All the Leaks That are Fit to Print

Finally, a 15-inch Surface Laptop! (Source: Evan Blass)
Finally, a 15-inch Surface Laptop! (Source: Evan Blass)

Well, Microsoft’s hardware event tomorrow has pretty much been ruined by leaks. There are literally no surprises to be had, thanks to some more leaks this morning.

So let’s summarize.

Based on many, many leaks, Microsoft will announce:

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ARM-based Surface tablet. Aimed at students, this device will carry a new brand that hasn’t leaked yet. It has two USB-C ports and a thin and light form factor. Update: It’s apparently called Surface Campus. Or perhaps that is the codename.

Surface Pro 7. The new Pro packs both USB-C and USB-A.

Surface Laptop 3. This will ship in a new 15-inch version (in addition to 13-inches) with a very attractive new look, no Alcantara, and one USB-C port. Supposedly AMD-based for some reason. Curious about dedicated graphics, but the 15-inch version looks thick enough to support it.

Peripherals. New mice aren’t that exciting, but a new Surface Pen with wireless charging dock very much is.

Sneak peek. As I had hoped, Microsoft will allegedly show off a new Windows version called Windows 10X aimed at new dual- and folding-screen devices along with a prototype of Centaurus, both due in late 2020. Maybe we’ll see third-party devices too, since Lenovo and Dell have already publicly discussed they are working on such things. I assume each of the biggest PC makers will follow Microsoft down this rabbit hole.

That last bit is, of course, the biggest news. Well, that and the fact that there’s no Surface Book 3. Is it possible that Surface Laptop is being repositioned to take its place? We can only speculate.

You know. Until the next leak.

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Conversation 59 comments

  • jf-nyc

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 9:02 am

    <p>Any word on whether the USB C connections are also Thunderbolt 3?</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 9:06 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473113">In reply to JF-NYC:</a></em></blockquote><p>They are not.</p>

      • jboman32768

        Premium Member
        01 October, 2019 - 7:48 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#473113">In reply to JF-NYC:</a></em></blockquote><p>They are not.</p><p><br></p><p>Yikes. That means they are still several years behind the game? – But perhaps this is a shift to the Apple way of doing things; not being cutting edge, but usually releasing more mature products?</p><p><br></p>

  • benstat

    01 October, 2019 - 9:05 am

    <p>Hmm, Windows key on the right?</p><p><br></p><p>Aha! The pic is flipped!</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 9:06 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473114">In reply to benstat:</a></em></blockquote><p>Fixed :)</p>

  • Thom77

    01 October, 2019 - 9:05 am

    <p>As the resident Surface Go Shill, I request a Surface Go reduced bezels leak ……….. NOW!!!</p><p><br></p>

    • jaredthegeek

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 11:47 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473115">In reply to Thom77:</a></em></blockquote><p>I just did a Cybersecurity Capture the flag event on my Surface Go. The battery is a bit lacking but people beat on it far too hard. I did an MBA on a Surface 3 and the Go and now another Master's in CyberSecurity on almost exclusively the Go.</p>

    • justme

      Premium Member
      02 October, 2019 - 2:58 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473115">In reply to Thom77:</a></em></blockquote><p>The bezels don't bother me personally. As someone that travels (for work and for me), this is the right size for my needs. I'd just like a *little* more out of it…</p>

  • mjarosch

    01 October, 2019 - 9:17 am

    <p>The link to the evleaks Windows 10X tweet is only visible if you are a "confirmed follower". Any chance of adding a screen shot of the tweet?</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 9:18 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473118">In reply to mjarosch:</a></em></blockquote><p>Recording a podcast, but will try and do so afterwards.</p>

    • MikeGalos

      01 October, 2019 - 12:40 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473118">In reply to mjarosch:</a></em></blockquote><p>So are all the links pointing to the evleaks Twitter feed.</p>

  • siv

    01 October, 2019 - 9:25 am

    <p>I was hoping there would be something on a new version of Windows based on the MinWin type thing where they are removing a lot of the backwards compatible stuff and making Windows leaner and meaner at the expense of breaking some older stuff. To me that's worth having for people who want a lean high performance version of Windows and they just have to accept older applications may not be supported on it. As long as they don't make it only run "modern" apps which would be a dead end. I can see a future where there is an optimised version of Dot Net Core that is designed to limit a lot of the vulnerabilities caused by the back compatibilty stuff that runs more efficiently and requires low enough specs to run acceptably on other cpu platforms like ARM so that it can have long battery life for portable devices and blinding performance for gamers and desktop users. So you could have a business version that is currently fully what we have now and a consumer version that uses the new environment for sheer performance and much lower hardware spec to run acceptably on lower power devices.</p>

