Microsoft (off the back of Windows 11 24H2 release this week) have unveiled a series of updates to their AI infused Copilot+ PCs, aimed at enhancing the user experience with innovative features.
Copilot+PCs are a new category of PCs released this year by leading OEMs including and debuted by Microsoft and are equipped with NPUs. These devices come in Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm-powered Windows on Arm configurations. Microsoft introduced several new features for both types of these advanced PCs. The newly launched Windows 11 2024 Update (version 24H2) brings new functionalities for all Windows 11 users, with some exclusive enhancements specifically for Copilot+ PC owners.
These updates further demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to baking AI assistance into more and more manual or semi manual tasks, and are designed to make everyday tasks more intuitive and efficient, leveraging the power of AI to transform how we interact with our new shiny devices.
New AI experiences in Copilot Plus PCs
These new features are summarised in an extensive Copilot / Windows Blog but the key ones I have summarised below.
Enhanced Search: Find stuff faster and easier.
One of the standout features in this update is the new Enhanced Search. Here, Microsoft has integrated AI-driven improvements deep into Windows search, making it significantly more powerful and user-friendly.
With these enhancements, users can now find files, images, and emails with ease, even if they don’t remember the exact names. Better than a simple search index (you know, that thing that used to grind your PC to a halt), this AI search understands context and can retrieve relevant results based on partial information or related keywords.
Image (c) Microsoft.
For instance, if you’re looking for a presentation you worked on last month but can’t recall the title, simply typing in related terms like “presentation” and “last month” will bring up the correct file. This feature is huge change for how we find and retrieve information and is more human connected in terms of how we think and ask. Plus, if you are anything like me, it should reduce the time spent searching for documents and allowing users to focus on their work.
“AI-powered search makes it dramatically easier to find virtually anything,” says Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer at Microsoft. “You no longer need to remember file names and document locations, nor even specific names of words. Windows will better understand your intent and match the right document, image, file, or email”.
Yusuf Mehdi |Executive VP and CMO | Microsoft.
For images this will work extremely well as you won’t need to know the file name and can search for pictures using words, even if the search word isn’t part of the file name!
The improved Windows search will first show up in File Explorer on Copilot Plus PCs from November.
This improved search will also be available “in the coming months” in the main Windows search interface and through the search box that appears in the Settings interface. You can type things like “duplicate my screen” into the Settings search box and it will help you find the right settings.
Click to Do: Interacting directly with your screen.
This feature really caught my attention and is definitely one I think I will use.
Click to Do will allows users to interact directly with images and text on their screen to perform quick actions. As an example you might be viewing a webpage or a pdf and see a phone number. You’ll be able to click on it to initiate a call, or clicking on an address to open it in your maps application. This feature streamlines workflows by reducing the number of steps needed to complete tasks.
Image (c) Microsoft
Click to Do works by understanding everything you’ve seen on your screen and enabling useful shortcuts to actions to help you more quickly search, learn, edit, shop, or act on those items… It works on any windows, document, image, or even video”
Yusuf Mehdi |Executive VP and CMO | Microsoft.
As an example, you could use Click to Do to perform a visual search on an item that appears in a YouTube video you’re watching or a page you are viewing in a browser. Click to Do is also context-aware, assisting with text-related actions like rewriting, summarising documents, explaining text, and sending emails.
Microsoft have said Click to Do will begin testing with Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs in October, with a gradual rollout planned for November.
The previously announced Recall feature will also be available to Windows Insiders in October on Qualcomm-powered devices, before being rolled out to Windows Insiders on Intel- or AMD-powered Copilot Plus PCs in November.
I think this could be a real time saver for me and for anyone who does a lot of research, works with high volumes of information and has lots of open windows on their screen(s). By enabling direct interaction with on-screen content, it should help minimise interruptions and keeps the focus on what your are doing without having to open other tools.
Generative AI in Paint: Bringing modern tech to a staple app.
Microsoft Paint is also getting another significant upgrade (which has been in testing with Windows Insiders for a few months) with the introduction of new generative AI tools. These new tools ncluding generative fill, image generation (using Designer) and generative erase, that bring capabilities similar to those found in advanced photo editing software like Photoshop. Layers was also introduced to Paint earlier this year.
Copilot UI : The human touch.
Finally, Microsoft are revamping the general Copilot experience. This is not just about adding new features (though there are some) but are more about a total overhaul and part of their vision to make AI a more human-centric experience.
Their goal is to differentiate Copilot from other AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemin, by focusing on usability and user satisfaction. This approach ensures that the technology adapts to the user’s needs, rather than the other way around.
Microsoft has given the Windows App “GA” status and released to the masses along with long awaited mobile app support which will open more doors and use cases for Windows Cloud PCs and Virtual Desktops. This will allow businesses to bring the power of Windows to virtually any device. Whether you’re using macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, or even another Windows PC, you can now stream a copy of Windows seamlessly.
You can read the full Microsoft Blog on this > here <
What’s so good about the Windows App?
Havig been in preview for some time (previously there were multiple apps to use for different virtualised experiences on Windows such as Remote Desktop app, different websites and third-party apps etc) but now we have a new single experience 🙂 This provides:
Unified Experience: The Windows App serves as a single place to streaming all your corporate and development Windows desktops including Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Remote Desktop services.
Customisable Home screen: Which allows users to tailor the app to suit their needs by pinning specific desktops, configuring the join experience and even simple configuration of things like multi-tasking and app switching with Windows 11 (known as Windows 365 Switch).
Multi-Screen Support: The Windows App lets users customise and extend their experience (just like a traditional / physical desktop) with multiple display support.
USB Redirection: Windows App allows full support of local USB devices including speakers, mics, webcams, storage devices, and printers as if they are directly connected to your Cloud PC.
Single Sign On – The Windows App supports single sign on with Windows 365 and AVD with Entra ID.
Who can use the Windows App?
