Microsoft exec jabs at Apple, tweets drawing of 'converged' toaster and refrigerator

Cook made headlines back in 2012 during a quarterly earnings call, when he suggested hybrid tablet and PC devices offer too many compromises to be appealing to most consumers. At the time, Cook said that the tradeoffs found with devices like Microsoft Surface leave a mobile computer that "doesn't please anyone."

"You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but, you know, those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user," Cook said.

Cook's three-year-old comments were on the mind of Microsoft's Terry Myerson on Tuesday morning, less than an hour before his company's Surface Pro 4 event in New York. Myerson took to Twitter to send a photo of a crudely drawn refrigerator-toaster hybrid at a handful of Microsoft-focused tech journalist.

"hope you enjoy the show today...pay attention — some new things might pop up," Myerson wrote.

Microsoft is hoping that its Surface Pro 4 event will stifle some of the anticipation for Apple's own iPad Pro, a 12.9-inch high-end tablet that is set to become available in November. Like with the Surface Pro, Apple will also sell keyboard and stylus accessories to offer new, portable input methods with its own touchscreen tablet.

In addition to the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft is also set to unveil new flagship Lumia smartphones intended to compete with Apple's latest generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. It can be streamed live from Microsoft's website.