Quote:
Originally Posted by pl001
Keep in mind that Microsoft's plan with the entire Surface line has never been about sales. It's about prodding OEMs into making better Windows devices.
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Well, now. Prodding the OEMs, yes.
But a billion bucks per quarter is hardly chump change.
And don't downplay the strategic value of flagship products.
Anything that upstages Apple in the enterprise market is a big plus in Microsoft eyes. There are many reasons why they've been hammering Apple in their marketing, none of which are about convincing Mac users to switch.
Gee whiz Surfaces are a great way to counter the whole post-PC narrative.
As in "media tablets and phones have their uses but for productivity there is no substitute for a PC". This stuff isn't aimed at general consumers but rather at pros and enterprises. (A pen that is Wacom tablet grade isn't something you get just as a mouse substitute. But if you're a digital artist...)
(Oh, and modularity doesn't have to be at the component level. Desktop PCs have long been modular at the subsystem level: monitor, keyboard, mouse... Laptops? Not often.)