The Surface Studio reinvented the All In One desktop category
when it was announced on October 26, 2016. It was the first
desktop computer which was manufactured entirely by Microsoft.
It was launched at a time when nothing new and innovative was
happening in the world of desktops. Microsoft’s Surface line up
was either reinvents an old category or creates a whole new
category. We can say that the Microsoft Surface Studio
reinvented or rather reimagined the desktop.
The Surface Studio featured a 28-inch 4.5K Pixel Sense display
with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 4500 x 3000 pixels
which is equivalent to a pixel density of 192 dpi. Windows was
originally created for 96 dpi so mathematically a 200% scaling
can be done on the Surface Studio. This display was also colour
calibrated at the factory itself to ensure accurate and precise
display colour for high profile creators. After all, the
Surface Studio was designed with creators in mind. Even though
it came with the Windows 10 Anniversary update, it was
optimised for the Creators Update.
One of the most interesting things about the Surface Studio is
its aptly named Studio Mode, where the display rotates with
immense ease from a normal vertical position to an angle of 20
degrees using the zero gravity hinge. This angle is perfect
because it matches a standard drafting table which is used by
artists and likewise users. This position allows people to use
the Surface Pen and Surface Dial in a more natural way. The
Surface Studio remains extremely stable at this position which
also adds to the ease of use.
This particular feature of the Surface Studio made it one of
the most interesting product releases in 2016. Microsoft has
filed a patent for the rotatable display with the zero gravity
hinge in the Surface Studio. The patent was filed in April 2016
at the U.S Patent Office. The good news is that Microsoft won
this patent on April 3, 2018.
Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B shows front and back of the Surface Studio.
From the words of Patently Mobile: “Microsoft’s patent FIG. 2
above shows the display system through a range of travel #202
along a fixed non-linear motion path #204 (e.g., with a single
degree of freedom such that an individual angle of the hinge
arm translates to a specific individual angle of the display
#108.”
Microsoft was concentrated more on the design of the Surface
Studio rather than its specifications. So the performance of
the device couldn’t really match up to its design. We are not
saying that it is a slouch. In fact, it was powerful enough but
for the asking price of 3000$ as the starting price, we
expected much better specifications. Nonetheless, the Surface
Studio still remains to be an excellent piece of hardware
unmatched by anything else in the market. Microsoft might be
working on a second-generation Surface Studio and we hope it
will be as interesting as the first one.
