With their recent Windows 10 devices, Microsoft is the new king of cool

If yesterday’s Windows 10 devices event was anything to go by, Microsoft is back in the game. And how. In what appeared to be a near-perfect orchestration of product launches, everything from the products themselves--Hololens, the Lumia 950 and 950XL phones, Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book--to the presentations were so spot on, you’d think you were watching an Apple event, circa 2007-10.

Never mind that these new devices have faster processors, more memory, brighter screens and all that, all of which are a given with any product evolution really. The real pulse that coursed through the event was that of pure and simple innovation. Other than flaunting specifications alone, each of these products are evocative of a Microsoft that is clearly not afraid of its own conservative history. One that is now hell bent on pushing the boundaries of defining the personal computing experience of tomorrow. It was all about the experience, the emotion, the exquisite precedence to design and craftsmanship.

The HoloLens--Microsoft’s answer to bringing holograms into a user’s world--didn’t really have anything very new to show, but the demo was undoubtedly kick-ass. From the motion-tracked ‘wearable’ hologram gauntlet to the all-too-real onslaught of evil robot swarms ‘breaking through’ living room walls, it’s the kind of stuff that is poised to set into motion a world of user experiences in the years ahead. That they now have an official development kit on offer (if you have the programming chops and $3,000 to spare) brings this device a step closer to commercial reality. We can’t hardly wait.

Then their new phones--the Lumia 950 and 950XL. Sure, they’re flagship phones with beefed up specs, but the one killer feature that was so affably demonstrated on stage was Continuum. The ability to use these phones as the single device that can power a full-fledged desktop computing experience simply by plugging it into a hub that enables monitor/keyboard/mouse functionality is game changing. With Windows 10 apps seamless adapting to the presence of a larger screen, all the while continuing to run on the phone optimized for the smaller screen. And the two experiences are mutually exclusive: you can discreetly respond to a text message while the same phone simultaneously drives a Windows 10 desktop. The possibilities are quite expansive--think small businesses or budget-conscious users who cannot afford multiple computing devices to serve their personal or professional needs. This one device could power it all.

Then things really started to move into high gear with the unveiling of the Surface Pro 4. Once again, evolved specs--a screen with a 267ppi, 50 percent faster than a MacBook Air, pen with all-year battery (not to miss the eraser.) But as was demonstrated in the video testimonial during its unveiling , it’s a device that--if used to the hilt--can uncover new avenues for productivity. The ability to combine a powerful tablet into a device that can double down as a very capable laptop extends their Surface 3 idea and has clearly spawned a category (I’m looking at you, iPad Pro.)

But the piece de resistance was, by every account, the Surface Book. There are few devices that have that innate quality of evoking feelings of unfettered desire. The kind that has, until now, resided exclusively in Apple fandom. The crafted metal, the impossibly svelte form factor, the backlit keys, the desktop-class processing and graphics power… and that hinge, that articulated hinge. The Surface Book has the kind of presence that makes you really, really want it. That it can be elegantly repurposed as a hugely capable tablet is the icing on that cake.

Of course, the world is fresh off all of this news and perception of these products is bound to be all shiny and tingly. But as they subsequently make their way into the wild, they’re bound to level down to a more real-world altitude as practical findings come to the fore.

But in the meanwhile, Microsoft seems to be on a hell of a sprint here. As Satya Nadella put it while he wrapped up the event, “What matters most is the mobility of your experience, not the mobility of any single device. Because as devices come and go and evolve, you persist. And the journey of personal computing has taught us this single lesson: no single device will be a hub of activity forever. The hub is you.”

Microsoft has clearly listened, and I do believe they’re on to something momentous here.