Microsoft watchers have long expected the real successor of the Surface Book to launch later this year along with the Surface Pro 5, at the company's rumored spring event. However, if ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley is to be believed, the Surface Book 2 might not launch at the event, but a new device category may be in order.
The Redmond company has been conspicuously quiet over what we can expect, which has not been the case in the past. This unlikely calm before the event suggests a change in plans for the firm. Surface Book 2 it seems, isn't ready yet, as opposed to what some rumors have suggested.
What's more interesting here isn't Book 2's absence, though. There might be another "Category creator" device at the event. This device could be tied to the much-anticipated SKU of Microsoft's OS, Windows 10 cloud. The SKU that allows only Windows Store apps to be installed on the system is being seen as a competitor to Google's Chrome OS, which has proved to be rather popular with schools in the US. This report stays in the rumor territory though, with Microsoft remaining tight-lipped about the event.
We have to keep in mind that the Surface line exists to be an aspirational piece of hardware, and not compete with Microsoft's OEM partners, existing purely to exhibit Windows 10's unique capabilities. Thus, if the devices don't challenge the status quo, they may not see the light of day like the ill-fated Surface Mini.
Launched in October 2015, the Surface Book saw a semi-refresh in the form of an upgraded performance base that launched last year. The company even launched a new SKU of the Surface Book without the discrete GPU for $2999 earlier this month. That said, it was short-lived, being taken off the website soon after. Surface Pro 4 on the other hand, hasn't seen an upgrade in over a year and a half. Surface Pro 5 remains a mystery but, the company might still surprise us.
For those waiting on the Surface Book 2, this might not be your year, but you could buy the original at a discounted price in the UK. Win-win?
Source: ZDNet
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