Microsoft fans who’ve wanted a Surface desktop computer don’t have to wait much longer.
The company held a press event — with a tagline “imagine what you’ll do” — in New York City Wednesday morning to show off a collection of shiny new tech products ahead of the holiday shopping season.
As expected, Microsoft debuted an all-in-one Surface PC called Surface Studio. While the tech giant has launched tablets and laptops under the Surface branding, this is the first time we’ve see it land on a desktop computer.
The computer includes a hinge that allows it to lay flat, as well as touchscreen and stylus capabilities — similar to what’s already standard for other Surface products.
Microsoft said the 28-inch display is the thinnest LCD monitor ever made at 12.5 mm. It comes with a powerful four-core i7 chip, 2TB hard drive and an HD camera.
The news comes one day before Apple hosts its Mac-centric product launch in San Francisco, where we’ll likely see a new MacBook Pro and possibly an updated iMac desktop.
In a surprise announcement, Microsoft also introduced the SurfaceBook i7, priced $2,399 and starts shipping in November. The laptop comes 30% more battery life than its previous Surface Book — about 16 hours of battery life on a single charge. The company says it has three times the graphics performance of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
But there’s a lot more coming from Microsoft than just hardware. The company also unveiled its next-generation Windows software — called Windows 10 Creator Update — which has a greater focus on creativity. It also touts virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D support.
The update will be available to all Windows users starting in 2017.
According to the company, more than 400 million people currently use Windows 10. But it wants users to start thinking of Microsoft products as more than just productivity tools but a way to express ideas.
To start, it revealed an updated version of its iconic Microsoft Paint software. Microsoft Paint 3D lets you take photos of physical objects on your smartphone and upload it to the platform. From there, you’ll be able to customize the images in 3D and print them out.
The company is also throwing a 3D model option into its Microsoft PowerPoint toolbar, so you can spin pictures of objects on screen during a presentation. An upgrade to the Microsoft Edge browser will support 3D, too.
The operating system is also getting more social. It’s adding a tool to make sharing articles, pictures and messages easier. You’ll be able to add your most important contacts to your desktop, and Microsoft will filter your Mail and Skype messages according to what it thinks you’ll want first.
Microsoft also announced a new collection of VR headsets, starting at $299, from a series of partners like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and Asus. Although not too many details were revealed about the products, they’ll be available for consumers next year.
However, the company spent an ample amount of time on stage highlighting its vision for the future of gaming. As a part of Windows 10 Creator Update (via its Xbox app), users will broadcast the games they’re playing in real time — a move that takes on popular gaming network Twitch.
CNNMoney is following the news live, so check back soon for more on what’s unveiled.
