Source: Hard AI Author: Li Dan
Both the Surface Pro 10 commercial edition and the Surface Laptop 6 commercial edition start at $1199. The former is equipped with a Core Ultra U series chip, and an AI-enhanced camera was added. For the first time, the PC camera had an ultra-wide field of view of 114 degrees, and the brightness of the improved 13-inch LCD screen increased by 33%; the latter camera has no ultra-wide angle, but the H series chip is more powerful than the U series. The large 15-inch version has two USB-C connectors.
$Microsoft (MSFT.US)$For the first time, a new product incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) functions into a personal computer (PC) was officially unveiled, making 2024 a milestone year for AI PCs.
On Thursday, March 21, EST, Microsoft launched two PCs, the Surface Pro 10 commercial version and the Surface Laptop 6 commercial version. Delivery began on April 9. They are being dubbed by Microsoft as “the first Surface AI PCs built specifically for businesses.”
As business-oriented computers, Microsoft will not directly sell the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 to individual consumers. In other words, you cannot buy these two PCs through retailer channels such as Target or Best Buy; you can only buy these two PCs on the Microsoft website or commercial dealers.
Seen from the outside, these two computers are no different from their predecessor. The most intuitive change is that they are all equipped with a Copilot key that can summon an AI assistant with one click. Their internals have also been upgraded, equipped with Intel's latest Core Ultra (Core Ultra) CPU, and have a neural network processing unit (NPU), the core “brain” of the intelligent computing era that accelerates the execution of AI tasks. With NPU, these computers can speed up the operation of some existing AI support functions in the Windows 11 system, as well as AI features that will be introduced in the future.
When Microsoft officially announced the Copilot key in January of this year, it was the first major keyboard change for Windows PCs in nearly 30 years, marking the beginning of an era where AI empowers Windows PCs. The CoPilot key and Windows key together form the core of a PC keyboard. When users press this new button, they will launch the Windows PC's CoPilot experience, in other words, direct access to the AI Assistant with one click.
Surface Pro 10 commercial version with Core Ultra U series chip adds AI-enhanced camera LCD display improvements
Outwardly, the Surface Pro 10 commercial edition is very similar to the Intel version of the predecessor Surface Pro 9. Inside, it has two Core Ultra U series chip configurations, Core Ultra 5 135U CPU and Ultra 7 165U CPU, which can be equipped with up to 64GB LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB SSD solid-state hardware. The basic model is equipped with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. The price is 1199 US dollars, which is equivalent to the starting price of 1199 US dollars.
The Surface Pro 10 Commercial Edition has the same computer case as the previous generation. However, Microsoft implicitly used a “whim.” First, Microsoft has improved the 13-inch display, which is the same size as the previous generation, using a new anti-reflective coating, and increased brightness by 33%.
Rumors that this week's new Surface Pro 10 will use an OLED display were punched in the face; the genuine product is still an LCD display. Some media learned that Microsoft plans to release the Surface Pro 10 for consumers at an AI-related event to be held on May 20, which will be equipped with an OLED display. The event focused on AI and will showcase new Surface hardware products and Windows changes.
What further reflects Microsoft's intentions for AI PCs is that the commercial version of the Surface Pro 10 added a 1440p web camera with a resolution level of 114 degrees. Nancy Gaskill, general manager of Microsoft's Surface business, said it was “the first camera with an ultra-wide field of view in the PC market today.”
According to Microsoft, this camera is an AI-enhanced camera. The so-called enhancement means that it can use Core Ultra's NPU to handle AI workloads, thereby enabling Windows Studio effects presented in the best light.
Windows Studio effects refer to a series of features, including effects such as background blur, which compensates for eye contact when the naked eye sees the screen rather than the camera effect, automatic framing effects that automatically scale and crop images while moving, and voice focus effects that silence background noise.
Microsoft has configured an NFC card reader on the Surface Pro 10 commercial version, so that enterprise customers can easily use devices such as YubiKey NFC security keys for authentication. Microsoft is also planning to provide a 5G networking option for this computer. Gaskill said this is the first time Microsoft has connected Intel products to 5G on the Surface Pro. Microsoft previously implemented 5G networking for the Surface Pro 9 through Qualcomm products.
Below you can see the Surface Pro 10 commercial keyboard with Copilot keys added. The left side of the Copilot key is an Alt key, and the right side is a left-pointing arrow key.
Surface Laptop 6 commercial camera without ultra-wide angle, large version with Core Ultra H series chip, two USB-C connectors
The Surface Laptop 6 commercial edition also starts at $1,199. It is equipped with two Core Ultra H series chips, Core Ultra 5 135H CPU and Ultra 7 165H CPU. The basic model is equipped with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and can be equipped with up to 64GB RAM and 1TB SSD.
The front camera of the Surface Laptop 6 commercial version has also been upgraded to 1080p, but it doesn't have the ultra-wide angle of the Surface Pro 10 commercial camera, but users can use Windows Studio effects with background blur and automatic framing during video calls.
Since the H series chips are more powerful than the U series, it is a better choice than the commercial version of the Surface Pro 10 if users want to complete more demanding tasks.
Interestingly, after Microsoft social media X announced the launch of the first AI PCs. Some netizens welcomed it; some said they were excited; others said they liked the new product; others didn't seem to be interested in Intel's chips, and said they were looking forward to the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 supported by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips.
The Surface Laptop 6 commercial display has an anti-reflective coating and is available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch sizes.
The 15-inch display version is equipped for the first time with two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 connectors, as well as a regular USB-A, a headphone jack, and Microsoft Surface Connect for charging. The 13.5-inch version also has a headphone jack and Surface Connect, but only has a USB-C port.
Microsoft says that because of the use of Core Ultra H series chips, the commercial version of the Surface Laptop 6 will run twice as fast as the previous generation Laptop 5. Users who buy the commercial version of the Surface Laptop 6 in some markets also have a smart card reader as an option, as well as Microsoft's newly launched Copilot key, which is used to access the Windows 11 AI assistant Copilot.
edit/lambor