Microsoft has released new Surface Pro devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series processors.
Microsoft is pushing towards Arm-based processors for its Windows devices with the shift from Intel CPUs to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series.
These new devices, called Copilot+ PCs, have impressive performance and longer battery life than Intel-powered predecessors.
In recent news, Microsoft has released several new Surface Pro devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series of Arm-based processors. These new devices, collectively referred to as Copilot+ PCs, have been generating buzz due to their impressive performance and longer battery life compared to their Intel-powered predecessors. Let's delve deeper into the world of these new Surface Pro models and explore what sets them apart.
Firstly, it is essential to understand that the Copilot+ PCs are part of Microsoft's push towards Arm-based processors for its Windows devices. The shift from Intel CPUs to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series marks a significant change in the Windows PC industry, which has long been dominated by Intel and AMD.
The new Surface Pro models have nearly identical dimensions and weight as their Intel-powered predecessors. However, under the hood, they deliver impressive performance improvements and longer battery life. For instance, Ed Bott from ZDNET noted that the Surface Pro 11
Windows on Arm experience has improved dramatically due to Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors and Microsoft’s push for software developers to create more ARM64 native apps.
Microsoft claims Prism, its emulator, is as efficient as Apple’s Rosetta 2 translation layer and can emulate apps twice as fast as the previous generation of Windows on Arm devices.
Accuracy
Prism handles compatibility for non-native apps well but performance varies depending on the complexity of the app.
Adobe’s Premiere Pro running emulated was practically unusable for editing a 4K video on the Surface Laptop, with Adobe blocking the installation of the x64 version on Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processors.
There are compatibility issues with external devices such as Brother printers and scanners which require driver support that isn’t easily fixed.
Deception
(70%)
The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author expresses his personal experiences and opinions throughout the article, such as 'I loved the hardware but disliked the software experience' and 'Microsoft claims Prism is as efficient as Apple’s Rosetta 2 translation layer'. He also selectively reports on certain apps that have improved performance with Prism, while not mentioning others that still struggle. For example, he mentions Adobe Premiere Pro being practically unusable for editing a 4K video on the Surface Laptop but does not mention other apps like Blender having terrible performance when emulated.
Microsoft claims Prism is as efficient as Apple’s Rosetta 2 translation layer and can emulate apps twice as fast as the previous generation of Windows on Arm devices.
When I first used the Arm-powered Surface Pro X in 2019, I loved the hardware but disliked the software experience. Everything felt like it was lagging.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article discusses the improvements in Windows on Arm experience with the new Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors from Qualcomm. The author mentions the native versions of several apps like Photoshop, Dropbox, Zoom, Spotify, Prime and Hulu that are now available on Windows on Arm. However, there are still many apps that need to be emulated on these devices which is where Microsoft's Prism emulator comes in. The article also discusses the performance of emulated apps and how it varies depending on the complexity of the app. It mentions some issues with gaming on Windows on Arm and anticheat services that aren't supported by emulation. There are also compatibility issues with external devices and VPN apps.
Apps like Photoshop, Dropbox, and Zoom are all native...
Microsoft claims Prism is as efficient as Apple’s Rosetta 2 translation layer...
Adobe’s Premiere Pro running emulated was practically unusable for editing a 4K video on the Surface Laptop...
Google Drive is the big one here, as it throws up an error about the Windows architecture of Copilot Plus PCs not being supported...
VPN apps are still an issue on Windows Arm, too. Bitdefender, NordVPN, and Private Internet Access don’t work.
Bias
(95%)
The author expresses a positive opinion towards the improvement of Windows on Arm and the availability of native apps. However, they also acknowledge that there are still compatibility issues with certain apps and games, which require emulation using Microsoft's Prism emulator. The author provides examples of specific apps like Adobe Premiere Pro and Blender that have underwhelming performance when emulated. They also mention the lack of support for anticheat services and VPN apps, as well as compatibility issues with external devices.
Adobe’s Premiere Pro running emulated was practically unusable for editing a 4K video on the Surface Laptop
BattlEye, a widely used anticheat service, is one of the rare exceptions that supports Windows on Arm
Blender doesn’t detect Qualcomm’s Adreno GPU, so everything hits the CPU instead. The performance for rendering projects is terrible as a result
Microsoft's new Surface Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip.
The new OLED screen on the Surface Pro is wonderful to behold.
Accuracy
Microsoft's Copilot+ initiative aims to get consumers and device makers excited about AI PCs. Copilot+ systems need to include a neural processing unit (NPU) with at least 40 TOPs of AI performance, 16GB of RAM.
Microsoft, Qualcomm, and their PC-manufacturing partners are promoting Copilot+ PCs as next-generation AI laptops.
Copilot+ PCs offer no extra Copilot upgrades, only a Copilot key on the keyboard.
Accuracy
The hardware for AI tasks is ready in these laptops but the actual features built into Windows aren't making full use of it.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author expresses disappointment with the current state of AI features in Copilot+ PCs, implying that they were expecting more. However, they do not provide any facts or evidence to support their disappointment beyond their own opinion. Additionally, the author focuses on the lack of certain features at launch and does not mention any potential future improvements or updates to these features. This selective reporting gives a one-sided view of the situation.
But we’re not excited about all these at-launch AI features being pushed by marketing campaigns.
Snapdragon X Elite-powered PCs might be intriguing, but if you’re excited about an immediate AI upgrade to your Windows experience, you’re going to be disappointed.
Copilot doesn’t run offline or use the new integrated neural processing unit (NPU) hardware to do anything at all.
None of them work offline. They require a Microsoft account and an active internet connection to work.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes several statements that contain appeals to authority and dichotomous depictions. He states that the AI features in Copilot PCs are disappointing because they don't live up to the marketing hype, implying that they should be more advanced than they currently are. He also states that these features require a Microsoft account and internet connection, implying that this is a negative thing without providing any context or justification. These statements contain appeals to authority as the author is relying on the reader's assumption that marketing hype should always be accurate and that requiring an internet connection for AI features is inherently bad.
But, we’re not excited about all these at-launch AI features being pushed by marketing campaigns.
Here’s the thing: While these tools all use the NPU inside a Copilot PC, none of them work offline. They require a Microsoft account and an active internet connection to work.
You might as well use a cloud-based AI image generation tool running in a powerful data center somewhere. You’ll get better, more realistic results.
Bias
(95%)
The author expresses disappointment and skepticism towards the AI features marketed with Copilot+ PCs, specifically calling out the lack of functionality and power compared to expectations. The author also mentions that some features require a Microsoft account and internet connection to work.
But we’re not excited about all these at-launch AI features being pushed by marketing campaigns.
None of them work offline. They require a Microsoft account and an active internet connection to work.
You might as well use a cloud-based AI image generation tool running in a powerful data center somewhere. You’ll get better, more realistic results.