    • christian.hvid

      01 October, 2019 - 10:38 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473120">In reply to Siv:</a></em></blockquote><p>I might be mistaken, but hasn't MinWin been the informal name of the Windows core all the way back to Vista? That said, Windows 10X appears to be approximately what you're looking for, with legacy software apparently being virtualized and offloaded to the cloud to create a semblance of backwards compatibility.</p>

      • siv

        01 October, 2019 - 12:33 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#473211">In reply to christian.hvid:</a></em></blockquote><p>I didn't clock 10X was it, I thought it had a different name, but thanks for letting me know. I am currently running Linux but I would certainly be interested in something like that on my work laptop (most of my clients are on Windows).</p><p>Siv</p>

  • mtalinm

    01 October, 2019 - 9:37 am

    <p>surface 7 arm looks like the holy grail, but let me guess that they put a phone-sized battery in it that will last maybe 5 hours</p>

  • frank_costanza

    01 October, 2019 - 9:48 am

    <p>Surface Campus ???</p><p><br></p><p>Why limit your audience? Just call it Surface Go 12 (or whatever the screen size is).</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • jeff.bane

    01 October, 2019 - 9:51 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Supposedly AMD-based for some reason. – AMD's integrated graphics are quite a bit better than Intels and the chipset is finally competitive. Makes sense if there's no dedicated video card.</span></p>

  • solomonrex

    01 October, 2019 - 10:02 am

    <p>I would have gone with Wampus, but that's me.</p>

  • Scsekaran

    01 October, 2019 - 10:19 am

    <p>What is wrong with AMD based laptops?</p>

  • will

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 10:26 am

    <p>I saw some pics that there are versions of the Surface Laptop with Alcantara as well? Two versions?</p><p><br></p><p>Either way the picture looks to be a new deep grey color and looks very good.</p>

  • rmlounsbury

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 10:47 am

    <p>Well this is certainly dissapointing, even more so when you consider that Microsoft is just about the only major OEM that didn't have half of it's product porfolio announcement leaked out weeks to months ahead of the event. Pretty incredible ball drop 24 hours a head of the thing. </p><p><br></p><p>Anywho, it is going to be fairly dissapointing if the Windows Lite/Microsoft OS that we've been discussing over the months is nothing more than Windows 10X an OS designed for dual screened devices and nothing more. Or maybe they are two seperate things? </p>

  • StevenLayton

    01 October, 2019 - 10:48 am

    <p>I feel like the much younger me who peeked in his parents cupboard a week before Christmas and had all the surprises spoilt :)</p>

  • red.radar

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 10:56 am

    <p>The AMD surface laptop is interesting. </p><p><br></p><p>I wonder if the decision was influenced by:</p><ul><li> a) technical merit of the chips</li><li> b) 14nm shortages at intel </li><li> c)Microsoft / Intel friction and politics </li><li> d) all the above </li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p>

    • olditpro2000

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 3:52 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473216">In reply to red.radar:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Or simply money. AMD may have given them a deal.</p>

  • Daniel Kay

    01 October, 2019 - 11:01 am

    <p>The tweets linked to all show as protected tweets?</p>

    • jboman32768

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 7:45 pm

      <p>&gt; The tweets linked to all show as protected tweets?</p><p><br></p><p>Yep – Evan got sick of the crazys so he protected his twitter account. Existing followers are okay though.</p>

  • Daekar

    01 October, 2019 - 11:04 am

    <p>I will look forward to the new mice. I have one of the bending surface mouse thing-a-ma-jigs, and and I have to say, I really love using it. It's an elegant solution to the problem of portable mice – the thing is so flat when not deployed it fits practically anywhere. The UX is excellent… the thing just works.</p>

    • SvenJ

      01 October, 2019 - 1:05 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#473238"><em>In reply to Daekar:</em></a><em> </em>And it is easy to remember to turn it off so the battery lasts forever.</blockquote><p><br></p>

  • Vuppe

    01 October, 2019 - 11:05 am

    <p>Why wouldn't it be AMD-based? AMD has overtaken Intel in processors, especially in productivity. Since Surface = productivity the switch makes sense. They also have better power:performance,. Even their graphics chips are good for mobile devices, if you don't want to go full-on gaming.</p>

  • mebby

    01 October, 2019 - 11:21 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Aimed at students, …" Hmmm… what about the rest of us. But I guess that makes sense since it will be something good for students but I will likely get a Surface Campus to replace my Surface Go now that my SP 4 is getting hard to use (battery life, heat, GSOD) and I want a bigger screen than the Go.</span></p><p><br></p>