Presently, the app is limited to Microsoft work and school accounts, making it ideal for professionals and students who need to access their work PCs remotely. It’s not available for consumers, but it does make Windows 365 and AVD simple to use on personal BYOD devices that need to access work devices. Something I do often.
Downloading the Windows App
The Windows app is available for download from the Microsoft Store and the Apple App Store. It is also available on the Google Play store but is now in public preview.
User Experience
The user experience is fantastic and shows the attention to detail, listening to user feedback and alignment with the core Windows Development team. Microsoft have said that the Windows App will start shipping as standard out of box app on Coporate Devices running Windows 11 too.
Windows 365 Desktop on Samsung S24 via TV
Windows App on Samsung S24 through TV
The image above (which is pretty cool) is Windows 365 Running on my Samsung S24 displayed through a TV (using Samsung Dex) – and yes, I am using Copilot on PowerPoint.
Windows 11 Experience below
The Future
I’d love to see Windows App come to more devices like high-end TVs and tablets in the future just like Microsoft have done with Xbox Game Streaming.
Microsoft has released a bunch of firmware updates which should fix some annoying issues.
One of the great things about Microsoft owning the hardware and software eco system (in the realm of Surface and Windows), is the telemetry data they have across the board and the ownership they take across hardware and software.
According to Microsoft there’s been some issues affecting Surface Pro 8, Pro X and Laptop 6 which have (hopefully) been fixes with this latest update. Let’s dive into the specifics of what these updates address for each device.
Surface Pro 8 (Intel)
Some or the reported issues with Surface Pro 8 include issues with Surface Slim Pen, flickering screen issues when using the Surface Dock 2, and even issues with the built in USB-C ports. This update should fix all those ensuring a smoother and more reliable experience.
Surface Pro X (Arm)
One of my favourite devices (big fan of Windows on ARM), but many users have reported camera issues with the camera app hanging or the camera locking and showing as not working until a reboot. There has also been issues regarding the keyboard when using in Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) or Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE). This firmware update addresses these issues.
Surface Laptop 6 (Intel)
A stable for many businesses, the Surface Laptop 6 has seen a number of odd issuesnpartixukar with the fan and cooling system with reports of the laptop’s fans running excessively (and not turning off), even when the device isn’t under heavy load. This not only affects battery life but can also be quite distracting. This latest update should fix this issue by optimising the fan behavior and improving the system’s response to internal temperature changes, especially when connected to an external monitor and peripherals.
How to get the firmware updates
If you’ve been experiencing any of these issues with your Surface device, then updating your device is simple. In most cases these updates will be deployed as part of the regular patch schedule across your business, but if you need to check and deploy manually, then simply head over to Windows Update and download and install any pending updates for your device.
Windows OS and Surface firmware updates are essential for maintaining the performance and reliability of your Surface devices even if you are not experiencing any of the issues above.
I run a monthly fireside chat panel discussion with IT and Business leaders from a handful of our Cisilion customers. Today, we talked about the outage and reflected on if, can and what we, the industry and our vendors need to do to minimise/prevent this vast impact happening again.
If you missed the "show" - you can watch it below.
September 2024 – Cisilion Fireside Chat
In our September 2024, fireside chat, our panel and I delved into the significant impact and lessons that can be learned from the CrowdStrike outage in July which is estimated to have cost more than $10B US and affected more than 8.5 million Windows devices when CrowdStrike distributed a faulty configuration update for its Falcon sensor software running on Windows PCs and servers.
This update featured a “modification” to a configuration file which was responsible for screening named pipes [Channel File 291]. The faulty update caused an out-of-bounds memory read in the Windows sensor client that resulted in an invalid page fault. The update caused machines to either enter into a bootloop or boot into recovery mode.
Today’s fireside chat conversation covered a range of topics, from the immediate effects of the outage to long-term strategies for enhancing cybersecurity resilience.
The Immediate Impact of the CrowdStrike Outage
The panel began by addressing the widespread disruption caused by the CrowdStrike outage. We discussed the outage’s extensive reach, affecting millions of devices and various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and transportation. In my intro to the episode, I mentioned that “It was really hard to believe…such a small relatively trivial and small update could impact so many people, devices and organisations“. This set the stage for a deeper exploration of the outage’s implications on cybersecurity practices.
As we kicked off, I praised the collaboration between Microsoft and CrowdStrike in addressing the outage. He mentioned that despite initial blame-shifting in the media, there was a concerted effort to resolve the issue, showcasing the importance of vendor cooperation in crisis management. The panel in short didn’t think there was much more Microsoft could have done – the key was updates and openness which is so critical in a global issue like this – as people and businesses need updates and answers as well as help in restoring systems which both Microsoft and CrowdStrike did in drones.
Vendor Reliance and Preparedness
Ken Dickie(Chief Information and Transformation Officer at Leathwaite), emphasised the importance of incident management and the worlds’ reliance on third-party and cloud providers. He shared his insights into the challenges of controlling the fix and the revelation of technology’s utility nature to leadership teams stating that it can be hard to explain to “IT” on “how little control we had over the actual fix“. Matthew Wallbridge(Chief Digital and Information Officer at Hillingdon Council) echoed the sentiment, stressing the need for preparedness and the role of people in cybersecurity, stating, “It’s less about the technology, it’s more about people.”
Supply Chain Risks
Matthew raised concerns about supply chain risks, highlighting recent attacks on media and the need for better understanding and mitigation strategies. This part of the discussion underscored the interconnected nature of cybersecurity and the potential vulnerabilities within the supply chain.
GoherMohammed (Group Head of InfoSec at L&Q Group.) mentioned the impact on their ITSM due to vendor reliance in the supply chain, which degraded their service, emphasising the need for resilience and contingency plans. This led to further discussions about how important understanding the importance of the Supply Chain validation is in our security and disaster recovery planning and co-ordination. Matt talked frequently about “control the controllable” but ask the right questions to the ones (vendors) you can’t control. Goher said that whilst L&Q were not directly affected, they did experience “degraded service due to supply chain impacts“, emphasising the need for resilience and contingency plans and review of that of their supply chain(s).
