Build is still about a month away, but Microsoft is doing a little experiment this week in the form of an online-only event. Billed as a Windows event, the focus is predictably on AI efforts, with Copilot leading the charge. His two refreshes to the Surface series announced at the event will, as expected, put the software giant's chatbots at the forefront.
The new Surface Pro 10 for Business and Surface Laptop 6 for Business both feature a dedicated Copilot key sandwiched between the Alt key and an arrow. In a post published this morning, Surface General Manager Nancy Gaskill wrote: “The new Copilot key on Surface Laptop 6 makes it even easier to access the power of AI, and with a quick press of a button you can summon Copilot in Windows to help customers plan their day. It's built-in so you can search for documents with natural text and analyze websites.
Image credit: Microsoft
This key is at the heart of what the company calls “the first AI-optimized Surface PC.” Indeed, incorporating Copilot directly into the keyboard still shows some commitment to a new project, as it's just been a year since MS released his Copilot for Microsoft 365 this month. Masu. I also won't spoil the mood by pointing out that the Cortana key was also used at one point.
The system arrives in just under four months from what a handful of highly paid branding executives deemed an “AI PC.” And “AI smartphones” like the Samsung Galaxy S24 are completely meaningless labels. Intel has been promoting “Intel-powered AI PCs” in recent months, while Apple recently declared the M3 MacBook Air the “best consumer laptop for AI.”
While such language ultimately matters little to consumers, “optimized for AI” strikes a healthy balance between riding on new trends without overpromising. After all, the Copilot key is just a physical shortcut to view a specific service. However, given that space is at a premium on laptop/tablet keyboards, this is something of a promise.
Image credit: Microsoft
When it comes to out-of-the-box Copilot features, Microsoft is highlighting things like OneNote's handwriting analysis. The addition of this key to a pair of business-focused devices underscores how important the company considers Copilot to be for the enterprise.
Surface Laptop 6 for business features an Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 processor with Intel Boost NPY (Neural Processing Unit), 8 to 64 GB of RAM, and up to 1 TB of storage. The displays include 13.5-inch and 15-inch touchscreens with 18.5 and 19 hours of battery life, respectively. Surface Pro 10 for business features a 13-inch touchscreen with Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 and Intel AI Boost NPU.