    • jaredthegeek

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 11:48 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473251">In reply to mebby:</a></em></blockquote><p>The name is weak but pointed. Depending on how well it works my wife may get my Surface Go while I take that.</p>

  • glenn8878

    01 October, 2019 - 11:44 am

    <p>I would rather hear new programs ported to ARM before investing in an ARM Windows device. ARM will never gain traction since they prematurely closed down Windows Phone. Microsoft Store is still a mess.</p>

    • SvenJ

      01 October, 2019 - 1:04 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#473264"><em>In reply to glenn8878:</em></a><em> </em></blockquote><p>I won't buy an ARM device until there are more apps.</p><p>I won't write ARM apps, nobody is buying the devices.</p><p>Windows Phone deja vu</p><p><br></p>

      • jhlundin

        01 October, 2019 - 3:02 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#473379">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>…but I sure like ARM battery life…</p>

      • Elton Saulsberry

        01 October, 2019 - 3:50 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#473379">In reply to SvenJ:</a></em></blockquote><p>Your company might, for that new mobile checkout device they've been wanting…. General computing isn't the only role for MS devices. Heavy is the corporate influence.</p>

        • glenn8878

          01 October, 2019 - 4:45 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#473525">In reply to Elton_Saulsberry:</a></em></blockquote><p>Those are usually phones. I've seen iPhones used as mobile checkout devices. Windows ARM is a laptop or tablet. Windows Phones are yesterday's news. Will they revive Surface Phone? I doubt it.</p>

  • Stooks

    01 October, 2019 - 11:44 am

    <p>Windows on ARM attempt 5 or 6 now? (Windows Phone 7,8,10, RT, always connected etc). Windows on ARM will be successful when there are enough native apps to make people happy enough to buy it. </p><p><br></p><p>Emulation and PWA's are not enough when both pale in comparison to native apps.</p>

  • jaredthegeek

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 11:49 am

    <p>AMD is killing it right now. Their graphics power is far better than Intel at the moment though they tend not to have as good of battery life.</p>

  • John Craig

    01 October, 2019 - 11:49 am

    <p>Aaaarrrrgghhh, no more leaks, please 🙁 </p><p><br></p><p>I really wanted to watch tomorrow's event with no spoilers.</p>

  • gregsedwards

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 11:56 am

    <p>I keep wondering about those two new webcams that Paul and Andrew eluded to back in December 2018. Never heard anything else about them. Any chance they'll be announced tomorrow?</p>

  • ecumenical

    01 October, 2019 - 12:24 pm

    <p>The 15 inch laptop looks like a bid to attract disgruntled casual MacBook Pro users. Same sleek and thin aluminum, but now with functional keyboard and trackpad that isn't comically oversized. </p><p><br></p><p>The AMD chip should give it decent CPU/GPU balance compared to Intel, and they can leave the dGPU for the thicker Book and actual professional use cases.</p>

    • siv

      01 October, 2019 - 12:38 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473302">In reply to ecumenical:</a></em></blockquote><p>I am not a Mac user but definitely prefer the more traditional 15.6" screens of old. My fingers are like Paul's I suspect, as he always says he has Gorilla hands, which exactly describe mine. On 13" machines the keys are so small that I often bash unexpected keys. Also as I am now an old fart I can't be doing with titchy little screens as my eyes just can't take it any more.</p><p><br></p><p>It would have to come down in price though as they are always way too expensive for me.</p><p><br></p><p>Siv</p>

  • jgraebner

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 12:27 pm

    <p>I think it is really getting to a point where the big tech companies need to give up on these announcement events. The details are all getting leaked beforehand anyway, so press releases (or professionally produced and edited video announcements) along with scheduled demo sessions (without the speeches) for press probably make more sense.</p><p>Let's face it, these events only exist because of Steve Jobs and none of the current tech executives, including those at Apple, even come close to his level of showmanship.</p>

    • SvenJ

      01 October, 2019 - 12:52 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#473304"><em>In reply to jgraebner:</em></a><em> </em>Panos Panay live is pretty good as a presenter at these things. </blockquote><p><br></p>

    • dstrauss

      01 October, 2019 - 1:29 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473304">In reply to jgraebner:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote>Yes, these "pressers" are getting to be boring and monotonous. Until someone invents indestructible bending glass, nothing to see here except more of the same design chnages – sometims (like now) not even adopting the newest and best standards (anyone else miss the clap of Thunder at Microsoft)? </blockquote><p><br></p>