Resilience and Disaster Recovery Planning
The conversation then shifted to strategies for enhancing resilience. Here I discussed how we at Cisilion are revisiting our own disaster recovery plans to include scenarios like the Crowdstrike outage.
We discussed a lot about the cost of resilience and that there is a “limit” to what you can mitigate against before the cost skyrockets out of control with very little reduction in risk. It was agreed there are many things that can’t “easily” be mitigated in this particular scenario, but that we can be better prepared.
The panel talked about various strategies that “could be considered” including recovering to “on-prem”, re-visiting the considerations around multi-cloud strategies and the potential benefits of edge computing in mitigating risks associated with device reliance.
We also discussed whether leveraging technologies such as Cloud PCs, and Virtual Desktops have a part to play in recovery and preparation as well as whether using Bring Your Own Devices would/could/should be a bigger part of our IT and desktop strategy, along with, of course SASE technology to secure access.
Goher advised “do a real audit, understand the most critical assets, the impact they have further down the line and whether there is more that can be done to mitigate against outage/failure/issue“. This led us into an interesting side discussion around Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) – emphasising the “importance of not relying on trusted devices alone”.
The Human Aspect of IT Incidents
David Maskell (Head of IT and Information Security at Thatcham Research) brought a crucial perspective to the discussion, focusing on the human aspect of IT incidents. He reminded the audience of the importance of supporting IT teams during crises, highlighting the stress and pressure they face. The panel agreed with David, all of whom emphasised the importance of ensuring teams are looked after, highlighting the human aspect of managing IT incidents especially when things are not directly controllable (such with Cloud outages) and the need for good, solid communications to the business.
Ken also reflected on leadership’s reaction to the outage, emphasising the “gap in understanding the reliance on technology” that many business leaders (especially those not from a techy background) have”. The days of “it’s with IT to fix” are clearly not as simple as they once were!
Conclusion: The Path Forward
As we concluded the discussion, the panel dwelled over the lessons and tips to offer viewers, each other and the industry.
In general the guidance acoss the panel were around
The importance of regular security reviews, external audits, and business continuity testing.
The need to adopt a proactive stance around cyber security and technology outages, ensuring that their teams are prepared (they run testing and attack/outage simulations).
Ask more questions of your supply chains – they may be your weakest link. Are they secure, and are their recovery plans robust?
Map your critical systems and know the impact on an outage – what is the continuity plan – if devices are affected, how can people access your technology – look at Cloud PCs (such as Windows 365), can you support the use of personal devices (look at SASE technologies such as Cisco Secure Connect)
Review your technology dependencies. It’s not necessarily about multi-vendor but this might be a consideration – even for backup.
In summary, the CrowdStrike outage serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in our reliance on technology and the critical need for comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.
Back in May, Microsoft unveiled the next generation of PCs with the Copilot + PC which was released for consumers. Today (4th September 2024), Microsoft has once again set a new benchmark with the introduction of Copilot+ PCs for Business users.
Like their consumer counter parts, these next generation “AI devices”, which include the Surface Pro 11th Edition and Surface Laptop 7th Edition, are designed to revolutionise productivity and creativity in the business world. Copilot+ PCs are also shipping from other OEMs such as Dell, Lenovo, Acer, HP etc.
Copilot+ PCs are equipped with the most powerful Neural Processing Units (NPUs) available for Windows PCs, delivering blazing-fast processing power. This allows businesses users to handle the toughest tasks with ease, up to 90% faster than previous models. The integration of advanced AI features, such as live captions and real-time translations, ensures that your team can work smarter and more efficiently.
This blog, re-dives into the main differences between Copilot+ PCs and “non-Copilot PCs”, the improvements over previous models, and why these advancements are crucial for businesses and aims to answer the “why now” questions.
Non-Copilot PCs: Traditional PCs rely more on cloud-based AI processing (since they did not have NPUs), or required the CPU to do the grunt work, which can slow down performance and is dependent on internet connectivity.
Non-Copilot PCs: While still powerful, these devices do not benefit from the same level of AI optimisation and processing efficiency, due to lack of NPU which are key for efficient processing of AI workloads.
Non-Copilot PCs: Typically rely on Wi-Fi or wired connections, which may not offer the same level of mobility and security.
Power, Performance, Productivity
This is the “why now” for Copilot+ PCs. More than just a device refresh, this new class of devices brings exceptional performance, never seen before battery life and the fastest application performance on Windows to date.
Built around the user – Surface Copilot+ PCs provide a seamless and intuitive experience. These devices come with features like adaptive colour, optional OLED and HDR displays, and a flexible kickstand (Surface Pro) making them adaptable to any work environment. The all-day battery life (up to 22 hrs) ensures that your people stay productive without frequent interruptions.
Security: Copilot+ PCs come with advanced security features, including the Microsoft Pluton security processor and Windows Hello biometric authentication. Together these provide robust protection against both physical and digital threats and work seemlessly with your device management tools such as Intune. This comprehensive security framework ensures that your data remains safe and easily managed across the organisation. These enhanced security measures in Copilot+ PCs provide a higher level of protection, making them a more secure choice for businesses handling sensitive data.
Future Proofed Investment : As businesses increasingly turn to AI to innovate, having the right hardware is crucial. Surface Copilot+ PCs are built to scale and adapt as AI capabilities evolve, ensuring that your investment remains relevant and valuable. These devices support local development and execution of AI models, providing the agility needed to stay competitive.
What SKUs are available?
