storage, design, and software. Microsoft Surface is a highly capable device with advanced features and specifications. The latest Surface devices are shipped with advanced processors and Windows 11 in a compact form factor. You will be able to work effortlessly, watch videos, and chat with your colleagues. You can also carry them easily because the Surface devices are manufactured with premium materials. Going forward, you can expect several advanced Surface devices including Surface branded Copilot+PCs.
This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024
