14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s new Surface Laptop is a compelling product, there’s no doubt about that, but it has what many consider to be a deal breaker: there’s no USB-C port.
While the official Microsoft Surface Laptop ad revealed that the company at least considered offering USB-C on the device, a company executive says the port is missing because of several reasons. And one of them is the confusion that it might have created among users.
General manager of Surface Engineering, Pete Kyriacou, explains that although USB-C is a handy connectivity option, sticking with the proprietary Surface connector is the better way to go.
“It’s not like we haven’t known about USB-C for a long time. The magnetic attach has been huge. We have a closed docking scenario that lets us connect and then confidently have four USB ports, gigabit Ethernet, obviously power, and then two external displays,” he said.
The customer confusion
In other words, Surface Connect adapters make it possible for Microsoft to control what devices are connected to the Laptop, while USB-C would only lead to more confusion, not only for the company itself but also for users.
A USB-C port can be used for a variety of purposes, possibly causing various issues on the parent device, but also for customers who are often tempted to use the same cable for a variety of tasks, even though dedicated cables need to be used for each activity.
“What happened with USB-C is the cables look identical, but they start to have vastly different capabilities. So even someone in the know, confusion starts to set in,” the Microsoft exec continues.
So by not offering USB-C on the Surface Laptop, Microsoft is trying to keep things simple, pointing out that, in the end, it would have all backfired against the company. Speaking about a scenario where a customer would use an underpowered USB-C charger with the laptop, Kyriacou explained that most users would blame the company and not the cable or charger they’re using.
“They’re going to look at us. The brand is at stake,” he concluded, clearly pointing out that Microsoft wants the Surface lineup to offer a premium and flawless experience to all customers.