Skip to main content

Surface Pro tablets now available through Dell, HP, and Accenture

Microsoft Surface Pro 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Nobody would have said the past decade has been kind to Microsoft when it comes to its hardware. The Zune was a bust after a few years, its phones have struggled to take off, and the Surface tablets were hardly game changers when first released. However, more recently the firm has managed to turn things around, and the Surface 3 and its Pro counterpart have done very well.

Apparently, though, some companies just aren’t comfortable buying boatloads of these items straight from Microsoft or Amazon. To change that, Microsoft has announced partnerships with Dell, HP and Accenture, all of whom can now sell Surface Pros. In addition, they will all provide post-sales support and services.

Related: Microsoft’s Surface is the shining star of an otherwise dismal earnings report

One example of such additional service, from Liliputing, involves a company purchasing a number of Surface Pro tablets from Dell. In such a case, the customer will also receive a year of basic hardware support, and Dell has also confirmed that prospective buyers will be able to make use of its configuration and deployment services too. This will make it easier for companies to upgrade large numbers of systems at one time without interrupting work flow.

Essentially, what Microsoft is hoping to do with this move is to insert its hardware into the upgrade cycles of major companies that already have their go-to manufacturer. If a company is used to upgrading with Dell or HP systems, using their additional services and enjoying the personal contacts it has at those firms, that company is much more likely to use Microsoft hardware if they can get it from the same old channel.

If this move works out, a number of new avenues for Surface sales will open up. It remains to be seen whether those firms, once they become more aware of Microsoft’s hardware, will approve of those new products.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
Don’t buy the Surface Laptop Go 3 — here’s what you should get instead
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 front view showing display and keyboard.

As a former marketing professional and a laptop reviewer, I often find myself surprised and sometimes confused by the decisions companies make when launching a laptop. An example is when a company introduces just one or two configurations that may not meet the needs of a range of users and, as a result, starts a laptop off on the wrong foot. In that case, I can at least understand the complexity of manufacturing and component sourcing. Although I'll mention a lack of options in a review, I won't necessarily ding a laptop because of it.

Some mistakes, though, are harder to overlook. That's how I feel about Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go 3, which the company introduced at a significantly higher price than its predecessors. The laptop, which is designed and configured like a budget machine, starts at $800 and runs up to $1,000. Those are midrange prices, but the Surface just can't compete against many midrange laptops.
$800 is too much
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Read more
Does Dell or HP make the best 16-inch laptop? You might be surprised
Photo of an HP Envy 16 laptop.

You can spend a lot of money on 16-inch laptops with fast components for video editing and photo editing. We're talking $2,500 and a lot more. But there's a class of midrange 16-inch machines that offer much of the same performance for less money.

Dell's Inspiron 16 Plus and HP's Envy 16 are two such laptops with prices that start well under $2,000. Both can be equipped with some fast components, but they're not identical by any means. Which of these more affordable 16-inch powerhouses is the best?
Specs and configurations

Read more
Surface Laptop Go 3 vs. Surface Pro 7+: is it an upgrade?
Microsoft Surface Pro 7

The Surface Laptop Go 3 is Microsoft's new affordable Surface laptop, with upgraded hardware and long battery life making it a compelling option for budget laptop buyers in 2023. But for anyone considering an upgrade to a Surface device at around that $800 price, the Surface Pro 7+ still presents an attractive purchase, and it can flip into a tablet when you need it.

That brings to mind the age-old question, of whether newer is automatically better. In this case, it might not be. Let's take a look at the Surface Laptop Go 3 versus Surface Pro 7+, to find out.

Read more