As discussed, there are two standout devices – Laptop 7, Pro 11 and the Surface Pro 5G. Here are the key specs and features from a hardware perspective to note:
Surface Laptop 7
Launch Date: 12th September 2024
Size Options: 13.5″ and 15″
Processors: Snapdragon® X Plus / Snapdragon® X Elite
NPU: Qualcomm® Hexagon™ (45 TOPs)
Graphics: Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU
Cameras: AI enhanced 1440p Quad HD front-facing Surface Studio camera with ultrawide field of view
NFC – Allows use of the built-in NFC reader to sign in with an NFC security key.
Copilot Key: Yes – for quick access to Copilot in Windows 11
Surface Pro 11
Launch Date: 12th September 2024
Processors: Snapdragon® X Plus / Snapdragon® X Elite
NPU: Qualcomm® Hexagon™ (45 TOPs)
Graphics: Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU
Cameras: AI enhanced 1440p Quad HD front-facing Surface Studio camera with ultrawide field of view
NFC – Allows use of the built-in NFC reader to sign in with an NFC security key.
Copilot Key: Yes – for quick access to Copilot in Windows 11
Options: New flex Premium keyboard designed to be used either attached to your Pro for the ultimate laptop set-up or detached as a standalone keyboard for a new level of flexibility.
New Surface Pro 5G
Launch Date: October 2024
CPU Options: Available with Intel I5/I7 and Snapdragon X Plus / Snapdragon® X Elite
NPU: Qualcomm® Hexagon™ (45 TOPs)/ Intel AI boost
Graphics: Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU / Intel graphics
Copilot key: Key – for quick access to Copilot in Windows 11
Cameras: AI enhanced 1440p Quad HD front-facing Surface Studio camera with ultrawide field of view
NFC– Allows use the built-in NFC reader to sign in with an NFC security key.
Conclusion
Surface Copilot+ PCs stand out due to their advanced AI integration and superior performance. Unlike non-Copilot+ PCs, which may lack dedicated NPUs, Copilot+ PCs offer specialised hardware designed to handle AI tasks efficiently. This results in faster processing times and more accurate AI-driven features.
Video (c) Microsoft
Surface Copilot+ PCs are not just another piece of hardware; they are a strategic investment in your business’s future. By equipping your team with these advanced devices, you can unlock new levels of productivity, security, and innovation, positioning your business for success in an AI-driven world.
As we wait for the big 24H2 update due this autumn, Microsoft has quietly rolled out an optional update (going by the name KB5041587) for Windows 11, bringing a host of improvements and new features.
While this update is not mandatory, it does offer several enhancements that make it worth installing (especially if you have a PC powered by an AMD CPU).
Overall, the KB5041587 update for Windows 11 brings a range of valuable enhancements for users who frequently share files with Android devices, includes improvements to Narrator, voice typing, and File Explorer.
Here’s a breakdown of what this update entails and why you might want to install it.
Performance Boosts for AMD CPUs
One of the most notable improvements in the KB5041587 update is the performance boost for AMD’s latest CPUs. Users with Ryzen 5000, 7000, and 9000 series processors with up to a 13 percent increase in performance.
This enhancement addresses the previously disappointing performance of these CPUs, making it a significant update for AMD users.
Enhanced File Sharing with Android Devices
This update introduces a new feature that allows users to send files directly to an Android phone via Windows Share.
Unlike Nearby Sharing, the Android device does not need to be in close proximity to the PC. Instead, it just needs to be paired via Phone Link.
This feature simplifies the process of transferring photos and documents, making it more convenient and efficient.
Improvements to Narrator and Voice Typing
Windows 11’s Narrator feature, which reads out loud the contents of documents and websites, has received improvements in speed and accuracy.
These enhancements are particularly noticeable when using the Edge browser and reading large documents.
Additionally, voice typing has been optimized to allow for faster spelling of characters and more commands for text manipulation.
Bug Fixes in File Explorer
Several bugs in File Explorer have been addressed in this update. Issues such as the Ctrl + F keyboard shortcut not starting a search and the Shift + Tab shortcut losing keyboard focus have been fixed.
These fixes contribute to a smoother and more reliable user experience when navigating and managing files.
Installing the update
Unlike the regular security and fix updates, the KB5041587 update must be manually installed.
If you wish to install this one, you will need to navigate to Settings > Windows Update and select the update for installation. This manual process ensures that users have control over whether they want to incorporate these new features and fixes.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series processors are specifically crafted for PCs, particularly Windows on Arm and Copilot Plus PCs available from HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and of course Microsoft Surface. The processors inside these latest generation of devices, integrate the renowned Snapdragon technology from premium smartphones with the demanding performance needs of the PC domain. The goal is to deliver a processor that competes with Intel and Apple in terms of performance, while also offering the energy efficiency typical of smartphones and providing cutting edge NPU performance to power existing and upcoming AI powered applications.
Arm vs Intel: The Copilot Plus PC Revolution
Copilot Plus PCs, like the Surface Laptop 7 are powered by these Snapdragon X Arm chips. The fundamental components shared by all Snapdragon X series chips include Qualcomm’s custom Arm-based Oryon CPU, rather than Intel’s x86, an enhanced version of their Adreno GPU (derived from their mobile devices), the Hexagon NPU for on-chip AI capabilities, and cutting-edge networking technology supporting the latest Wi-Fi 6 & 7 and 5G standards.
On the software front, Microsoft offers an emulation layer within Windows on Arm (WoA) to facilitate the running of x64 applications not yet native to Arm processors. Notably, there is an extensive collection of native Arm applications from Microsoft, Adobe, and other prominent developers.
About the Snapdragon X chipset options
Snapdragon X comes in two major flavours. The X Elite, which powers the first wave of top-tier Copilot Plus PCs, and the X Plus, destined for the more affordable range of Copilot Plus PCs (You’ll see most vendors providing options for both).
Today, Qualcomm has a total of four different Snapdragon X SKUs – three under the X Elite branding and one more affordable X Plus unit. You can see the subtle differences below, with the main differentiator being CPU cores and performance.
