Making the case for a Surface desktop all-in-one

Since 2012, the world of consumer electronics running desktop operating systems, like Mac OS X, or Microsoft Windows, has revolved around perfecting 2-in-1 devices, with little mind being paid to all-in-ones and other more stationary products.

We can all agree that we live now in a mobile world, and our personal, and working lives rely on the convenience of mobile devices, for information, productivity and leisure. With that said, the merits of the desktop all-in-one are still a tangible thing to consumers.

With all things being equal, the reasons why desktop computer sales have declined, are not solely related to a trend that sees mobile devices as better fitting people’s lifestyles, they are also connected with features that could have been implemented and perfected a lot sooner than they did, and at a similar pace as it happened for laptops, in their evolution towards the hybrid 2-in-1.

Chip manufacturers have invested a tremendous amount of resources towards energy efficient chips that can work best with fanless, portable designs, and capable of delivering quasi-desktop performance, meaning that 2-3 pounder ultraportables like Surface Pro 4, or the 12 inch Apple MacBook Retina are capable of running desktop applications like Microsoft Office, and anything short of video editing and heavy image processing.

When in need to handle intensive tasks, desktop computers are still a popular option, especially in reference to graphically intensive applications, like Photoshop, AfterEffects, or Final Cut. In fact, most creative applications where a larger display and a more powerful graphic chip are needed, are best run on a desktop computer, like an iMac Retina, or a Windows 10 PC with better-than-average specs. Still, the features that modern desktop all-in-one users would see as a true incentive, come in the form of an experience that so far, has been delivered by mobile-only alternatives, like the iPad Pro, or the Microsoft Surface Pro: advanced touch-enabled displays, a superb stylus support with features like tilt-responsiveness and palm detection, and, of course, modularity.

This latter point is easily brought home by a comparison with the Surface Book, which is essentially a laptop that quite literally transforms into a tablet, by detaching the screen, which is, by any intent and purpose, a tablet, by itself, with its own power source and graphic hardware.

In a sense, when thinking of the perfect all-in-one, there is a lot that can be borrowed from the Surface Book. The concept at the core of the Surface Book, is that of a powerful docking station, with a less powerful, but more portable extension.

If we translate the same concept to a desktop all-in-one, the result would be an even more powerful desktop-bound docking station, with a detachable display containing its own, less powerful hardware, which would enable the display component to work independently. This concept would also bridge the gap between laptop and desktop, by creating a hybrid design for professional users, with advanced processing power and resources, and the portability of a mobile device.

A similar notion is most likely at the core of rumors surrounding Microsoft’s acquisition of a patent for a modular desktop PC, which might feature many of the elements we have described, including a detachable display that would operate as an independent touchscreen device. The idea of a Microsoft Surface Desktop AIO, is something of a gamble, but it might just work, as demand for more powerful devices will increase as more intensive applications, particularly in reference to VR, which is expected to increase in popularity, thanks to devices like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

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