Microsoft Readies 'Next-Gen' AI-Focused PCs

Microsoft is working on significant updates to its Surface Pro and Surface Laptop lines. According to Windows Central, new devices "will be announced in the spring and will be marketed as Microsoft's first true next-gen AI PCs." From the report: For the first time, both Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will be available in Intel and Arm flavors, and both will have next-gen NPU (neural processing unit) silicon. Sources are particularly excited about the Arm variants, which I understand will be powered by a custom version of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Series chips. Internally, Microsoft is calling next-generation Arm devices powered by Qualcomm's new chips "CADMUS" PCs. These PCs are purpose-built for the next version of Windows, codenamed Hudson Valley, and will utilize many of the upcoming next-gen AI experiences Microsoft is building into the 2024 release of Windows. Specifically, Microsoft touts CADMUS PCs as being genuinely competitive with Apple Silicon, sporting similar battery life, performance, and security. The next Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are expected to be some of the first CADMUS PCs to ship next year in preparation for the Hudson Valley release coming later in 2024.

So, what's changing with the Surface Laptop 6? I'm told this new Surface Laptop will finally have an updated design with thinner bezels, rounded display corners, and more ports. This will be the first time that Microsoft's Surface Laptop line is getting a design refresh, which is well overdue. The Surface Laptop 6 will again be available in two sizes. However, I'm told the smaller model will have a slightly larger 13.8-inch display, up from 13.5 inches on the Surface Laptop 5. Sources say the larger model remains at 15-inches. I'm told Surface Laptop 6 will also have an expanded selection of ports, including two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, along with the magnetic Surface Connect charging port. Microsoft is also adding a haptic touchpad (likely with Sensel technology) and a dedicated Copilot button on the keyboard deck for quick access to Windows Copilot.

The next Surface Pro is also shaping into a big update, although not as drastic as the Surface Laptop 6. According to my sources, the most significant changes coming to Surface Pro 10 are mostly related to its display, which sources say is now brighter with support for HDR content, has a new anti-reflective coating to reduce glare, and now also sports rounded display corners. I've also heard that Microsoft is testing a version of Surface Pro 10 with a slightly lower-resolution 2160 x 1440 display, down from the 2880 x 1920 screen found on previous Surface Pro models. Sources say this lower-resolution panel is only being considered for lower-tier models, meaning the more expensive models will continue to ship with the higher-resolution display. Lastly, I also hear Microsoft is equipping the next Surface Pro with an NFC reader for commercial customers and a wider FoV webcam, which will be enhanced with Windows Studio Effects. It should also be available in new colors. I've also heard we may get an updated Type Cover accessory with a dedicated Copilot button for quick access to Windows Copilot.

This is not a good thing

[MpVpRb]

All old x86 software will be rendered useless by switching to ARM, ALL OF IT
This is the kind of evil shit Apple does
One of the reasons for Windows' success is that it maintains good, but not perfect, backward compatibility

Re: This is not a good thing

[guruevi]

Itâ(TM)s about time Microsoft threw away its VMS based kernel and OS/2 based userspace. There is no reason to run ancient 32 bits x86 software natively, throw it all in a Docker container or VM running the actual kernel it was built to run on with only filtered access to the Internet.

Windows 10 and 11 already eliminated tons of backwards compatibility and any proper antivirus will eliminate quite a few more. It is about time OLE objects, ActiveX, VBScript and DLL injection were made a proper relic.

Wind

Re:

[WhyMustILogIn]

Except Apple Silicon Macs include Rosetta and have no problem running Intel binaries.

I haven't had to bother with Windows for years, but I'd be surprised if Microsoft didn't also provide an x86 compatibility layer for ARM.
Otherwise, if you really want a Surface Laptop/Pro and it's still a concern, it says they're offering Intel versions.

Re:

[Mr. Dollar Ton]

I still have win95, NT and 7 running some old software that stubbornly refuses to run in wine in VMs. Haven't even looked at windows past 8.

What's it giving you? Not trolling, honest question.

Re:

[itsme1234]

Not to worry, they aren't seriously trying this ARM thing. Except for the marketing calling the ARM Surface not "X" but "5G" now - which reminds me of the Windows 10 Mobile (ex. Windows Phone, ex. Windows Mobile 6.5-6-5-) which got renamed to just Windows 10 (like it would fool anyone...).

