‘We make things that help you make things and make things happen’

With that quote, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella closed yesterday’s big keynote in which the company announced a new Microsoft Band, new phones that can become computers when docked, a new Surface and its first-ever laptop computer.

The Surface Book is an incredibly interesting product. It’s a convertible (with an insane hinge) that can become a tablet with the release of a button. It’s built by Microsoft, something that I didn’t expect from a company who has depended on a bunch of OEMs for hardware for decades.

In an interview with The Verge, Nadella didn’t seem phased by the thought of going up against OEMs, saying it allowed Microsoft to push the ecosystem forward.

It and the Surface Pro 4 are more powerful then ever, with seemingly better pen technology than anyone else right now.

All of these devices – and more — are powered by the new Windows 10, arguably Microsoft’s best OS to date. In addition to syncing things across devices easily, Microsoft is betting big on having a single set of development tools for all of these different screens. It’s a different approach then what Apple’s doing with OS X and iOS, and Google with Chrome OS and Android, but I think it can be successful, if the company can prove investing in their platform is worthwhile for developers.

There’s no doubt that the company is on a roll, and these new products extend that further. Yes, the Surface is kinda weird, and yes, Windows Phone feels basically hopeless, but all in all, Microsoft products feel like they’re on the right track.

As an Apple user, I’m glad to see this. Apple needs aggressive competition, and Microsoft seems to be delivering that again.