Microsoft created the Surface range of laptops, tablets, and interactive whiteboards. The majority of these devices run on the Windows operating system. They are intended to be high-end gadgets that serve as role models for producers of other Windows-compatible goods. It includes multiple hybrid tablet generations, 2-in-1 detachable notebooks, an all-in-one convertible desktop, an interactive whiteboard, and a variety of peripherals, many of which have unusual form factors. Most Surface devices run Windows 10 or Windows 11 and are powered by Intel processors.
On June 18, 2012, Microsoft made the initial announcement of Surface at a Milk Studios in Los Angeles event hosted by former CEO
Steve Ballmer. Surface is the first PC created and sold exclusively by Microsoft, and it was the company’s first significant attempt to
combine its Windows operating system with proprietary hardware. The team leader of the Surface development team was Panos Panay.
When Sinofsky first announced the Surface line, he said that the first Surface’s price would be like other ARM devices and the Surface Pro’s price would be similar to that of Ultrabook’s. Later, Ballmer said that the $300 to $800 range was the “sweet spot” for the majority of the PC market. On October 16, 2012, Microsoft released the price and started taking preorders for the Surface tablet for “delivery by 10/26.” On October 26, 2012, the gadget debuted together with Windows 8’s general release.
On February 9, 2013, the following year, Surface Pro went on sale. The devices were first exclusively offered online and at Microsoft Stores, but later became available from other sellers as well. Ballmer called Surface’s distribution strategy “modest” in November 2012. Microsoft unveiled the 64 GB and 128 GB Surface with
Windows 8 Pro models’ prices on November 29 of that year. The tablet was scheduled to launch in the US and Canada on February 9, 2013.
On the day of its release, the tablet’s 128GB edition sold out. Due to the much smaller accessible storage capacity, there was less demand for the 64GB version, but there was almost equal
supply of the less expensive model. On March 30, 2015, the following year, it revealed the Surface 3, a smaller iteration of the Surface Pro 3.
Avanade, Accenture, Dell Inc., and HP announced the “Surface Enterprise Initiative” on September 8, 2015, to “enable more customers to enjoy the benefits of Windows 10.” As part of the collaboration, Dell will offer its current corporate services— Pro Support, warranties, Configuration and Deployment—for Surface Pro devices it sells in addition to reselling the product line through its business and enterprise channels. On October 10, 2015, at the Microsoft October 2015 Event in New York, Microsoft revealed the new Surface Book, a hybrid notebook, and the next generation Surface Pro 4. On March 25, 2016, Microsoft started delivering Surface Hub devices.
Microsoft said in June 2016 that the Surface 3 would no longer be produced after December of that same year. No new product has
been revealed. According to reports, this might be the result of Intel abandoning the Atom processor’s Broxton version. At Microsoft’s event on October 26, 2016, the Surface Studio and Surface Book with Performance Base were revealed. The Surface Dial, a wheel attachment, was also revealed and released on November 10, 2016. Microsoft unveiled the fifth-generation Surface Pro during a special event in Shanghai on May 23, 2017, right after announcing the Surface Laptop at the
#MicrosoftEDU event on May 2, 2017, and the Microsoft Build 2017 developer conference.
Microsoft unveiled the $400 Surface Go tablet with a 10-inch screen and 64 or 128 GB of storage in June 2018. Microsoft revealed the Surface Pro 7, Surface Laptop 3, and Surface Pro X on October 2, 2019.
A USB-C port is included with the Surface Pro 7 and the Surface Laptop 3.
The Microsoft SQ1 ARM processor is included with the Surface Pro X. Microsoft also hinted at two more forthcoming products: the Surface Duo, an Android-powered dual-screen smartphone, and the Surface Neo, a dual-screen tablet that was initially supposed to run Windows 10X. While the Surface Neo’s debut is reportedly going to be postponed until 2021, both products were originally scheduled for delivery in 2020. On September 22, 2021, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 8, the Surface Duo 2 and the Surface Laptop Studio