How Microsoft Has Become the Surprise Innovator in PCs
But it also wants the Surface line to sell — and although the division has grown enormously in the last few years, becoming
a critical part of Microsoft’s overall business, Surface is still far smaller than Apple’s Mac or iPad line.
“There’s this window of opportunity for Surface to get in there — and even if
that window closes with some of Apple’s upcoming devices, I don’t think Apple has that market locked up.”
Last month, I visited Microsoft’s hardware lab at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash.
And yes, Microsoft’s latest financial results aren’t exactly on my side here — the company announced last week
that though its cloud software business is growing rapidly, revenue for its Surface division declined by 2 percent over the last year (because of changes it made in its launch schedule).
In the last two years, while Apple has focused mainly on mobile devices, Microsoft has
put out a series of computers that reimagine the future of PCs in thrilling ways.
Yet perhaps because it’s way behind Apple, Microsoft’s hardware division is creating
products more daring than much of what has been coming out of its rival lately.
“I think Microsoft has recognized over the last couple years
that maybe the creative community isn’t as locked into the Mac as many people think it is,” said Jan Dawson, an independent technology analyst.
