Microsoft is winning on innovation

Not too long ago, the mere thought of using Windows as my daily driver was abhorrent. I had been a Mac user for years, even going to battle with my enterprise IT team, waging war for my right to connect my macOS devices to the corporate network. But recent innovations from Microsoft have forced me to rethink my stance– something I never thought I’d say.

It all started with Windows 10, the successor to the disaster that was Windows 8– an OS so reviled that Microsoft skipped “9” altogether, fearing people would confuse it as an older Windows 9ty-something.

For years, Microsoft watched helplessly as computing shifted toward mobile devices. The rise of smartphones and tablets left Windows looking increasingly outdated. In response, Microsoft swung for the fences with Windows 8, an ambitious attempt to create a unified desktop-mobile experience.

The result? A beautiful, flaming mess.

The infamous Metro UI introduced dynamic live tiles, replacing the familiar Start menu. Touch-first, mouse-second was the philosophy. But rather than appealing to both desktop and mobile users, it alienated them equally. Metro was sleek, sure, but it felt slapped on– like Windows 7 wearing a fancy make-up on top of Vista (which is on top of XP).

But hardware manufacturers also share the blame. Dell, Lenovo, Acer– the usual suspects– were focussing on profitability so much that they were unwilling or unable to create compelling (albeit risky) hybrid devices that could bring Microsoft’s vision to life.

That changed when Microsoft took matters into its own hands with the Surface line. Forget the first two iterations (we all have embarrassing first drafts), but by the time Surface Pro 3 arrived– with Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors– Microsoft had finally hit its stride. Even the more affordable Surface 3 (running an Intel Atom processor) was a commercial and critical success.

(Full disclosure: I’m writing this on my Surface 3 right now.)

With Surface, Microsoft borrowed a page straight from Apple’s playbook: design both hardware and software in perfect harmony. Windows 10 is the culmination of months of public beta testing, collecting millions of user interaction logs. Microsoft took that data and struck the right balance– retaining the best tablet features from Windows 8 while restoring the familiarity of the desktop.

The result? Windows 10 feels great in both tablet and desktop mode. And no device benefits more from it than the Surface:-

• At the office? Snap on the keyboard, and it’s a fully functional laptop.
• On the couch? Snap it off, and it’s an e-reader with an ultra-sharp display.
• Need to jot down notes? The Surface Pen is an absolute game-changer.

Beyond being the best device to experience Windows 10, the Surface is just an objectively well-designed piece of hardware. Even the cheaper Surface 3 feels premium– from its solid build quality to its gorgeous, high-resolution display with retina-quality sharpness and accurate colours.

Battery life? All-day performance.

Keyboard? Takes some getting used to, but surprisingly good.

But the killer feature? The Pen— perfect for annotations, notes, sketches, and diagrams. Palm rejection is flawless. It makes me feel like a futuristic scholar, scribbling away on digital parchment.

If I have one regret, it’s not getting the Surface Pro 3 instead of the Surface 3. The Atom processor struggles with Adobe Photoshop, forcing me to uninstall it. But I’m taking a bold step to fix that.

I’ve just ordered a Surface Pro 4– Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD– and I’ll be using it as my main work and play device. It’s powerful, portable, and best of all– no more fights with IT.