One of the last major initiatives former CEO Steve Ballmer launched before he left Microsoft was its Surface effort. It was designed to address the concern that the iPod would take over the PC world.
The iPod could have been such a threat, but Apple didn't execute. The offering is not only not a threat to the PC market, but looking rather long in the tooth and in dire need of an innovative redesign.
Given that Tim Cook forced out Steve Jobs' friend and lead designer Jony Ive, it is going to be hard not to appear a day late, and a dollar short when some of these new Surface products hit market.

I think it is kind of ironic that after pointing out Bill Gates' mistake in selecting Steve Ballmer, Jobs made the same mistake with Tim Cook. Granted it seems Jobs wanted Cook to fail because he wanted to come back himself, but it still looks like the mess Apple is now in was avoidable.
Still, during the Surface launch last week, it wasn't hard to see that Ballmer was right conceptually. It just took Satya Nadella to execute, showcasing that Ballmer didn't have a strategic problem concerning direction -- he had an execution problem about making his vision real. His problem was under-resourcing, not lack of vision, and I think that Cook is showcasing that same problem in spades.
With this latest launch Microsoft is showing products that Apple should have built, pointing out that Apple now has both a vision AND an execution problem, which means it likely needs someone like Satya Nadella, who has both vision and execution strengths.
I'll expand on my reactions to the Surface launch this week, and then close with my product of the week: the new Surface Earbuds, which make Apple's AirPods look like last decade's product.

Finally, an iPad Killer

The Surface and Surface Pro tablet focused 2-in-1s were interesting offerings and outperformed iPads when it came to delivering a more laptop-like experience. However, they lagged in terms of weight and battery life, and the original ARM-based product was, to be kind, sort of a turd. It was priced well but was very slow, didn't run much of anything beyond Microsoft Office, and to say it was a disappointment would be a huge understatement.


Microsoft continued to work on advancements, though, and like "The Tortoise and the Hare," as Apple kicked back, Microsoft continued to work on innovating. With the Surface Pro X it has what looks like a segment-leading offering.