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The man behind the Microsoft Surface admits he made one big mistake when revealing it

Panos Panay, the man behind the Surface line, has admitted that he made one big mistake when unveiling the original device that has haunted him ever since: it wasn't explained to the media correctly. 

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In an interview with The Verge, Panay said that "when we [Microsoft] launched the original Surface Pro, people compared it to an iPad, because I didn't frame it." This lead to an unfair comparison. He told Mashable that "the press...grabbed [the Suface] and were like...'look at this, it’s thicker, it’s heavier.'" 

Panos Panay
Panos Panay holds a Surface Book on stage at Microsoft's October 6 event.
Mark Von Holden/AP Images

When Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book, the first slide shown — before anything else — was a picture of the Book next to a MacBook Pro, clearly laying out the comparison that the media, and consumers, should make. 

Panay also went on to take a dig at the iPad Pro, describing it as "familiar" when compared to the Surface. "The iPad Pro looks like a great product. At the same time it looked familiar. I haven't seen it, I haven't touched it. All I've seen is a launch event, so I've got to reserve my judgment." 

Microsoft
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