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Microsoft to hold mixed reality showcase event October 3

Microsoft will highlight its mixed-reality strategy at an invitation-only event on Oct. 3 in San Francisco, Calif. Here's what to expect.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Dell joins Microsoft's Mixed Reality gang with Visor headset

Microsoft officials plan to show off the company's end-to-end mixed reality offerings on Oct. 3 in San Francisco.

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The invitation-only press and analyst event will be hosted by Microsoft Technical Fellow Alex Kipman and highlight how Microsoft sees and plans to address the mixed-reality space. (I'm hearing the event will not be webcast.)

I don't believe that Microsoft will unveil any new hardware of its own during the Oct. 3 event. Instead, it seems company execs will try to provide a clearer picture of how the HoloLens, PCs, and virtual-reality/mixed reality headsets fit into Microsoft's strategy in this area.

In past years, Microsoft has held a single fall Windows and Devices Group event -- where the company typically unveils new Surface-branded devices. Instead, Microsoft seems to be planning a much lower-key new Surface reveal at the very end of October at its Future Decoded event in London. My contacts are saying that the promised Microsoft Surface Pro with built-in LTE is likely all that will be announced at the London event.

Microsoft also is on tap to start selling its Xbox One X gaming console, codenamed Project Scorpio, on Nov. 7.

I've been hearing from my contacts lately that Microsoft might not start shipping new Surface Books until early 2018. And the company's second-generation Surface Hub also is sounding (from sources) like an early 2018 thing.

What about the long-rumored Microsoft "Andromeda" mobile device/platform? I'm hearing it's looking unlikely that we will hear anything about this at any of Microsoft's fall events.

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