But otherwise at least in Europe the ARM Pro 9 8GB RAM is more expensive than even the 16GB i7 (of course, the best value is the i5 16GB which is even cheaper and still a beast, but also gets VERY heavy discounts every now

Comment Subject:

[rogoshen1]

Yay for more bullshit anti-features no one asked for. Truly a sign of a completely captive market.

Re:

[jacks smirking reven]

From what I can find it looks like Windows is at it's lowest % of the desktop OS market in some odd 20 years, a "paltry" 77%

Of course the majority of that loss is from OSX (almost 18%) so not the ideal end result of that.

Happiness

[The Cat]

I can't imagine buying hardware designed to run Windows.

Took me 30 years to escape. I found equivalent and in some cases superior alternatives to everything that forced me to endure that mountain of shit.

There's no more "are you sure?" No more endless progress bars. No more sudden announcements of a 45-minute six-reboot ordeal when fancyDOS decides its time to update. No more lectures about passive voice when I'm trying to get a project done. (Memorandum to the fine people in Redmond: I have a university degree that qualifies me to teach writing, grammar and literature. I need a grammar checker like Custer needed more Indians)

I started making the switch to Linux in 1993. Now I own the computer, and I make the decisions. I don't take Windows seriously any more and I certainly don't rely on it for anything important.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

if a post could have it's own neckbeard

it does honestly sound like someone who in fact hasn't used windows in 30 years

Re:

[Tablizer]

To be fair, they are reporting old suckage. There's plenty of new suckage, it's just different suckage.

Re:

[gweihir]

I never bought hardware designed for Windows (unless Linux works on it as well) and I will not start now.

Also, full ACK on the grammar checker. That thing is just a complete moron. Are they trying to make hate-mail sent to MS sound more nice or what? If I use active voice, then I have a reason. Such as, say, emphasizing something important. Apparently the artificial moron in those MS products has never heard of that.

More MS Junk

[locater16]

I love my Surface, it has super fast and reliable face login when not even Apple can manage that on their laptops. It has a great keyboard, a magnetic charger, and MS charges too much for what you get for the specs of these things. And now they'll be selling inferior Intel and ARM chips, doubly inferior when it comes to AI where AMD has an even further lead over other Windows competition with the imminent release of its newest AI side processor, and it'll be missing from this "AI PC" while MS will charge ev

The real question is will it be

[Tablizer]

...SnoopGPT, SpamGPT, ClippyGPT, BobGPT, LockinGPT, BsodGPT, or all 7?

Duh, what am I thinking? Seven!

(I know, it's only 6, but GPT gets finger counts wrong.)

Re:

[gweihir]

You are too nice. OwnYouGPT, FuckYouOverGPT, MasterGPT, FuehrerGPT.

I have a bad feeling

[biggaijin]

I strongly suspect that the high-power AI Microsoft is planning will be aimed at us as subjects, not as users, of the capabilities. It will bring a big boost to the Microsoft surveillance on these systems and a corresponding loss of privacy to all their customers.

Headline should be MS Embraces AI

[bussdriver]

There is a long history of MS Embracing something new and making it their own by "extending" it. It's all generally terrible too so why not use Embrace & Extend to describe what became a phrase of this common trait... to the point where the MS logo on /. was Borg Gates!

Meanwhile Apple has jumped way ahead in some aspects again; having put AI co-processors into their devices many years ago; quite a bit before the AI fad began... Has it been used in ways that stand out to users? not really. Wouldn't be th

No Legitimate Purpose

[BrendaEM]

People don't need AI on their computers. Think you are going to prove me wrong in the future? Ha! Ask Sarah Connor

What a stupid idea

[gweihir]

In a desperate attempt to stay relevant and hide the fact that MS has not innovated in anything relevant for ages now and is grossly behind in all areas and insecure as hell, they will push half-baked, hallucinating "AI" to everybody. Great. Another thing from MS I DO NOT WANT.

Also, what the hell is an "AI PC" supposed to be in the first place? One that gives me attitude and lies to me?

Re:

[Mr. Dollar Ton]

Come on, gweihir, I know that deep inside you loved Clippy.

You'll learn to love your new windows fondleslab when it tells you "my CPU is a nural net", too.

With that accent.

Not AI, LLM

[sTERNKERN]

I wish this stupid trend ended..

AI or Ads?

[Fudoka]

Funny how I read that as "Microsoft Readies 'Next-Gen' Ad-Focused PCs"