All current Snapdragon X models boast a remarkable 45TOPS Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which means they are all equipped to handle the same AI features. An NPU enhances the traditional CPU by adding machine learning (AI) specific computational abilities. An NPU is not only faster but also more energy efficient. This offloads work from the CPU, allowing the NPU to manage AI tasks, similar to how a GPU handles graphics-intensive tasks.
Snapdragon X Elite
12 Oryon CPU cores
Clock speeds up to 4.2Ghz
4.6 TFLOPS GPU (Graphic Processing Unit)
45 TOPS NPU (Neural Processing Unit)
Snapdragon X Plus
10 Oryon CPU cores.
Clock speeds up to 3.4Ghz
3.6 TFLOPS GPU
45TOPS NPU
What about the new Surface Line up?
Snapdragon X offers competitive performance against not just Intel’s latest chips, but also against the Apple M3 and M4. The real star though (not a fan of just CPU benchmarks personally), is that battery life is simply incredible compared to previous generations of devices with initial testing and reports (from others such as here and here) showing these devices comfortably exceeding the demands of a busy workday, positioning these laptops as genuine contenders to the MacBook (which has always somehow always won for battery life). Running emulated x86 apps under emulation will (and does) run the CPU harder which will in turn impact battery life.
This next generation of AI powered PCs sch as Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 10 are two such devices offering superior power, power efficiency and extreeeeeeemley long batter life.
Battery Life Wins
That said, tests by PC Magazine, revealed a result of almost 25 hours usage – making “Surface Laptop one of the longest-latest laptops we’ve ever tested on battery“. In comparison a 13-inch MacBook Air lasted “just” 21 hours and 38 minutes in their testing.
Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 7 are the the first Copilot+ PC which feature these new Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Pro processors.
PC Magazine said in their comprehensive hands-on review of Surface Laptop 7 that
“…this is easily the best Arm chip we’ve tested yet in a PC. The CPU and GPU performance are there and deliver at least competitive benchmark numbers relative to current-gen Intel and AMD offerings in the early going. Qualcomm is to be commended for that.” | PC Magazine
What is your view on these Copilot Plus PCs? Have you got one yet – what are your first impressions?
Microsoft is reviewing their options and looking to push for significant changes to their Windows security architecture in the after math of the major outage caused by a “faulty” CrowdStrike update last a couple of week back. The impact of the faulty update, is thought to have afftected around 8.5 million Windows devices and services when the faulty update caused Windows devices to reboot and enter their protected recovery mode.
Microsoft acknowledges the inherent ‘tradeoff’ kernel-level cybersecurity solutions pose and confirms the root cause of the global outage.
This has prompted Microsoft to reassess the level of control that third party security vendors have over the deepest parts of their operating system and they are considering limiting kernel- level access for these vendors.
“This incident shows clearly that Windows must prioritize change and innovation in the area of end-to-end resilience“. | John Cable | Microsoft see blog post,
Time to bring control back?
John Cable, Microsoft’s VP of program management for Windows servicing and delivery, discussed passionately their viewpoint in a blog post named “Windows resiliency: Best practices and the path forward.” In this post, he emphasised the need for “end-to-end resilience” and discussed potential changes Microsoft are reviewing that could mean restricting kernel access for third party security vendors such as CrowdStrike.
Snipit from John Cable’s blog post | July 2024
The CrowdStrike update bug, which resulted in widespread system crashes, has clearly highlighted the risks associated with allowing third-party security apps and services to operate at the kernel level – a new approach is needed.
Privileged access, though advantageous for detecting threats, can result in disastrous failures if mishandled. Microsoft is investigating alternatives that circumvent future kernel access issues, including VBS enclaves and the Azure Attestation service. Employing Zero Trust methodologies, these solutions aim to bolster security without incurring the dangers inherent in kernel-level operations.
Why do Microsoft let third parties access the kernel?
In short, they dont have much choice (see below).
While Microsoft may be looking to further restrict access to its Windows kernel going forward, they have used this event to explain why third-parties antivirus and security vendors to access the “core of Windows” the first place.
The Windows kernel is a deep layer of its operating system. Kernel-level cybersecurity lets developers do more to protect machines, can perform better, and can be harder for threat actors to alter or disable.
When a kernel-level cybersecurity solution loads at the earliest possible time, it gives users (and companies) the most data and context possible when threats arise and also ensures protection can kick in at the earliest stage of the Operating Systems boot up stage rather than waiting for the OS to load and then running as a normal system process.
The EU may prevent changes over anti-trust claims
Whilst this makes common sense to most, after all why shouldn’t Microsoft be able to restrict access to ensure stability of an operating system used by more than a billion users, their push for change is likley to face resistance from both cybersecurity vendors and regulators.
Back in 2006, Microsoft tried to restrict kernel access around the release of Windows Vista, but was met with opposition and a ruling that preventing them doing this, citing anti compete. In contrast, however, Apple successfully managed to lock down their kernel level access in macOS in 2020. The market for Windows software is of course far larger than Apple’s MacOS and Microsoft is an open platform for developers to build upon so any changes will need to be done in a way that make this possible without preventing developers software doing what they are supposed to do!
Microsoft has attributed part of the CrowdStrike outage to the 2009 European Union antitrust agreement, which mandates that Microsoft must provide kernel-level access to third-party software vendors. Conversely, Apple started to phase out kernel extensions in macOS in 2020, encouraging software vendors to adopt the “system extension framework” due to its reliability and security advantages.
It is not the first and wont be the last time either that the EU have played the anti-trust card. Microsoft has recently had to decouple Teams from Microsoft 365 as a response to competitors such as Zoom citing Mcirosoft have an unfair advantage. They have had recent claims against them with Internet Explorer and Edge.
Zero Trust Kernel Protection mayt be the way forward
The blog post indicates that Microsoft is not proposing a complete shutdown of access to the Windows kernel. Rather, it highlights alternatives like the newly introduced VBS enclaves, which offer an isolated computing environment that doesn’t necessitate kernel mode drivers for tamper resistance.
