While Apple has gone all in with USB-C following the release of the company’s 2016 MacBook Pro line, Microsoft is taking a different route with its Surface devices.
Following the reveal of the 2017 Surface Pro, a revamped version of the Surface Pro 4 that features improved processor power, resulting in better battery life — about 13.5 hours, says Microsoft — and a more accurate stylus, Panos Panay, the head of all things Surface at the company, discussed why the new 2-in-1 doesn’t feature USB-C. However, the revamped computer doesn’t feature USB-C, a still relatively new form of port technology that’s widely regarded as the future of USB.
Those who have already adopted the dongle life will be pleased to hear that Panay has a new accessory designed just for you.
“If you want to charge a device with a Type-C charger, you can. If you want to put data back and forth with a Type-C peripheral, you can,” said Panay in an interview with The Verge, indicating that Microsoft is planning a new USB-C accessory designed for Surface devices.
Panay continues by explaining that he currently views USB-C as a “barrier” for customers. He believes that Microsoft needs to strike a balance between adopting future technology but also ensuring customers are still able to use the company’s devices without difficulty.
“A dongle or an adaptor or a cable that didn’t work because it was Thunderbolt or wasn’t Thunderbolt or I bought the wrong peripheral or I tried to charge it with my phone charger but it wasn’t enough to charge my device all day. Those are those moments,” says Panay in the interview.
In a hardware industry rapidly adopting USB-C arguably before accessory manufacturers have begun implementing the technology, Microsoft’s approach to featuring the new port technology in its laptops is a refreshing change of pace.
Microsoft easily could have switched the new Surface Pro’s mini DisplayPort to USB-C, but Panay says this would have been “taking away another port that matters.”
Source: The Verge
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