How Microsoft Has Become the Surprise Innovator in PCs<br />But it also wants the Surface line to sell — and although the division has grown enormously in the last few years, becoming<br />a critical part of Microsoft’s overall business, Surface is still far smaller than Apple’s Mac or iPad line.<br />“There’s this window of opportunity for Surface to get in there — and even if<br />that window closes with some of Apple’s upcoming devices, I don’t think Apple has that market locked up.”<br />Last month, I visited Microsoft’s hardware lab at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash.<br />And yes, Microsoft’s latest financial results aren’t exactly on my side here — the company announced last week<br />that though its cloud software business is growing rapidly, revenue for its Surface division declined by 2 percent over the last year (because of changes it made in its launch schedule).<br />In the last two years, while Apple has focused mainly on mobile devices, Microsoft has<br />put out a series of computers that reimagine the future of PCs in thrilling ways.<br />Yet perhaps because it’s way behind Apple, Microsoft’s hardware division is creating<br />products more daring than much of what has been coming out of its rival lately.<br />“I think Microsoft has recognized over the last couple years<br />that maybe the creative community isn’t as locked into the Mac as many people think it is,” said Jan Dawson, an independent technology analyst.
