1. There was a long time where Windows laptop makers failed to make a device with the premium feel of the Macbook and the intitial Surface Laptop was meant to c

1. There was a long time where Windows laptop makers failed to make a device with the premium feel of the Macbook and the intitial Surface Laptop was meant to cater to that market. Still kind of true, the Dell XPS is the only one that seems to be targeting that market these days 2. The surface tablet was to promote the "converged" windows 8 experience since traditional Windows laptop manufacturers were more interested in pursuing android tablets at that time. 3. To have a test bed to try out ideas that may not take off enough that other manufacturers won't try them (S mode, etc.) These are mostly the reasons it felt they got into the market, and everything since has just felt like a business unit producing new stuff because it already exists so people are going to do what they're employed to do, rather than a big strategic play. It makes about $2 billion, and is presumably profitable if it's been left just continue for so long, even if it's not particularly exciting these days.