Surface Pro 4 — Since the advent of mobile platforms like iOS and Android, Microsoft has struggled to make a dent in the consumer market. The company has tried many times without success to reach the common user. We remember the Zune player, Windows Mobile and its predecessors Windows Phone 7 and 8. But after years of drought, Microsoft may have finally found a winner: its Surface Pro line of devices.
Microsoft launched the first Surface Pro in 2012, 3 years ago. As a Windows laptop/tablet, the Surface created a class device that was much different from the popular tablets of the time. It run full Windows, which allowed it to be used as a laptop in the form of a tablet. As always with new type of devices, the first Surface Pro was not perfect: the screen was too small, the body was bulky, and Windows 8 upon which it run was quite unpopular. As a result, the first version flunked and Microsoft had to write off more than 800 million dollars of losses.
The second versio n of the gadget came with a lot of improvements, including a better kickstand and slimmer body but the reception remained tepid and the tablet did not sell as well as Microsoft would have expected.
However, in April last year, Microsoft surprised the public with a third version of the Surface. This time, things were different. The device came with a larger display, slimmer body, a greatly improved kickstand, a better keyboard, and Windows 8.1, which corrected some of the problems with Windows 8. The tablet/laptop replacement received high grades from tech reviewers and the public fell in love with it.
The public fell in love with for two reasons. First, the Surface Pro 3 is a beautifully design piece of hardware. Despite having the power to run full Windows programs, it came in a body that is only slightly thicker than the iPad. It's slim, light and beautiful. Second, the Surface Pro is quite powerful. One can run any type of programs on it and get things done while on the go. It also has a beautiful pen that allows for painless and quick note-taking. Furthermore, with an improving Windows Store, the Surface Pro truly became a tablet that can replace a laptop.
With the popularity of the Surface Pro 3 growing many have taken notice, including Apple, which released the iPad Pro earlier this month. The later, which Incorporates many of the features found on the Surface Pro 3, remains nonetheless an overgrown iPad Air running a mobile OS that can't compare to the functionality of the Surface Pro 3 running Windows 10.
However, getting copied by Apple and other companies like Lenovo – which released a Surface Pro 3 clone this month – validates Microsoft's efforts in building the gadget and offers to the Redmond giant a brand new opportunity to win the heart of consumers.
But, while the SP3 has been popular with professionals and students, we believe that Microsoft can do even better. With the Surface Pro 3, and the Surface Pro 4 to be released next month, Microsoft can manage to finally have winner and be seen as a serious contender in the mobile market.
As of right now, Microsoft is well positioned to gain some market share. Assuming that they don't mess up with future releases, they certainly have a product that can not only replace a laptop, but also replace the iPad as the tablet leader.
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Source: Surface Pro 4, Microsoft's Chance to Win the Tablet War
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