Yesterday Microsoft threw down a the gauntlet at its Windows 10 event. The announcement of its new Surface Studio all-in-one PC is a clear challenge to Apple’s iMac as the go-to editing suite for creatives.
The newest member of the Surface family sports the thinnest LCD monitor ever built with an ultra-HD 4. 5K resolution screen. The 28 inch screen has a touch interface, utilising Microsoft’s PixelSense tech. With its Zero Gravity Hinge, it can lay almost flat at a 20 degree angle. This is going to make it perfect for image editors, providing the same feel as a draft board.
/Microsoft
The Surface Studio also boasts multiple tools to for interaction. This includes the existing Surface Pen, so artists are going to be able to sketch directly onto the screen. More importantly the Surface Studio debuts with Microsoft’s other newly announced toy, the Surface Dial.
The Surface Dial (available from 10 November 2016 at US$99) resembles a palm sized hockey puck that sticks to any Surface device. It can be used for scrolling, zooming and navigation. However, it has specific bonuses when used in tandem with the Surface Studio. When placed directly on the screen, it intuitively adjusts to provide a toolset specific to what has been selected in the current program. During a photo edit, for example, the dial can be used to scroll through brush sizes or between colours. By freeing up your other hand to act while these changes are made, the Studio offers a new way of navigating quickly through settings and tools, which should speed things up immeasurably.
/Microsoft
“At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. ” said Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO. “We aim to empower the builders, the makers and the creators with the tools to create, collaborate and express themselves in new ways. ”
These new physical devices were the big bombshell of the event but at the same time, Microsoft is promising some major functionality with its new Creator Update. This free update is coming in early 2017, and will provide new editing possibilities in the realms of 3D, VR and augmented reality. These 3D constructions will be compatible across the entire Microsoft software range.
/Microsoft
Apple should be feeling concerned this morning. The new announcements demonstrate that Microsoft are really no longer content with each rival staying in its end of the pool, with PCs being considered the brand choice of technicians and Macs the weapon of choice for artists.
However, it doesn’t mean that Apple should be quaking in its boots with terror. The Surface Studio doesn’t beat an iMac in a few areas. For starters, the iMac has a 5K resolution to Surface’s 4. 5. Apple’s entry also costs a hefty chunk less, with the top-priced 27-inch iMac currently retailing at US$2,299 while Surface Studio has an estimated retail start price of US$2,999. Microsoft are also going to be fighting an uphill battle against a heavily entrenched creative user base that have grown to depend on the Apple network of devices.
That Surface Dial though. . .
. digitalrev.com2016-10-27 03:00
