back to article 2019: The year that Microsoft quits Surface hardware

Microsoft will quit its loss-making Surface hardware business by 2019, according to execs from PC manufacturers and a channel watcher. Talking at the tenth Canalys Channels Forum in Venice, Canalys CEO Steve Brazier said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella would exit the product line because he is a “software guy, a cloud guy” and …

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  1. Vadar

    This is news?

    None of the commenters in the article have a vested interest in hoping Microsoft will fail in hardware :)

  2. johnwworth

    Shame - the Surface is excellent

    It would be a crying shame if the Surface line went, it is a truly excellent device if one travels and presents a lot as I do. A poweful lightweight and ultra portable machine with fabulous battery life is incredibly useful, the keyboard is attached with magnets so one has a useful notepad too (I avoid paper these days).

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    loss-making Surface hardware

    how can it be loss making when it sells for 1000 - 1500 squid?

  4. sz54c8

    Double "Hmmm"

    Hey El Reg, nice to see you've deleted my post (which was originally the first one on this article) pointing out the error in your proof-reading,, after you corrected it. Censoring criticism much?

    1. Duffy Moon

      Re: Double "Hmmm"

      I believe that the preferred method for notifying them of errors, is via the 'send corrections' link at the top of the comments page.

    2. James O'Shea

      Re: Double "Hmmm"

      sz54c8, vultures not known for the ability to spel or gud grammur use.

  5. Uberseehandel

    Last generation components

    The top end devices, specially the Surface Book and Surface Studio are eye-wateringly expensive, and use old tech components. How can this be a low margin activity, unless the fixed and marketing costs are out of wack?

    Show me a Surface Studio user who wouldn't like to have a second matching monitor. Yet where is it?

    Why cripple the processors with too few cores? And can they stream 4K films/TV that is protected? DDR4 memory? Thunderbolt 3?

    There is other stuff missing too, but detailed specifications appear to have been removed from the MS web sites.

    Why they didn't design it to use the the next gen hardware and release once the components were generally available, is a rookie error.

    If a user needs a top end workstation or ultrabook, it is almost guaranteed that the user will need more than one screen. Even spreadsheet jockeys need multiple screens.

    Maybe marketing types are unaware of this, MS appears to be completely overwhelmed by them.

  6. Sil

    The PC industry sure needed Surface to remind them how innovation looked like

    Microsoft needed Surface because PC makers were not innovating, still focused on selling crap with horrible hard drives and HD screens at the same time smartphones took off and tablets were introduced.

    Then they tried to sell horrible tablets too. with crappy hardware, horrible design, no autonomy.

    Surface showed them that touch could be interesting, that pen could be interesting, that 2 in 1 could be interesting and that good build quality and design could sell.

    The only problem with Surface is that they went from premium pricing to extortion pricing, and customers did not follow.

    I hope Microsoft will come down to earth and offer more realistic pricing, because while PC makers did tremendous progress, I fear they'll get complacent again.

    I was very satisfied with the RT, the SP3 & the Surface Book. Like any products, the Surface products can't be everything to all people. However, they are damn fine and unique products if you have a need for it. I absolutely could use a Surface Studio if the pricing wasn't that elitist.

    1. robin thakur 1

      Re: The PC industry sure needed Surface to remind them how innovation looked like

      The high pricing of the Surface and its accessories build in a few different factors including the weak pound, the high return rates, the development and marketing costs, and also the low volume which they sell. There is also the point that they do not want them to be the go to choice for people also considering HP, Asus, Lenovo or (shudder) Acer laptops. They are marketed to compete directly with the MacBook /Air/Pro line and make MS seem relevant. I can't imagine they have made much profit off of my Surface purchases due to the number of returns.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Amount of Surface / Surface books I've seen in use recently - loads

    Amount of ipad Pro's I've seen in use ever? - none.

    Yeah lets abandon something that is finally starting to catch on. Stupid Microsoft.

    1. WolfFan Silver badge

      Amount of Surface / Surface books I've seen in use recently - loads

      Amount of ipad Pro's I've seen in use ever? - none.

      Interesting. Where do you live? I've seen some Surface systems. Not many, but some. I've also seen some iPad Pros. Again, not many... but at least twice as many as I've seen Surface systems. The vast majority of tablets in active use around here are various non-Pro iPads and assorted Samsung tablets. Those two categories account for more than 90% of the tablets in use around here. YMMV.

    2. robin thakur 1

      Since Apple started making 9.7" and 10.5" iPad Pro's you've probably seen more than you think but just assumed they were iPads. I've grown to love my iPad pro especially after iOS 11's changes and getting the smart KB and Pencil really adds far more to the experience than I anticipated. I still have to use the Surface pro for work stuff until my new MacBook Pro arrives

  8. rmullen0

    Who wants a poorly constructed piece of garbage

    I have no idea why anyone would want to buy one of those. It has a vinyl keyboard. And you have to prop up the screen. Looks like garbage to me. The odd hinge looked like it would easily break also. Bottom line, you really can't trust Microsoft. Look at all the years of incompetence with Windows.

    1. d3vy

      Re: Who wants a poorly constructed piece of garbage

      You're getting several product lines confused....

      "It has a vinyl keyboard. And you have to prop up the screen" thats the surface pro, its a tablet with a keyboard cover - similar to an iPad.

      "The odd hinge looked like it would easily break also" thats a surface book, thats a.. laptop with a fully functional detachable tablet.

      There is also the new surface laptop which I didnt see the point of until I used one last week... really its just a windows PC, nothing special to see.. but the keyboard is great, the screen is great, its fast.. its just generally a decent machine.

      1. robin thakur 1

        Re: Who wants a poorly constructed piece of garbage

        The Surface Pro has an odd hinge too actually like an aircraft flap. It failed on my first Surface pro 3 but the two replacements haven't had issues (with the stand) however, it's definitely a compromise if you need to type on your lap, doesn't really work well. The surface Laptop would be good if it was priced normally and didn't have the stain magnet keyboard or Windows 10 S.

  9. steviebuk Silver badge

    Mine...

    ...is OK but I regretted buying it pretty much after it arrived. Got the high end Surface 4. Was supposed to be for drawing but I haven't used it much. Wish I'd got a Wacom instead really. It's OK but the mouse pad on the keyboard is crap. I still think they should of supplied the keyboards with the device.

    1. robin thakur 1

      Re: Mine...

      I'm not quite sure why *nobody* apart from Apple can manage to get trackpads with gestures working properly even now.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The intern says: This news is not true

    I am a Microsoft full time employee. Believe me - I had a chat with a colleague from the Surface Product Team today about this.

    This bullsh..article is fake news :-D

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The intern says: This news is not true

      and also Satya has just been named as Rex Tillreson's replacement.....

    2. nkuk

      Re: The intern says: This news is not true

      Unless your colleague is able to read senior executives minds, he does not know the future of the product.

  11. Howard Hanek
    Holmes

    Real Problem

    .....is based on MSs very real history of dumping products giving rise to speculation that they will repeat it with the Surface......

    "Dorothy ignore that man behind the curtain!"

  12. Jimmy2

    Shocking News: Dell and Lenovo Hope Microsoft Kills Surface

    It should surprise no one that Dell and Lenovo want Microsoft to discontinue the Surface line. Microsoft is the only place to buy a Windows machine that is not full of crapware. The Surface Book and Surface Studio look amazing to me. The main problem with the Surface line is Windows 10. I don't want an operating system with telemetry I can't turn off. And I don't want mandatory feature updates. And feature updates should be separated from security updates. The Microsoft employees responsible for Windows 10 should be tarred and feathered.

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