The notion that Microsoft is potentially killing its Surface line has been labeled preposterous. This best sums up the response of Corporate Vice President of Devices Panos Panay when he got word of a vicious rumor that the Redmond company would be killing its Surface lineup by 2019.
Panos addressed the rumor in an interview with Business Insider. A couple of days ago, Lenovo’s Chief Operating Officer Gianfranco Lanci said that Microsoft is making a lot of money on cloud and on Windows and Office but suffering from losses on devices, The Register reported.
Market share and sales numbers are declining but those may not be enough to force the Redmond company to abandon their Surface products.
Surface is here to stay
Microsoft will continue to build on the Surface line of products, a niche they consider more important than selling hardware. The improvements will continue and that normally serves as the lead for the PC market to follow.
A good example would be the speed and accuracy tied up to the Surface Pen. With the improvements on the stylus interface, other PC manufacturers have studied and adopted the changes. The users are the eventual benefactors from the improvements, a cat-and-mouse game hardly surprising in this niche.
Microsoft not pressuring themselves
Similar to the frequency of release of new products, Microsoft doesn’t follow a stable schedule. They are known to embark on a long-term plan, methodically analyzing and introducing new technology that lasts for more than a year.
A good example would be the Microsoft Surface Pro series. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 came out in October 2015 and has undoubtedly left a good mark.
With the changing times, techies know that a successor would be coming.
Microsoft did come out with the Surface Pro though most are still left hoping to see an actual Surface Pro 5. Tech Radar reveals how some consumers are keeping their fingers crossed for a release before October ends, even if the chances of that happening are not so high.
Scratching the surface
At any rate, the only thing that Surface Pro loyalists can do right now is to wait and see. The good news is that the celebrated product line is not getting axed and that Microsoft is taking its sweet time before unleashing a new machine.
They may not be among the top hardware vendors, a numbers game that potential buyers normally refer to. Panay is aware of these developments but assures that there is no loss of confidence. He believes that the efforts they are exerting are still worth it, believing the trend will eventually shift in their favor.
