How Microsoft’s Latest Announcements Underscore Its Bold Ambitions

Microsoft’s press event exceeded the expectations of many industry observers. Here’s why the tech giant remains a formidable contender worth watching.

Microsoft didn’t waste time discussing how successful it has been. In fact, the company was quick to point out that Windows 10 is now running on more than 110 million devices worldwide and 1 billion questions have been tossed to Cortana. Better yet for the company, Microsoft’s Windows app store has tallied 1.25 billion downloads, and the new Edge browser has already loaded 650 billion Web pages.

Part of Microsoft’s presentation focused on the enterprise, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the company shared some key details about its corporate adoption. For one, 8 million corporate PCs are currently running Windows 10, and the company expects that number to grow considerably in the coming weeks. Microsoft executives made clear that the enterprise is happy with Windows 10 and will only continue to adopt it as time goes on.

No surprise here, but Microsoft officially unveiled the Surface Pro 4 at its press event on Oct. 6. The device comes with a 12.3-inch screen and runs on Intel’s Core Me3, i5 and i7 processors. The full version of Office is available to users and it, of course, runs on Windows 10. Microsoft was also quick to note that the device comes with nine hours of battery life for corporate users who need an all-day charge.

The Microsoft Lumia 950 is a solid device that Microsoft says offers “high-end features” and a “premium design.” The device comes with Windows 10 and offers a 5.2-inch screen. Internally, Microsoft opted for the 1.8GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and a 20MP camera to keep it toward the top of the pack from that perspective. The Lumia 950 seems like a solid option.

Microsoft also unveiled the Lumia 950 XL, a device that comes with some higher-end features than the Lumia 950. The Lumia 950 XL has a 5.7-inch screen, and like its smaller cousin, a 20MP camera. Like the Lumia 950, the 950 XL has 32GB of on-board storage but is expandable up to 200GB, thanks to a microSD card slot. The Lumia 950 XL also has a slightly higher-end processor, boasting a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. Look for the Lumia 950 XL to compete with other top-of-the-line smartphones.

Microsoft’s biggest surprise at the press event was the announcement of the new Surface Book, a laptop hybrid that allows users to plug the screen directly into the keyboard. The device works fine as a laptop, but the 13.5-inch screen also detaches to become a tablet. The device includes support for the Surface Pen for stylus-based writing and runs on Intel Core i5 or i7 processors. It even comes with an optional discrete graphics chip.

Microsoft showcased a new Surface Pen that can identify more than 1,000 levels of pressure, adding a new dimension to writing on tablets. In addition, the new Surface Pen comes with a year’s charge and feels more like writing on paper than on a tablet screen. One other key feature: an eraser, which Microsoft pointed out, the Apple Pencil lacks.