With Windows 10 and Surface, Microsoft is (finally) making real consumer gains

In the Windows and Microsoft enthusiast community, there is constant tension. Some believe Surface, Xbox, and Windows x reveal the best of what the visitor has for consumers, while the fates of Windows Phone, Band, and Groove portray a declining company that has its head stuck in the (intelligent) clouds.

The truth lays somewhere in betwixt.

There is no hiding the fact that Microsoft has had some massive failures over the last few years, with mobile being the well-nigh damaging. Simply when you ask non-Microsoft fans about what they see, they tend to be impressed. (See tech announcer Owen Williams's excellent article "The Surface Book two is everything the MacBook Pro should be", for instance.)

Over the last few months, though, the company appears to take shifted once again, and it seems to be moving towards the consumer space. Again. Of course, many at Microsoft would say that they never were pulling away from consumers. But recent shifts and updates brand articulate information technology that non-business concern personal calculating is even so a focus.

Surface, Surface, Surface

Always since the Surface Pro premiered six years ago, many accept been calling for or predicting that Microsoft would non continue to brand PC hardware.

As recently every bit October of 2022, The Register ran an commodity citing industry insiders and executives with the headline "2019: The year that Microsoft quits Surface hardware". Since and then, the Surface Book 2 came to market and Surface Hub 2 was announced.

There is also speculation that a smaller, 10-inch Surface is returning to the lineup along with Surface Studio 2, a new Surface Pro in 2022, and, of grade, Project Andromeda, which we still hear will arrive in 2022.

Everything we know nigh upcoming Microsoft Surface and Xbox hardware

If all those pan out, Microsoft would have Surface, Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, Surface Book, Surface Studio, Surface Hub and whatever Andromeda is called for seven lines of PCs running Windows ten. That doesn't fifty-fifty include all the dissimilar configuration SKUs and technically two Surface Book 2 models. (We could put Surface Hub to the side every bit that is a bag business play at this indicate, simply the concept for consumers endures).

Toss in Xbox One X – designed along with the Surface team – and it is hard to fifty-fifty entertain that Microsoft is pulling out of making its own PC and gaming hardware.

Microsoft Store is getting improve

Microsoft finally seems to be taking its Store seriously, too. The Microsoft Store has gone from a stagnant app and game repository to something much more. For instance:

New My Library sub-categories for installed, all owned, ready to install, and installed titles.
Border extensions dedicated section.
Books.
PC and gaming devices area matching online store.
Departments (in testing).
Coming soon: wish listing, remote installs, and cart.
More than 4K movies.
Real PC games, like Frost Punk.

All the same, there is however too much "U.S.-only" going on with the Shop, and many users don't take admission to these features. Just at the very least, it is hard to believe that Microsoft is not putting more effort toward making the Microsoft Store a more exciting identify.

The Microsoft Shop is finally condign what it should have been five years ago. Microsoft should be criticized for taking so long, but that misses the point: Microsoft could just equally quickly let the Store die, give up, and move on if it was non serious about the consumer market.

The exact opposite is happening. At a fast pace. Finally.

App development is improving

Another interesting modify is with app development. Things like Microsoft To-Do, which has languished in development hell, is at present getting frequent updates with new features like a nighttime theme, tags, listing sharing, and Fluent design.

Even Skype, everyone's favorite app to hate, is getting a redesign for Windows 10 congenital on React Native and the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) – and and so far, it'due south excellent. There's that Twitter PWA, which is so proficient I utilize it equally my only Twitter app across all my devices. And the app-formerly-known-as MSN News is being refreshed with Fluent Design and a new name despite earlier reports that inbox apps were "winding down".

Gaming on PC is still a huge focus, with Xbox head Phil Spencer recently noting that the Xbox app for Windows is being reworked to focus more on PC gamers.

Next to Skype, Microsoft'due south Cortana is the side by side favorite app that people are expecting Microsoft to impale. In 2022, nosotros accept seen it go to Microsoft'due south Launcher for Android, Edge for Android, Outlook on iOS, and in Redstone four and Redstone v the features spread through the OS. These are the beginnings of weaving Cortana throughout apps and Windows 10, plus there is the futurity Cortana-Amazon Alexa partnership.

And Microsoft is doing a ton of work on consumer services and apps on Android and iOS.

Just is it all good enough?

Whether you call back Microsoft is doing plenty in the consumer infinite with hardware, or even Windows 10, is upwardly to you. All companies can always exercise more. But something has changed, and it's for the amend.

Much of this is driven by behind-the-scenes changes coming to Windows 10, similar more of a push for Windows in S-fashion and later Windows Core OS. At that place'due south also Windows ten on ARM, like Snapdragon 850 and now Snapdragon 1000, which has seen a lot of momentum in recent months (despite barely few devices on the market place). Likewise, possibly some of this is because Microsoft's Joe Belfiore, who e'er seemed to become Microsoft enthusiasts, is now heading up a lot of Windows 10 consumer initiatives. Combined all that with new Surface hardware, which will be very consumer-focused, and Microsoft'southward whole "retrenched" thing seems to accept been accurate.

Microsoft finally appears to be emerging from its consumer cocoon.

New report reveals Microsoft's future AR strategy; HoloLens 3 is dead

Oh Dear

New report reveals Microsoft's future AR strategy; HoloLens 3 is expressionless

Business Insider has today published a follow-up report with more than details about Microsoft's canceled HoloLens 3 augmented reality headset. The partnership with Samsung is said to include a headset with a prepare of screens inside, powered past a Samsung phone in your pocket.

Review: Surface Laptop SE is the new standard for K-8 Windows PCs

Keeping it affordable

Review: Surface Laptop SE is the new standard for G-8 Windows PCs

Starting at only $250, Microsoft's kickoff foray into affordable laptops for the instruction market is a winner. With a gorgeous design, first-class thermals, and a fantastic typing experience, Microsoft would do right to sell this straight to consumers also. Allow's just hope Intel tin can brand a improve CPU.