With its hardware focused event on the horizon (September 22), all eyes are on what devices Microsoft will launch and what changes will be made. It is widely expected the company will launch the Surface Pro 8, Surface Book 4, and Surface Duo 2, and maybe some surprises. All these devices are probably going to be incremental updates on the previous generation. I hope that is not true, especially for the Surface Duo 2 considering the first gen of the Android smartphone had aspects that need attention. According to The Verge, the Surface Pro 8 will get the usual round of spec improvements. So, expect a better processor (11th gen Intel Core), better screen, and removable SSDs. However, the report also suggests at least one Surface Pro 8 variant will get a Thunderbolt port.
Thunderbolt Adoption
Better late than never, I guess. Microsoft has form in this area, staying firmly behind the curve on USB Type-C adoption. Microsoft has traditionally used USB 3 and eventually made the jump to USB-C, finally, with the Surface Pro 7. However, the company has remained cool on Thunderbolt. While Microsoft has stayed away from Thunderbolt, manufacturers the company works with have not. For example, major Windows OEMS like HP, Dell, and Lenovo all have Thunderbolt, which is considered one of the fastest ways to connect two devices. Moving away from the Pro 8, Microsoft will also launch a Surface Book 4, which is expected to get a design overhaul for the first time. This could include a swiveling display mechanism Microsoft has been testing. Tip of the day: Hard drives are getting faster and more affordable every day, but unfortunately, their moving parts will always make them loud and mean their power draw isn’t insignificant. This can be a particular issue for those with laptops, leading many to wonder how to turn off a hard disk after it reaches an idle state. In our tutorial we are showing you Windows 10: How to Turn off Hard Disk after Idle to Save Power.