“These examples use modern Zero Trust approaches and show what can be done to encourage development practices that do not rely on kernel access…We will continue to develop these capabilities, harden our platform, and do even more to improve the resiliency of the Windows ecosystem, working openly and collaboratively with the broad security community vendors”. John Cable | MicrosoftWindows VP
Trade off between “anti-compete” and stability.
Microsoft acknowledges that the tradeoff of kernel-level cybersecurity products is that if it glitches out, it can’t be easily fixed, saying in their blog that. “all code operating at kernel level requires extensive validation because it cannot fail and restart like a normal user application.”
As such companies have to demonstrate strict quality and testing controls over their software. The CrowdStrike issue occurred since this wasn’t a new product but” simply” and software patch by CrowdStrike that… well, went wrong.
Microsoft can’t vet every patch and every update released by their “trusted” ISVs/third parties, especially when it comes to security updates which these security vendors need to roll out requently.
“There is a tradeoff that security vendors must rationalise when it comes to kernel drivers. Since kernel drivers run at the most trusted level of Windows, where containment and recovery capabilities are by nature constrained, security vendors must carefully balance needs like visibility and tamper resistance with the risk of operating within kernel mode.” | Microsoft
What ever happens – businesses still need to have backup and remediation processed in place.
In response to the CrowdStrike incident, Microsoft deployed over 5,000 support engineers to aid affected organizations and provided continuous updates via the Windows release health dashboard. They rapidly developed recovery tools to assist companies in their recovery efforts, while emphasising the significance of business continuity planning, secure data backups, and the adoption of cloud-native strategies for managing Windows devices to bolster resilience against future incidents.
Further whitepapers and guidance will be released in the coming months and I expect this will lead to Microsoft, and their third party vendors releasing more recovery tools and guidance.
Summary
Microsoft “confirmed that CrowdStrike’s analysis that this was a read-out-of-bounds memory safety error in the CrowdStrike developed CSagent.sys driver,” Microsoft explained in their technical analysis of the crash and why the impact was so huge in a technical paper published last week.
Reviewing the security architecture and access to the kernel is definately needed, but their approach and desire to prevent future issues with third party glitches will likley be at the brunt of complaints from third party security vendors and the EU anti-compete regulators.
Apple “seem” to have a much easier ride when it comes to doing what they want – they say “jump” and developers say “how high”. Microsoft repeatedly have to “please” regulators far more – this recent huge global impact, may work in Microsoft’s favour however, to bring some control and governance in the name of system and business stability which I am sure will get the backing of everyone and every organisation impacted.
One thing is for certain -Microsoft wont take this sitting down. They will work hard to continue to protect their OS which is run on billions of devices and used by almost all coporations, education and crititical infrastrucutre. Change will happen!
Last month, Microsoft announced the next generation of AI powered PCs from Microsoft and many other OEMs including Acer and Lenovo which leverage the latest Snapdragon ARM chipsets from Qualcomm. I covered this on a previous post here....
Yesterday (June 18th 2024), Microsoft’s own devices (the Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11) were officially available today to buy and any pre-orders were shipped to customers worldwide 🙂
Microsoft describes Copilot+ PCs as the “most intelligent” Windows PCs ever created. These new processors are capable of performing over 40 trillion operations per second. These PCs also offer long long long battery life and give access to advanced AI tools.
These latest Copilot+ PCs from Microsoft are sleek, lightweight, and elegantly designed to enhance productivity They ship with dedicated NPUs (for processing AI workloads on-chip) and have the longest battery life of any Surface ever.
Microsoft say that the new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro are Copilot+ PCs, are the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs on the market. They are available in four colour options and start at $999 Estimated Retail Price (ERP) USD on Microsoft.com or at a Microsoft Experience Center (aka store).
What is a Copilot+PCs?
Copilot+ PCs represent a new category of Windows 11 PCs, equipped with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU), which is a specialised type of processor designed for AI-intensive tasks such as real-time translations and image generation, capable of executing over 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
Are Copilot+PC only available from Microsoft?
No. Copilot+PCs are a new generation of PC devices which combined Windows on ARM (WoA) technology, Snagdragon powered chipsets and new updates and features built into Windows.
Other manufacturers are also making Copilot+PCs include (but not limited to).
Copilot+PCs are designed for personal, small business and commercial/enterprise. Devices for Business such as the Surface for Business Range will start shipping in September 2024. More details can be found here.
What can Copilot+PCs do that others cannot?
Microsoft refers to new Copilot+ PC experiences which will be baked in to the next versions of Windows 11 and are advanced AI features unique to Copilot+ PCs that accelerate your productivity and creativity. This will include new AI features such as Recall, Cocreator in Paint, Windows Studio Effects, automatic super resolution and Live Captions.There are many more coming and expect to see new AI powered experiences such as offline Copilot coming to Copilot+PC devices in the future. These features require powerful neural processing units (NPUs) –so will be exclusive to the Copilot+ PC class of devices.
One super cool feature to call out for gamers is the new Auto Super Resolution (Auto SR) feature which integrates smoothly with Windows, automatically boosting the frame rates of existing games in real time and delivering detailed visuals. This feature is said to surpasses the capabilities of standalone PC hardware. Initially, Auto SR will be exclusive to Copilot+ PCs that have a Qualcomm Snapdragon® X Series processor and will support a select list of games available at a third-party open-source site, which Microsoft has provided compatibility data for.
Do I need a special version of Windows 11?
No – all new Copilot+ PCs running a Snapdragon® X Series processor will have Copilot+ PC experiences pre-installed. Microsoft will be continuing to update and enhance the Copilot+ PC experiences, so there will be new Windows Updates coming which will enable new features delivered as part of the usual Windows Update process. Only Copilot+PCs will get the new AI features.
