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Microsoft is holding an education-focused event on May 2nd
Surprise! Microsoft will hold an event on May 2nd in New York, and based on the invite we received, there will likely be a focus on its education initiatives. "Learn what's next. #MicrosoftEDU" the colorful invite reads. The company's Build conference is next month as well, so maybe don't expect anything truly earth-shattering from this event. Based on the rumor mill, a new Surface Pro or a Surface phone won't debut on May 2nd. Instead, maybe start an office pool for the unveil of Windows 10 Cloud (think: Chrome OS, but from Redmond) and maybe, finally a follow-up to the $499 Surface 3 from 2015. The countdown starts now, so get your bets in.
It sounds like Microsoft has shelved its Xbox streaming stick
Prior to Microsoft's keynote at E3 this year, a raft of rumors were swirling about. Microsoft's answer to the PlayStation 4 Pro (which we now know as Project Scorpio) and the Xbox One S garnered most of the attention, but loose lips also suggested an Xbox-branded streaming dongle was in the works as well. The Chromecast-like device would've streamed Windows 10 apps and "light Universal Windows Platform" games in addition to content from an Xbox One. It would cost $99 according to Windows Central. Not anymore, however.
Microsoft will stop making the Surface 3 in December
Microsoft's Surface 3 has been on the market for over a year with no successor in sight, but it now looks like the lower-cost Windows tablet is on its way out... well, eventually. The company has confirmed to ZDNet that it will stop producing the Surface 3 by the end of December, or more than a year and a half after it hit store shelves. As it stands, the company says that stock is "limited." You might not get the model you want at your preferred store, then.
Surface 3 tablet with LTE reaches AT&T on July 24th
Microsoft promised that there would be a version of its entry-level Surface 3 tablet with LTE data, and it's finally here... well, almost. AT&T has announced that the cellular-equipped Windows slate will launch on July 24th for $30 per month on a 20-month Next plan ($600 total), or $400 if you buy one alongside a Lumia smartphone. This is the basic version of the Surface 3 with 64GB of storage, but that always-available internet connection will help a lot if you're just looking to check email or stream music before you get to the coffee shop. Just be prepared to perform a lengthy software upgrade after you get it -- although the Surface 3 LTE arrives mere days before the Windows 10 launch, it's still shipping with Windows 8.1.
Microsoft is putting the Surface in more stores
Microsoft announced today that it is expanding the distribution channels for its Surface tablet line ahead of the upcoming Windows 10 global rollout. The Surface is currently sold through "a couple hundred" authorized Surface device distributors, as Gavriella Schuster, General Manager of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Program, explained in a statement, but will soon grow to a few thousand. Any partner distributor can reportedly sign up for the expanded program assuming they qualify on volume sold. "We expect to get a few thousand resellers to jump on this," Schuster told ZDNet.
Engadget's new buyer's guide picks: the GS6, Spectre x360 and more!
Another month, another handful of reviews. Which means another round of new additions to Engadget's various buyer's guides. For the fifth month of the year, we've got five new products to induct, including Samsung's excellent Galaxy S6 and the HP Spectre x360, one of our new favorite laptops. As you'd expect, our other recommendations are solid too, but they each fall squarely in the "not for everybody" category. That includes the Apple Watch, currently the best smartwatch on the market, along with the low-powered Surface 3 and the 12-inch, mostly port-less MacBook. Whatever your tastes, chances are we've got something that makes sense for you. Check out the full guide here, and stay tuned for even more picks -- because who knows what we'll be buzzing about next month?
Microsoft will give you cash to ditch your old Surface for a new one
Haven't had much luck offloading your older Surface to help pay for a Surface 3? Microsoft thinks it can help. Similar to its Surface Pro-oriented effort from a few months ago, it's launching a US trade-in program that will give you up to $150 toward a Surface 3 if you turn in a Surface RT or Surface 2. The discount likely won't compare to what you'll get if you drive a hard bargain on Craigslist or eBay, but it's guaranteed cash -- if you're only concerned with upgrading to the latest tablet as painlessly as possible, it might do the trick. Just be sure to decide quickly, since you have to give up your old device by May 31st.
The making of Surface 3: Microsoft's little tablet grows up
Microsoft knows there's a lot riding on the Surface 3. And it looks like the company's finally listened to feedback from people who have asked for a little more oomph from these devices. Nearly three years after Surface with Windows RT was born, Microsoft is introducing its third-generation Surface, a tablet that runs full Windows, not the misstep of an operating system that was RT. This time around, Microsoft's tablet also features a screen designed to work with a pen, while an overhauled Type Cover promises to deliver a more solid, less wobbly keyboard and an improved trackpad. The Surface 3 is as much a PC as the Surface Pro 3, leaving behind the days of being just a would-be iPad competitor. It is, perhaps, what the Surface line should have always been.
Microsoft's new Surface 3 tablet runs full Windows, not RT
How many times have we said that the Surface would be great, if not for its OS? The truth is, the Surface RT and Surface 2 were lovely, well-crafted things, with great screens, solid build quality and long battery life. We just wished they could run the full gamut of desktop programs, in part to make up for a limited selection of Windows Store apps. Well, it seems Microsoft has finally reversed course. The company just unveiled the Surface 3 and, as rumored, it comes loaded with full Windows 8.1. A more full-featured OS also means a more robust processor -- specifically, an Intel Atom CPU similar to what you'll find in Chromebooks and other budget machines. Additionally, the screen now supports pressure-sensitive pen input -- something the higher-end Surface Pro could always do, but never the Surface RT. All told, although Microsoft is still calling the Surface a tablet, it might finally be versatile enough to take on not just other slates, but low-end PCs as well.
Microsoft's next Surface could signal the death of RT
Microsoft hasn't given up on the idea of a mini-me version of its successful Surface Pro 3 convertible, according to a rumor from WinBeta. But a Surface 3 model won't follow in the Surface 2's wobbly footsteps by packing the RT version of Windows. Instead, it will reportedly take a page from the latest Macbook and come with an Intel Atom or Core M fanless CPU and a full version of Windows 8.1, upgradeable to Windows 10. That means it could hit a lower price point than the Surface Pro while maintaining standard Windows compatibility -- the lack of which effectively sunk the Surface 2.
