- On this episode of Ask Dan,
we're going to walk about Windows 10 TV
and whether or not it will ever happen,
and what's the status of the Microsoft Band?
Stay tuned.
(upbeat instrumental music)
Google is making Android TVs.
Why does Microsoft make Windows 10 TV?
The question of smart TVs is a very interesting one.
Obviously, there are a lot of choices
on the market right now.
LG's using the remnants of WebOS,
and that's what I have.
But I actually don't use it.
Instead, I use my Xbox One as my smart TV,
and I've never really been a fan of this technology
of this idea of running apps, although I do appreciate
having Netflix built into the TV is kind of cool.
And sure, Google is on board here,
and Apple has their Apple TV.
Roku is also a big one out there.
There's also of course Amazon,
and you may be getting the drift here.
It's a very competitive field.
So the question is, what could Microsoft do here
that is actually different?
And that's the important question.
Satya Nadella, whether you love him or hate him,
has basically said when he goes into new categories,
they have to be defining that category for the company.
They won't want to step into a field
that's super competitive
and one that they can't really offer anything new.
It's actually a very interesting point.
If they do make a Windows 10 TV,
what's going to be so different about it
compared to what's already on the market?
Having said that,
of course Microsoft can leave the door open
and contribute to this if they see some space
where they can make a difference,
but for right now, I think they're going to stick to Xbox.
They don't really wanna cannibalize the idea
behind that device, which is if you go buy it for $189,
not only do you get smart TV features,
but you will get a full gaming console
with a Blu-ray player,
and I think that's actually a pretty good offer.
What's the status of the Surface Connect to Type C adapter?
So, earlier this year, during the Surface Pro announcement,
we were told that there was going to be
a Surface Connect to USB Type C adapter
that was going to allow power and data,
and it was very cool.
We even saw a demo unit of it
that was being tested and evaluated.
Now, this is still in development.
During the Surface Book 2 announcement,
I spoke to Microsoft about this
and was told it is still being worked on,
and it's looking for a Q1 2018 release.
Now, the reason for the delay is a little bit complicated.
They're doing a lot of testing here
and making sure the power draw isn't too much
for the device and the adapter itself.
They wanna make sure it doesn't get hot and burn out.
They also are testing it across many Surface devices.
They want to go back as far as possible.
That includes Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4,
the New Surface Pro, Surface Book, Surface Book 2,
and Surface Laptop.
You get the idea here.
There's a lot of testing going on.
Interestingly, the biggest customer here
appears to be enterprise and businesses who are switching
over to USB Type C peripherals faster than expected.
So Microsoft is going to be working with them exclusively
on this product, and it's unclear
if it's going to be sold direct to consumers
or available in like, say, Best Buy,
but you will probably be able to buy directly from Microsoft
and through the Microsoft store,
but look for this in 2018,
assuming it's still on track.
But last I checked, it was.
Will Microsoft ever revisit the Band idea
and released an improved version of it?
Next to Windows phone, we are asked this question a lot;
that is, what is the status of Microsoft Band,
their wearable fitness device that came out a few years ago
and then had a sequel with Microsoft Band 2?
Now, this is a really interesting category.
Again, going back to say, Windows TV and that concept,
Microsoft is asking a question,
what can it contribute to this field
that's different from what's being done already,
and can they actually be a leader in that field?
Now, wearables are very complicated.
I myself wear Fitbit, which I would say is probably
the go-to brand for this category.
Of course, you have Apple on the high-end,
and then in between there, you have a lot of Android wear
which shifts between smart watch features and some fitness.
So the question is, where does Microsoft fit in there?
Now, I would say that Microsoft Band was a very
unique device, but it also didn't sell very well.
Now, we can blame that a bit on marketing; after all,
the didn't really sell it outside of the United States
in many other countries.
It was also hard to find,
although you could go to Best Buy and pick it up,
but through was no advertising for it or commercials for it.
And I think that's a legitimate complaint.
They want to seem to restore it by a grassroots thing,
and it was going to build up and sell, and it didn't.
Now, I don't know if that was because it was just marketing,
or because people didn't like the device.
It did have a high return rate
and high failure rate.
After all, those materials did break down.
I personally know a few people that had to return theirs
two or three times.
So I think they're still experimenting with this field.
Microsoft does a lot of internal experiments,
and I think they have a lot of concepts
that they're working on an testing internally,
including filing patents on new devices.
I also think they would like to get Windows 10
in some form on there, and with those changes
coming to Windows 10 in 2018 including C shell,
Windows IoT, Windows 10 on R,
and Windows Core OS is going to allow this modularity,
and perhaps if battery life improves,
they could actually put a form of Windows 10 on this device,
in which case you could also run apps
and better sync with your PC or smart device.
As to whether Microsoft will actually do that,
I don't know.
They constantly evaluate these products
to see if they're going to be valuable to market,
if they can actually make a difference.
For right now, I don't expect to see any wearable from them
until probably at least 2019 or later.
But who knows what that Surface team is actually working on.
So, that does it for this week's episode.
Remember, if you have a question
use #AskDanWindows on Twitter
or go to our forums at Windows Central,
and you can ask me directly there.
If you liked this video,
give us a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe.
Thanks for watching.
Take care, buddy.
So, there's a lot of testing to be involved.
They're also working with enterprise and testing this out.
The biggest customer they see for this will be businesses
who are switching over to.
I'm screwing this up.
I'll have to do this over again.
Sorry.
Just pause it.