    • olditpro2000

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2019 - 3:51 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473304">In reply to jgraebner:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>All very true. Nintendo started going this way with their Directs – just precanned video presentations that land on a set date and time.</p><p><br></p><p>Most of these tech events are simply not necessary, regardless of the presenter. For example, does anyone have any desire to go to the annual Amazon event where they announce the latest place they've decided to jam Alexa into? I don't even bother to watch it at all, live or delayed. I just catch up on the PR afterwards.</p><p><br></p><p>That said, some of the currently Apple presenters are good, especially Craig Federighi and Phil Schiller. Panos Panay isn't bad either. The presenter can sometimes redeem a poor product offering at least a little bit.</p>

  • olditpro2000

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 12:37 pm

    <p>Windows 10X…only for dual/folding screen devices? Or is this the formal name for LiteOS and potentially going to make its way to traditional form factors like laptops?</p>

    • branpurn

      01 October, 2019 - 2:20 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#473341">In reply to OldITPro2000:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>That's what I would hope for. It would be disappointing to see Windows 10X (Core OS? Lite?) be just another spin-off of Windows 10 relegated to a novelty form factor, rather than a true parallel modernization of Windows.</p>

  • Winner

    01 October, 2019 - 1:00 pm

    <p>Which version of One Windows do each of these run?</p>

  • brentboylan

    01 October, 2019 - 1:31 pm

    <p>It seems like the last time there were this many leaks is when Hololens was introduced. Maybe there is something else coming?</p>

  • palmer73

    01 October, 2019 - 1:43 pm

    <p>I wish an announcement would be made of a special version of Windows that works on my Acer laptop that only has a 16gb EEMC flash "hard drive".. can't update that thing to save my life..</p>

  • derylmccarty

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 3:49 pm

    <p>It is probably not in the specs for tomorrow's announcement, but if/when the LTE version of Surface Pro or Laptop 3 comes in say 6 months, will it sport 802.11ax as well as 5G or later? I know they are not the same hardware. but ARM and/or CoreiX products should support. Or am I a bit too far ahead of the curve? (Geez, Paul, the AX touts 9gb transfer rates, compare that to our trying to coax 1kb rates from a 14.4 modem 25 years ago. Moore's Law still applies in some areas) </p>

  • Brazbit

    01 October, 2019 - 5:43 pm

    <p>a 15" laptop with only one USB-C port? I don't care that you can run 128 devices off that one port and charge with it as well, ports break or go wonky over time. You have a gigantic (by today's standards) device you can afford to put more than one port in it. Plus it is nice to have at least one on each side to reduce cable clutter, two on each side would be ideal. </p><p><br></p><p>Also USB-C with or without Thunderbolt? 3.0, 3.1, or 4.0 (5GB, 10GB, 20GB, 40GB?) I believe the C port on the Go is only 3.0 but these are far higher end devices.</p><p><br></p><p>Bravo on putting both a C port and an A port on the Pro.</p><p><br></p><p>People were down on the otherwise excellent Go because of the Pentium processor I can only imagine how the ARM processor will be greeted.</p><p><br></p><p>A charging dock for the pen is nice, better would be if this generation of devices were capable of charging them directly. Although since I have yet to require a battery change in any of my existing styluses I don't know how useful this really is.</p><p><br></p><p>Windows 10S, Windows 10E &amp; now Windows10X? What? Is Satya following Elon with his S, 3, X, Y models of Tesla?</p>

  • chaad_losan

    01 October, 2019 - 6:39 pm

    <p>Yawn! What ever.</p>

  • simard57

    01 October, 2019 - 7:09 pm

    <p>wouldn't it be feasible to wirelessly charge the pen while attached to the computer magnetically without requiring a dock? Perhaps not enough room for the charging coils?</p><p><br></p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    01 October, 2019 - 8:02 pm

    <p>The leakers should be fired. Or at least they would be if I were in charge. How much of a let down is it for the Surface team not to be able to tell the story about their new devices.</p>

  • hrlngrv

    Premium Member
    02 October, 2019 - 1:47 pm

    <p>So Alcantara has proven to be a fad MSFT just couldn't resist until market results proved they should have resisted. Gotta wonder whether carpeted keyboards will turn out to be the dumbest computer idea of the decade.</p>

  • BlackForestHam

    02 October, 2019 - 5:18 pm

    <p>Yup. Pretty much ruined — OH WAIT! lol</p>

  • michelle66

    17 October, 2019 - 7:17 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I don't care that you can run 128 devices off that one port and charge with it as well, ports break or go wonky over time. You have a gigantic (by today's standards) device you can afford to put more than one port in it. Plus it is nice to have at least one on each side to reduce cable clutter, </span><a href="https://www.myprepaidbalance.me/&quot; target="_blank">official site</a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">two on each side would be ideal. </span></p>

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