Microsoft's AI PC focuses on business-first applications with Copilot

While it seems like every vendor in the PC space is talking about AI PC offerings, and Microsoft is broadly talking about its AI-powered Copilot, we haven't been able to see Microsoft's own take on AI PC until now. . During the Surface and Copilot virtual event at the end of March, Microsoft announced his two new Surface PCs powered by Intel's latest Meteor Lake Intel Core Ultra processors. At the Microsoft event, we focused on the power of Copilot for Business and announced two new Surface PCs designed specifically to address the needs of business users. Microsoft also talked about enabling Copilot on all types of PCs with the new Windows 365 software and software-based Windows 365 Cloud PCs.

Surface for business

Surface for Business is a new product line from Microsoft that follows on from the Surface line of prosumer products the company already sold to businesses, creating a clear distinction between consumer and business models. At the launch, Microsoft naturally led with its first AI PC to talk about its latest CPUs, GPUs, and the new Intel Core Ultra, which is the first Intel processor to feature an integrated NPU. NPUs enable efficient AI acceleration applications and are a big part of driving Intel's newly expanded AI PC acceleration program. Microsoft says the new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are designed to work seamlessly with Copilot and Windows 11 Pro.

Take a security-first approach

Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for Business take a security-first approach to PCs with what Microsoft calls “zero trust security from chip to cloud.” This includes Near Field Communication capabilities for secure multi-factor authentication on Surface Pro 10 for Business and an optional smart card reader for corporate and government applications on Surface Laptop 6 for Business. Microsoft also introduced new Windows Hello enhanced sign-in security features. This new layer of Windows Hello adds an additional layer of protection by using specialized hardware and software to isolate authentication data.

Microsoft also enables granular USB-C disablement, including approved or unapproved docks. The company has also begun using RUST to rewrite key elements of its firmware to further reduce its attack surface. Microsoft deploys a secure supply chain for delivery, which is a legitimate concern for some government and defense customers.

New and improved features

Surface Laptop 6 for Business comes in 13.5-inch and 15-inch display configurations, while Surface Pro 10 for Business only comes in 13-inch size. In these models, Microsoft has implemented new anti-reflection technology that reduces reflections by up to 50% while using Microsoft's 3:2 aspect ratio PixelSense touchscreen. Interestingly, neither the Surface Pro 10 nor the Surface Laptop 6 for Business come with the latest Wi-Fi 7, but instead feature Wi-Fi 6E. This decision is a little hard to understand, given that these systems are expected to have a longer lifespan than consumer PCs, but it's likely to be several years before Wi-Fi 7 becomes a reality in enterprise infrastructure. There is also a possibility that it will come first.

As for cameras, the Surface Pro 10 for Business comes with a 114-degree ultrawide 1440P Surface Studio camera for the first time, while the Surface Laptop 6 for Business comes with a 1080P Surface Studio camera. Both of these come with AI-accelerated Windows Studio effects. These are the same four of his Windows Studio effects that were popular on previous Surface and Windows devices: Background Blur, Eye Contact, Auto Framing, and Audio Focus. Both systems feature Microsoft's new Copilot button for launching Microsoft's many AI features.

Repairability and sustainability

Like many OEM partners, Microsoft is taking a different approach to repairability and sustainability with this new generation of Surface devices. Microsoft has included a QR code inside the product that links to a detailed service guide and includes visual guidelines to help identify the types of fasteners required for Surface Pro 10's replaceable components. Masu. Additionally, Microsoft says that the Surface Pro 10's chassis consists of: 72% recycled content, including 100% recycled aluminum alloy and 100% recycled rare earth metals. The Surface Laptop 6 for Business claims to have 25.8% recycled content within the casing, but the percentage of materials is the same. On his website, Microsoft also provides a detailed list of user-replaceable components, such as the SSD, battery, motherboard, and many other parts of the system.

Price and availability

Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 for Business are powered by Intel Core Ultra 135U and 8GB RAM and start at $1,199. That said, we don't necessarily recommend running a Windows 11 PC with AI workloads on just 8 GB of RAM. In fact, I'd like to see that memory configuration retired, especially considering how cheap his GDDR5 RAM is now. Another thing to note is that Microsoft offers his 1-year warranty on both products. Unless the company offers another service plan with an extended warranty, these devices should probably come with a longer warranty at a slightly higher price. In my opinion, business grade products should be built to last and should come with a warranty to back it up.

Windows 365 and CoPilot

Beyond these new devices, Microsoft is also meeting the needs of businesses with secure software products. With enhanced functionality through new Windows apps (currently in preview), companies like Vodafone and Zurich Insurance are giving their employees secure access to Windows from any computer. This is made possible by software called Windows 365 Cloud PC that resides within the application and AI-driven cloud management using Microsoft Untune. Untune includes security features such as Windows Autopatch to ensure that potential vulnerabilities are patched as quickly as possible and your virtual machines are secure. At the launch event, Microsoft highlighted Kantar, a big marketing data and analytics consulting firm, as an example of a company that moved from on-premises to cloud management using Windows 11 Enterprise, Windows 365 Cloud PC, and Surface devices running Copilot.

summary

Microsoft's new Surface for Business laptop series appears to represent Microsoft's new approach to the Surface product line. These devices feature Intel's latest Core Ultra processors with a newly integrated NPU for efficient AI processing and a new Copilot button on the keyboard deck. This allows Microsoft to lead the industry into the AI ​​PC era with some of the first AI PCs for business, following a number of announcements made at MWC. Microsoft's security-first approach is solid, and the features and functionality of these products are very attractive to businesses, especially at a starting price of $1,199 (not necessarily cheap, but still accessible). I think there is.

Microsoft is also committed to accessibility by making adaptive accessories available to businesses with these new products. It's been interesting to see Microsoft create a business-focused part of its Surface lineup, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the company continues to expand its lineup of AI PC products through the rest of this year. Masu. Microsoft's commitment to AI PCs is finally here. We can't wait to see what else the company has to show us at the Build event in May.