Microsoft announces Surface Studio desktop PC

Features new Surface Dial haptic feedback tool

On Wednesday during a Microsoft event in New York, company Surface chief Panos Panay went on stage and announced an all-in-one desktop PC designed for creators and professionals.

The Surface Studio is an all-in-one desktop featuring a 28-inch PixelSense Display with 4,500 x 3,000 resolution, or 63 percent higher than a 4K display. The 12.5mm thin touchscreen is capable of pushing 13.5 million pixels, and can switch between DCI-P3 and RGB color modes on the fly.

The desktop features a “zero-gravity hinge” that allows it to be adjusted as a giant tablet-style surface (Studio Mode) or as a standard vertical display (Desktop Mode). The hinge adjusts the display down to a 20-degree angle by using 80 custom-tuned springs to make an effortless transition between the two work modes.

In terms of specs, the all-in-one features an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 Skylake CPU, a discreet Geforce GTX 965M 2GB or Geforce GTX 980M 4GB graphics card, a 1TB or 2TB rapid hybrid drive, and the option of 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of RAM. Other features include a 5-megapixel front facing camera with Windows Hello sign-in support, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, integrated Xbox Wireless, four USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, stereo 2.1 speakers with Dolby Audio Premium, dual microphones, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a TPM chip for enterprise-grade security.

Surface Dial

The dial is a new tool Microsoft is introducing that can be used in the creative workflow process. When placed on the touchscreen, it gives users several context options to choose from while operating in tablet-mode. For example, in drawing, painting, drafting or editing applications, it can be used as a color picker, scrubber, rotator or volume adjuster, and can provide shortcuts for productivity apps as well.

The device provides haptic feedback through its aluminum casing to a user’s fingertips to aid with menu navigation and adjustments. Microsoft will include it in the box, but it will also be sold separately for $ 99.

Pricing and availability

The Surface Studio all-in-one desktop will be available on December 15th in the online Microsoft Store and retail locations for $ 2,999, $ 3,499 and $ 4,199, respectively. The three models offer a Core i5 with 8GB of RAM and 1TB HDD, a Core i7 with 16GB of RAM and 1TB HDD, or a Core i7 with 32GB of RAM and 2TB HDD.