Darren Weaver/Business Insider
Microsoft Surface Studio
It's official: Microsoft is holding a big Windows event in New York City on May 2nd. This event was first reported by Mary Jo Foley at ZDnet, and now it's been officially confirmed.While Microsoft usually uses these kinds of events to launch new Surface hardware, sources close to Microsoft confirm that the long-awaited Surface Pro 5 tablet and even-longer-awaited "Surface Phone" smartphone are unlikely to make their debut at this event.
Instead, Business Insider hears, this event will focus on education and creativity, following this week's release of the Windows 10 Creators Update. While our sources say that there will be news on both the Windows software and hardware fronts, it's unclear what, exactly, this will entail.
If we look at previous reports, though, we can start to make some educated guesses.
Previously, reports emerged that Microsoft was working on a new Surface Book laptop that would ditch its signature screen detachment feature in favor of the traditional clamshell. And the word is that Microsoft is working on a streamlined new version of Windows 10, aimed at the educational market, where Google's Chromebooks are currently beating Apple soundly and closing in on Windows' lead.
While Microsoft isn't likely to say anything until May 2nd, it seems like a reasonable deduction that this event could see the launch of a cheaper, more traditional Surface Book laptop, with that so-called "Windows 10 Cloud" operating system, aimed at defeating Google in the educational market. It's just a guess, but the pieces fit.