Touch the new Surface
It’s been a seven-year wait, but Microsoft’s iconic devices are finally coming to South Africa this month. Arthur Goldstuck
Ever since the first Surface touchscreen computers were launched by Microsoft way back in 2012, they have been just out of reach for South Africans.
Available in the company’s branded stores as well as online, they were intended to be premium products to showcase Microsoft’s software and ecosystem.
The idea was that computer makers would replicate the Surface designs, or, at least, use them as a basis for their own designs.
The hybrid between tablet and laptop gave new momentum to the stopstart story of a computer format that would soon be called the 2-in-1: a laptop with detachable display that could be used as a stand-alone tablet, with the Surface adding a built-in kickstand.
However, poor sales of early editions compelled Microsoft to invest more heavily in both engineering and performance refinements designed to take on Apple’s leader in ultra-thin and ultra-light laptops, the MacBook Air. (Full disclosure: this story is written on a MacBook Air.)
It took less than three years to achieve the aim: the Surface Pro 3, released in 2014, turned the division profitable the following year, generating a $1 billion turnover in just one quarter.
The reason? For those to whom aesthetics are important, it was a thing of beauty.
Every bit as gorgeous as the MacBook Air, it made a style statement as well as an impact on productivity.
But that didn’t bring it closer to SA. The closest I ever got to it was trying the latest versions every time I got to mall-based Microsoft stores during international travels.
Those days are gone
Regular travels to global tech events are a dim memory. Microsoft announced last month it will close all its physical stores to focus on online and the good news is it will start bringing the range to SA this month. During a media briefing last week, Microsoft South Africa managing director Lillian Barnard announced that the current versions of both the Surface Pro and the Surface Notebook will arrive in the country on 29 July. Rarely, hype around the arrival of new computers will be justifiable.
Vithesh Reddy, consumer and channel marketing director at Microsoft SA, put it in perspective: “The Surface family has always transcended market expectations within the consumer or corporate segment, providing devices at the leading edge of innovation and establishing new benchmarks for excellence.
“At each iteration, we innovate the entire Microsoft ecosystem, ensuring our devices evolve into a line of products that cover the widest possible range of individual and business use cases.”
Only two devices will initially be brought to SA: the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3.
The Surface Pro 7 is an “instant-on” 2-in-1, powered by a 10th-generation Intel Core processor using fast charging and a fullday battery for normal use. It is fitted with USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to other devices.
The Surface Laptop 3 offers serious competition to the MacBook Air, having what Microsoft calls “thin, light and elegant design, offering rich tone-on-tone colour options and new metal keyboard finishes”.
Significantly, it promises up to 11-and-a-half hours battery life in typical use.
It is available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch formats, both with a touchscreen. It is also instant-on, with the 13.5-inch and commercial 15-inch models powered by 10th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, and the consumer 15inch edition running on an AMD Ryzen mobile processor.
Direct comparisons
“Our 13-inch Surface Laptop is the highest rated in terms of customer satisfaction
and has faster performance and improved graphics compared to previous generations.
“It’s now three times faster than a MacBook Air.
“The 15-inch offering is lighter than the MacBook Pro 15 inch.
“Its best-in-class keyboard is now joined by an almost 20% larger trackpad for easier navigation.”
How did Microsoft get it so right this time?
“Microsoft has shown that it is very serious about hardware,” Reddy said. “We are an ecosystem business. We depend on our partners and other OEMs [original equipment manufacturers, who build devices around the software], who likewise have also launched very slim, sleek, cool hardware that’s starting to create brand love with consumers.
“When you combine Windows 10 and what it delivers in terms of that user experience, with the right hardware, a slim device that starts up quickly, with the right features, you are really starting to create love for Windows devices. That is the core of our mission.”
We innovate the entire Microsoft ecosystem
Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of
Follow him on Twitter and Instagram on