Microsoft May Have Killed the Surface Laptop Studio (tomshardware.com) 5
Microsoft has stopped production of the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and will mark it as end-of-life in June, with no successor currently planned. Tom's Hardware reports: The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is being put out to pasture quietly, much like other devices that the company has sunset. The Surface Studio, a desktop PC that folded down into a creative studio for drawing, was formally discontinued in December without a successor. Microsoft's audio products, the Surface Headphones 2 and Surface Earbuds, have also quietly disappeared.
The Surface Laptop Studio's discontinuance comes at a hazy time for the Surface brand. On the one hand, two new devices -- the Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch -- were just announced and are set to release next week. On the other hand, the lineup lost its champion, former chief Panos Panay, who left Microsoft for Amazon in 2023, reportedly over budget issues and product cancellations. Panay was succeeded by Pavan Davuluri.
Since Panay's departure, the lineup has been cut down to just the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, and the Surface Go 4, the latter of which is only sold to business customers at the moment. Without the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft has removed systems with discrete GPUs from its hardware lineup, potentially alienating creatives and gamers. Prior to the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft's powerhouse system was the Surface Book, which combined a tablet with a base featuring a discrete GPU.
The Surface Laptop Studio's discontinuance comes at a hazy time for the Surface brand. On the one hand, two new devices -- the Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch -- were just announced and are set to release next week. On the other hand, the lineup lost its champion, former chief Panos Panay, who left Microsoft for Amazon in 2023, reportedly over budget issues and product cancellations. Panay was succeeded by Pavan Davuluri.
Since Panay's departure, the lineup has been cut down to just the Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, and the Surface Go 4, the latter of which is only sold to business customers at the moment. Without the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft has removed systems with discrete GPUs from its hardware lineup, potentially alienating creatives and gamers. Prior to the Surface Laptop Studio, Microsoft's powerhouse system was the Surface Book, which combined a tablet with a base featuring a discrete GPU.
MicroSOFT has never been a hardware company (Score:2, Troll)
Their very long Hardware lineage was always adjacent for them.
People unhappy with the performance of their XT threatening to go to Mac or amiga? Let's give them a Mach10 or Mach20 card.
Companies making crappy mice that put people off from windows: Let's make a good one.
Companies making crappy keyboards, lets make a better one.
Companies making crap joysticks threathening the sales of flight simulator... you know the drill
The surface line was never about earning huge $ and outcompete apple, it was about "halo
Re: (Score:2)
My first Microsoft Bus Mouse came with a program. Don't remember if it was EasyCAD or Balance Of Power. Loved them both. But one came with my copy of 'Windows'. Just 'Windows'.
And I've relied on Surface devices since a Surface Pro 3.
Microsoft is *also* a hardware company.
I don't always buy laptops (Score:3)
But when I do, I mostly be buying Framework laptops because I don't then have to put up with that sort of crap.
There's one surface laptop in my household. The screen is cracked and It's built of unmaintainium. Never again.
Surface Headphones (Score:2)