What about devices with the latest AI chips from Intel and AMD ?
Microsoft are partnering with Intel and AMD as well to bring Copilot+ PC experiences to PCs with their processors in the future.
Microsoft also have a real good FAQ section on their website about Copilot+PCs.
After unveiling the next generation of Windows and Windows hardware (the PC), Microsoft also launched (available to order today), the first of their flagship Copilot+ PCs – the new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 – both powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite and Snapdragon X Plus Chipsets.
Surface Pro and Surface Laptop start from £1049 and are available on pre-order today!
Key themes are improved environmentals (more than 72% recycled components), repairability, ARM (Qualcomm Snapdragon powered), upgraded screens and cameras.
New Surface Laptop
The latest Surface Laptop offers a modern design with ultra-thin bezels, a vibrant touchscreen, an AI-powered camera, superior audio quality, and a new haptic touchpad. This comes in both 13.8” or 15” screen options and are available in four different colours – Platinum, Black, Dune and Sapphire .
Surface Laptop 15″ version provides up to 22 hours of video playback, while the 13.8” version offers around 20 hours – a staggering increase over previous iterations of the device making them perfect for hybrid, remote work and education. These both deliver exceptional performance and cutting-edge AI features.
Microsoft say it is 86% faster than Surface Laptop 5 and can power up to three external 4K monitors. As a Copilot+PC it’s new NPU delivers a staggering 45 TOPS NPU unlocks new AI experiences and delivers industry-leading performance for seamless productivity. It includes a large variety of ports and features Wi-Fi 7 technology. .
This has been redesigned from the inside out and is sleeker than ever before. It also has a brand new PixelSense touchscreen display with razor-thin bezels and 120Hz refresh rate, HDR technology, Dolby Vision IQ™vii and Adaptive colour technology which adapts perfectly to light for indoor or outdoor use. This generation, while including super responsive multi-touch, does not support use of Surface Pen and neither will Surface Laptop moving forward.
New Surface Pro
The newest Surface Pro builds on what has always been great with Surface, providing a versatile 2-in-1 laptop device redesigned for increased speed and longer battery life and to enable groundbreaking AI capabilities.
Powered by Snapdragon® X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors, Microsoft say these deliver performance that is 90% faster than Surface Pro 9. They support up to three external 4K displays, with two USB 4 ports, and a new 13” display (with optional OLED with HDR technology). Surface Pro comes with Wi-Fi 7 and optional 5G to keep you connected where ever you are.
Camera’s get an upgrade too, with ultra-wide, quad-HD front-facing camera – the best Surface camera ever. This makes the new Windows 11 AI-powered Windows Studio Effects like Automatic Framing, keep you in focus, even as you move around your space. The upgraded 10MP Ultra HD rear-facing autofocus camera also supports 4K video.
The new innovative Surface Pro Flex Keyboard, usable both attached and detached, offers improved stability, integrated storage and charging for the Surface Slim Pen. It also has a quiet haptic touch pad. Microsoft say that Surface Slim Pen also gets better – ink flows which feels more natural with Zero Force inking, ultra-precise shading, 4,096 points of pressure sensitivity and a built-in haptic engine for a more natural writing experience… These are also backward compatible with previous Surface Pro models!
The Surface Pro incorporates a higher percentage of recycled materials compared to the Surface Pro 9, featuring 72% recycled content within its enclosure. It is also designed to be serviceable, with an increased number of replaceable components, such as the motherboard, battery, and cameras, among others..
It’s great to see Microsoft offering their customers more choice in this new realm of AI PCs with both Intel and Qualcomm options.
Next week is Microsoft Build, and the day before (that’s Monday 20th May), Microsoft is set to host a significant event in-person in Seattle about the the future and of Windows, Surface and Copilot.
The event (which is not being live streamed unfortunatley) takes place at 17:00 UK Time (10:00am Pacific Time) and will showcase (I hope filled with the famous Microsoft sizzle videos) the next wave of innovation for Surface, Windows and Copilot powered by new AI powered chipsets…
As usual Microsoft has not disclosed specific details about what is being announced, but there have been many “suggestive” leaks, predications and teases about what is coming. What we do know is that this will be a big and “special” announcement.
This year, Microsoft have already launched the first generation of new AI PC with the release of the Surface Pro 10 and The Surface Laptop 6 which were built on the new Intel AI Boost technology – which you can read more about here.
So what is being announced?
We know this is a pretty big annoucement and we do know that this is the year of AI and the year of the AI PC, so we can expect some pretty exciting annoucements. Despite the various leaks, we wont know until monday what is actually coming, but we do know that Microsoft’s previous product updates were only around the Intel based devices and their ARM powered devices haven’t yet received an update.
Windows Insiders will be well aware of the all the AI innovating coming to the next generation of Windows 11 so we can expect some new AI wow to be announced for Windows 11 as Microsoft gear up for the 24H2 update coming later this year.
Next Generation of Windows and Surface (and Copilot)
Given the new Qualcomm chipsets such as the Snapdragon Elite X, it would make sense for this to feature in the announcements. These new chipsets (which I discussed here) provide huge NPU capabilities which are needed to process AI workloads efficiently without sloooooooowing down the device so it will be exciting to see if these feature in the future of Surface and Windows!
Will Copilot work “locally/Offline?
What? Well today, all the AI and Copilot experiences we have seen with Windows 11 (and Microsoft 365 Copilot) take place in the cloud, but I also wonder if Microsoft will discuss their plans and advancements around local/on-device Generative AI experiences. With the newer AI Boost PCs from Intel, what is now available with Qualcomm and what Microsoft have in their arsenal with Copilot and OpenAI, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft can tell us about how they could de-couple the AI experiences, providing the ability to run local LLMs “on chip”. This of course is as much about the software (Windows OS) as it is the hardware that powers it.
What about Windows 365?
