Microsoft announces their brand new all-in-one PC — the Surface Studio

Microsoft‘s latest device is definitely something I did not expect. I thought we’d see a new Surface Pro or a new laptop. Instead, the Microsoft announces a brand new, ultra-thin all-in-one device. Meet the Microsoft Surface Studio.

The Surface Studio is designed for creators which was a recurring theme throughout Microsoft’s big event. What Microsoft has created looks like it’s supposed to be the ultimate device to empower your inner creative mind.

Well, it’s certainly powerful. The Surface Studio comes equipped with up to a 6th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB hybrid drive and a 4GB NVIDIA GeForce 980M graphics card. The base configuration bumps the power down to an 6th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 1TB of internal storage, 8GB of RAM with a 2GB GPU. Alternatively, you can opt for the mid-spec model that bumps the CPU to a Core i7 chip while doubling the RAM to 16GB.

It also has a big beautiful display. Coming in at 28-inches, the Surface Studio’s monitor is designed to be true to life with TrueColour and True Scale technology. According to Panos Panay, one inch on the monitor is one inch in real life. This display pushes 13.5 million pixels, bringing the pixel density to 192 ppi across the 3:2 display.

What’s more, Microsoft is also calling it the thinnest LCD display in the world as the LCD portion is only 1.3mm thick while the entire monitor with the forged aluminium enclosure comes in at 12.5mm thick. This display can also switch between DCI-P3 and sRGB colours on the fly.

Microsoft says that the Surface Studio’s design purpose was to be as unobtrusive as possible. This is because the company believes that when creators come together to create, it’s supposed to be just the creators and the screen in front of them.

So they’ve housed all the PC’s components into a tiny little base, slapped on an unprecedented cooling system and worked on keeping the acoustics as low as possible. Even the chrome arms that hold the screen up are designed to blend into the background so they aren’t as obvious.

Oh and did I mention that the display can be adjusted down to a 20-degree angle (almost flat) from an upright position with little to no effort? Microsoft says this is possible because of the Studio’s zero-gravity hinge which contains 80 parts and custom-tuned springs to make the display feel weightless.

Since it’s a Surface device, the Studio obviously comes running Windows 10 with support for Cortana, Windows Hello and has an HD camera on the front. It will also come with a Surface Pen and something called the Surface Dial.

I’m not quite sure what to call this little contraption, but it’s designed to be a new form of input that you interact with by pressing down and turning it left or right. You can also either do that on the desktop or plop it on your screen for a whole new way of controlling your creative process.

The good news for old Surface users is that the Dial will also work with a Surface Pro 3, a Surface Pro 4 and a Surface Book.

Speaking of Surface Books, Microsoft also announced a new top-of-the-line Surface Book called the Surface Book i7 which comes with more power in the form of a 6th-gen Intel Core i7, 2x the graphical performance (3x more than the MacBook Pro 13…at least until tomorrow) with a new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M and 30% more batteries. That increase in battery capacity is supposed to give the Surface Book a 16-hour battery life.

The new Surface Studio will be priced as follows:

Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 1TB storage, 2GB GPU — USD2,999 (around RM12,461)
Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB storage, 2GB GPU — USD3,499 (around RM14,540)
Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, 2TB storage, GeForce 980M (4GB) — USD4,199 (around RM17,448)

It will be available for pre-order on the 26th of October in the US. On the other hand, the new Surface Book i7 will be priced at USD2,399 (around RM9,970) and can be pre-ordered on the 26th of October.

What do you guys think of Microsoft’s new Surface? Let me know in the comments below!