Microsoft sponsored the 18th China Development Forum, promoted its Surface Pro 4 and trolled Tim Cook all at the same time. Microsoft helped bring together 300 delegates from different companies to this year's CDF which was held from March 18 to 20 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. The objective of the 2017 CDF was to "Engage with the World for Common Prosperity". Microsoft managed to engage in some frivolities, as well.
CNET caught wind of a trending tweet which shows a Surface Pro 4 sitting beside a nameplate with Tim Cook' name on it. The tweet by Hyken Wong came with the caption, "Haha, All the SP4 there in Development Forums, even Tim Cook has to use it". While each delegate had the Surface Pro 4 at their disposal, not everyone actually used it as is indicated by some photographs from the forum. As for the Apple CEO, he may not have a need for the Surface Pro 4 as he seems to have already studied the device up close.
Cook once described the Surface Pro 4 as a cross between a fridge and a toaster. Microsoft got back at him in a big way by giving him a free Surface Pro 4. Anyone else would be delighted to get a free laptop hybrid but being the CEO of Apple, Cook may have been burned by Microsoft's gesture. To be fair, Microsoft gave away a Surface Pro 4 to each and every delegate at the China Development Forum where Cook happened to be one of the 300 attendees.
Despite Cook's fridge and toaster description of the Surface Pro 4, the hybrid device from Microsoft has had its share of fans. As a matter of fact, the Surface Pro line has been considered a worthy competitor of Apple's MacBook Pro and iPad products. Back in December 2016, Microsoft even proclaimed that it was having its "best holiday ever" courtesy of the positive response to the Surface devices as opposed to Apple's controversial Q4 brought about by its new MacBook Pro.
Meanwhile, Apple is on full blast with the promotion of its iPad line with a new 9.7-inch variant just announced. Apple also released a new advertisement that stresses that the new iPad Pro is a computer which has a keyboard that can "get out of the way" and a touchscreen. The problem is, the Microsoft Surface Pro does exactly what the new iPad Pro promises.
