Apple and Microsoft may be about to enter the ultimate desktop AIO deathmatch
If it weren’t already apparent from last year’s unveiling of the Surface Book, Microsoft is determined to make its mark in the device manufacturing business, with signature devices of its own, in a bid to take a bite out of Apple’s high-end laptop market share. Surprisingly enough, Microsoft’s desktop ambitions have yet to manifest, as the company has put a lot of effort into mobile devices, but nearly none into manufacturing desktop PCs, once again demonstrating Satya Nadella’s commitment to a mobile-first strategy.
With that into consideration, neglecting the desktop market is still, somewhat, an odd move for Microsoft. Apple has shown no sign of wanting to give up on the desktop AIO segment of its customers, as rumors hint to Apple’s plans to move into VR specs territory, by integrating the new AMD Polaris 10 GPU, supposedly up to par with Oculus Rift’s hardware requirements into its rumored upcoming iMac Retina.
Closing the Surface loop
Surface is Microsoft’s official devices division, but before it becomes any percentage of a threat to Apple, at any level, there are a few missing gaps that must be filled. One is the glaring gap left by the departure of Lumia, which is rumored to be due for replacement by a Surface brand handset. Another one is the desktop AIO, a category currently dominated by Lenovo and Apple.
What we know is irrelevant...
...compared to what this rumored Surface AIO is expected to be. The market of all-in-ones is in decline, and if Microsoft is serious about taking on Apple and Lenovo, this device must be more than good, it must blow people’s minds.
Fortunately, it looks like Microsoft has a patent describing exactly what the company needs to create something other than yet another boring AIO, in the form of a modular computer, built to be easily upgraded according to the kind of performance required. This kind of AIO could have the ability to deliver a blow to the iMac, by enabling consumers to interchange hardware components in a way that iMac users have been craving for years.