When Microsoft embarked on the bumpy ride that the redesigned and radically different Windows 8 operating system brought with it, the company probably didn't know where it would end.
We're now at Windows 10, and Microsoft's mostly squashed the bugs out of its vision for the future of computing, butthere was one thing missing: the computers that Windows 10 would run on were uninspiring devices by Microsoft's partners.
Microsoft had little option but to design and build its own computers, just like Apple does.
That's definitely the right decision, as is evident in the Surface Studio PC that was launched last year, and which I finally got to try out.
Finally, there's a desktop PC that you can use with both mouse and keyboard as well as the touch screen and the Microsoft Pen. This is thanks to the screen folding downwards to a 20 degree angle, which make it super comfortable to work with.
No more "gorilla arm syndrome" like you got on earlier all-in-one PCs with vertical screens.
It's a great screen too: the thin Surface Studio PixelSense display measures 28 inches, and has 4,500 by 3,000 pixel resolution.
This is a bit less than the Retina screen on Apple's iMac 5K which doesn't offer touch and the clever hinge.
The PixelSense screen has wide-gamut colour, for natural images and smooth transitions between hues, just like the iMac 5K. Both support the DCI-PC3 profile for accurate colour reproduction.
Oddly enough, the Windows 10 display calibration tool complained that it doesn't support wide-gamut colour, and threatened to create a standard gamut profile with distorted hues.
It's on the Surface Studio, but is it art?
Most of the computer parts are in the smallish foot that supports the large screen.
While there are four USB 3.0 and a mini DisplayPort connectors at the back, plus an SD memory card slot and an incongruously large Ethernet port, I wish Microsoft had put these on the side of the Surface Studio instead for easier access.
The Surface Studio arrived without the recent Windows 10 Creators Update installed, and you'll want to get that onto your device as soon as possible to make the most of the PC.
Here are some of the new features in Creators Update:
• Support for viewing and creating 3D content. • Windows Mixed Reality - Microsoft's term for augmented reality, which is clearer. • Game Mode with built-in game broadcasting. • New security features including a dashboard display and device health adviser. • Microsoft Edge now supports Netflix in 4K, new tab tools, and security enhancements. • New Windows Hello capability for locking your PC with your phone when you step away. • Blue light reduction and mini view functions.
Fantastic PC, but oh so expensive
There are some downsides to the Surface Studio: fingerprints and smudges really do spoil the exquisite aesthetics of the PC, and that's hard to ignore because the screen is so big.
It's curious that computer makers haven't come up with something that'd make screens less grease-smudge prone bar ineffective oleophobic coatings. At least they could provide a way to clean the screens quickly. My advice would be to use the Surface Pen as much as possible instead of fingering the screen.
The biggest drawback to Surface Studio though is the price: I had the mid-range model for this review, which features an Intel Core i7 6820HQ processor at 2.70 Gigahertz, 16 gigabytes of RAM and a one terabyte hybrid hard disk.
That configuration, which also includes wireless keyboard, mouse and the Surface Pen, sets you back an eye-watering $6100. Dropping down to a Core i5 processor and just 8GB of RAM model still costs $5200, and the top end Surface Studio costs $7300.
This puts the Surface Studio up there with also expensive but more powerful workstation computers that admittedly aren't as good looking, and don't have hinged touch screens.
Microsoft has finally cracked the touch-based desktop nut with the Surface Studio, and come up with something truly innovative that's great to use, albeit costly.
Graphics and video professionals, and serious gamers and augmented reality/virtual reality adopters considering the Surface Studio might grind their teeth at the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M and GTX980M graphics cards, with 2GB and 4GB of video memory, that are designed for mobile computers.
My Surface Studio had the GeForce GTX965M inside, and it was ample to drive Windows 10 on the big screen, high-definition and 4K video, and moderately demanding games.
Microsoft was no doubt limited in its choice of video cards that'd fit into the Surface Studio, but you can get plenty faster graphics in other computers at that price range, and this could be a deal breaker for those who run demanding applications.
You can't upgrade the video card in the Surface Studio either.
Watch: Run down on the Microsoft Surface Studio:
Microsoft also sent the Surface Dial, which is sold separately for $160. It connects via Bluetooth, and you put it on to the screen, and err, dial in different brushes, pen tip widths and other options in applications that support the Dial.
App support for the Dial is a bit thin on the ground yet, but it's a genius device that Microsoft should bundle with the pricey Surface Studio.
It took some time, but Microsoft has finally cracked the touch-based desktop nut with the Surface Studio, and come up with something truly innovative that's great to use, albeit costly.
