In Short
Microsoft making actual PCs was unthinkable just a few short years ago, yet here we are with Surface. The Surface family is a series of tablets and accessories from Microsoft aimed at highlighting the strengths of Windows.
The first-generation of Surface devices saw the introduction of the Surface RT and the Surface Pro. The Surface RT was a Windows RT-based tablet that debut with mixed reviews. The Surface Pro ran Windows 8 Pro and was generally well liked, despite a few shortcomings like battery life. These two tablets laid the foundation for future Surface products. The Surface RT and Surface Pro were announced in June 2012 at a private press event in Los Angeles. October 26, 2012 is when the Surface RT became available, while the Surface Pro went public a few months later on February 9, 2013.
The second-generation of Surface tablets, the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, was announced on September 23, 2013 and released a month later on October 22, 2013. The Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 took the foundation of the first-generation of products and built from it. The Surface Pro 2 was nearly identical to the original Surface Pro, except for updated internals and an additional kickstand angle.
The Surface 2, however, was basically an entirely new device. The device was made thinner, dropped black for a silver on the chassis and improved performance greatly. Battery life was increased and a 4G LTE model was introduced.
In May 2014, Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro 3. An entirely new Surface that built upon the previous generations. It was as thin as the Surface 2, but as powerful as the Surface Pro 2. It featured a larger 12-inch display at a resolution of 2160 x 1440.
After the well-received Surface Pro 3, Microsoft refined the device by announcing the Surface Pro 4, on 26 of October 2015, which was more or less a perfected version of its predecessor. It was also the first Surface device to ship with Windows 10 by default, not requiring you to upgrade from Windows 8 or Windows 10.
Together with the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft revealed a new member to the Surface family; the Surface Book. Begin the first true "laptop" from Microsoft, many professionals prefer it to the tablet-like hybrid that the Surface Pro line is.
A year later, Microsoft revealed yet another device that wasn't just an update to previous devices; the Surface Studio. After gaining a lot of attention from the technology community and artists, it was the first stationary PC Microsoft ever created.
