Surface Pro 8 - Speculation and Rumors

OK sports fans, time to start baseless rumors about the Surface Pro 8. Call them wishes, desires, or fantasies, let's at least try to distract the discussion away from mayonnaise and back to tech:

With all of the recent information about the imminent release of Thunderbolt 4, and the fact that it will have native support in the next Intel chipset - Tiger Lake - and since it is upping it's game on PCIe bandwidth support and video throughput...

How about merging the Surface Pro with the Surface Book 13" into a single Surface Pro X style device with TB4 giving you the option to connect a Type Cover or Surface Base (with dGPU). With the Surface Pen in the tray of either one you effectively have the siloed pen. Next, throw the Duo's Android development into a Windows 10x Android emulator container and you'd have ALL the tablet life of the Android environment.

Now you have the world's first 3-in-1: a full on gaming/entertainment tablet; 2-in-1 convertible with kickstand and fold around type cover; powerhouse laptop with the Surface Base - would that not be worth $3000 in today's market (probably $4000 with both bases)...

That might even turn me from the Apple path I am plodding down...

PS - Panos you can mail my royalty check at your convenience...

 

As requested by a prominent forum member over two years ago, how about

Last year in a similar thread I dreamt about these:

Amazingly, out of that whole list they actually implemented one! We got 'easy access to SSD' in some models.

 

One out of 50 ideas is not bad

 

Ouch - you guys with long memories are killing me!!!!!!!!!!

 

While a converged Surface certainly would be drool-worthy, do you think they really should be going for more expensive?

The reason why the Book and Studio (and arguably the Pro X) never saw market penetration was that they priced out the market. Contrast that to the Pro and Laptop lines, which saw adoption to the point of becoming market reference devices for design, value and build quality.

I think they need to be targeting a sub-$1000 Pro X style device that combines the best of Go, Pro and Book. So slim, low-bezel 10W 7nm Ryzen SOC with pen and type cover included. (The clamshell keyboard base could be offered for $200 battery-only and $500 with dGPU.)

Then market that thing with complimentary 2 year Surface Complete for the first 3 months after release. Margins would be low to non-existent, but it would go a long way in rebuilding the confidence in the consumer base with the Surface line, and give a much-needed shot in the arm to the flagging detachable market.

 

Given the recent release of the Book 3, I doubt Microsoft would do a Pro/Book combo/hybrid device. Had they held off on releasing a Book 3, that would be more likely.

With the closing of the Microsoft stores having thwarted my nefarious Pro 6 or 7 upgrade plot......With my Best Buys now open, I was contemplating trading in my Pro 5 and Go 1 towards the $799 i5 Pro 7, but I think I'm just gonna wait till the Pro 8. I just pray they make use of the Slim Pen finally with a keyboard cover with charging dock. They really should have offered that for the Pro 7.

 

Not that I'm interested in anything above the SGo size or the Neo at this point, but iterate all the Surface devices that are not the laptop and Book to the SPX design already.

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I’d want Pro X design with smaller bezels and rounded edges, and also want it to be much lighter— like astoundingly light somehow.


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Great idea, but hopeless - but for the SG line, it is all about "hero" devices and "superhero" prices to MS. In fact, I think their prices is almost as out of line as Apple's, and that is by design - less intrusion on the OEM's.

Besides, it's ego man, ego...