I hope so – since Windows 365 is very much part of the Windows story and I’m hoping we will hear some updates about what is coming to Windows 365. We have seen huge performance and boot time increases this year, new innovation with Windows 365 Boot and Windows 365 Switch (i have covered this in another blog) so be great to see what is next for Windows 365. There were also many things annouced over the past 12 months such as offline mode that haven’t yet made it to market – could this be finally coming?
We are not even six months into 2024, yet we have already seen some of the most exciting innovation to hit the PC in a decade.
Earlier this year we saw the birth of the “AI-PC” which saw Intel ship their new Core Ultra chipset which includes their AI Boost technology (essentially an NPU) along with the much improved Intel Arc graphics chips which brought performance increases far beyond the i5 and i7 chipsets we have been using for years.
Why do we need NPUs again?
As we use increasingly more AI services, whether that is image blurring, sound enhancement or running a local LLMs on your device, Neural Processing Units (NPUs) are much much faster at processing these workloads locally and because they do all the hard work, the CPU doesn’t need too, also freeing up CPU time increasing overall performance. . This therefore also leads to more efficient processing and less battery use.
I remember back (too many) years ago, when the chipset battle was between Intel and AMD. This has moved on significantly of late though with Qualcomm now a real contender in realm of AI workloads, portability and battery/eco performance. Qualcomms new Snapdragon chipsets are built on what was previously called “Oryon” which was designed by NUVIA (which QualComm brought for $1.4 Billion in 2021).
Interesting fact: Nuvia was founded by a group of ex-Apple engineers who were responsible for the original Apple M1 + chipset architecture.
This Oryon chipset (known now as the Snapdragon X series) has been the result of that acquisition and ongoing investment. These ARM chip brings an amazing addition to lower power usage and energy consumption, mobile connectivity, longer battery life and amazing performance (especially with AI workloads) and will soon be running the current and next generation of Windows 11 on ARM technology.
Is Surface RT – Back from the Dead?
Well, yes and no – more sort of.
If you have been using Microsoft hardware (and Surface in particular for while, you may remember the Infamous Surface RT device that Microsoft launched in 2012 along side the Intel Powered Surface Pro (v1). Whilst not a success at the time (and laughed at by many), this was the real exploration of using ARM architecture in mainstream computing running a desktop Operating System (Windows 8.1 back then). Windows 8.1 RT was based on Windows 8 at the time but compiled specifically for the ARM chipset that drove the Surface RT.
Surface RT was a hybrid tablet developed by Microsoft. It was the first personal computer designed in-house by Microsoft and was released in October 2012. It ran on Windows RT, a version of Windows 8 optimised for ARM processors. It has a quad-core Nvidia Tegra processor, 2GB of memory, a 10.6-inch display, a USB 2.0 port, HDMI-out, and a magnesium chassis.
But it failed right? It did – but the failing (in part) was not really down to the ARM technology itself, it was more because the mainstream computing world only really knew the world of Win32 or x64 applications which were built on a totally different architecture and could not run on ARM. There were a number of Win32 applications that were recompiled for ARM and made available via the (then limited) App Store, but these were few and far between (a bit like Windows Phone) which meant that Surface RT was a good good for web browsing and web apps, plus the stock apps and re-compiled Office Applications which worked quite well.
ARM – “I’ll be back”
With the “fail” of Windows RT, ARM was pretty much a thing of the past until 2019, when Microsoft released the Surface Pro X, which I still love and use today. This was the start of a new era for Windows on ARM (some seven years later) which saw Windows 10 (WoA)running on a Microsoft customised Qualcomm which Microsoft called the SQ1.
The SQ1 was based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx laptop chip but with some customization. It combined Snapdragon hardware with AI capabilities, resulting in a powerful chipset, which gave impressive battery life (well more than in the intel version), and quick charging (to 80% in just an hour). It also featured 4G connectivity in addition to Wi-Fi. Graphics are powered by the Adreno 685 GPU
Microsoft did a brilliant job of this. They produced a super sleek and super thin, fanless Surface Pro device which ran full Windows 10 on ARM. Unlike the Surface RT, whist it could of course run native ARM apps, it was also able to run x64 apps through x64 emulation. These apps did ran slower than they would on their intel counterparts, but and ability to run these apps without recompiling the code removed (mostly) the “app gap”. With devices now going to market (other vendors followed), it also saw software giants like Adobe, beginning to develop their own apps compiled for ARM to run natively. Looking ahead to today, there’s a good steady (and growing) number of apps that are natively compiled for ARM.
As Windows 11 was released in October 2021, we saw a new and refreshed experience for fans of ARM devices with the the support to run Win32 and x64 apps through emulation as well as native ARM apps of course. Microsoft have recently released updated to their ARM powered Surface Pro devices (only Surface Pro devices currently ship with an ARM option), the latest being the Surface Pro 9 5G which features the Microsoft SQ3 processor.
The SQ3was built on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3. This is an 8-core processor with 8 threads and is based on the second generation of Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. Graphics are powered by the Adreno 690 GPU. This also features 5G connectivity.
The Future of AI Powered PCs
There is no doubt we are witnessing a seismic shift in the market as devices are next generation devices are being primed for AI capabilities, and it’s nothing short of revolutionary. With Intel shipping their new AI powered chipsets in the fist part of 2024 and with what is coming from Qualcomm in the second half, 2024 looks to be the year for Windows 11 on ARM with new devices coming soon from leading PC/Laptop manufacturers, including new Microsoft Surface devices based on the rumours! Apple of course have also announced the M4 for their newest devices.
Intel Ultra with AI Boost
Earlier this year, Microsoft led the charge with the Surface Pro 10 for Business, armed with the Intel Core Ultra processor. What makes this processor different to the previous Intel generations is what they call their integrated AI Boost! This cutting-edge feature turbocharges performance by processing AI tasks locally. This results in a significant reduction in reliance on the CPU and, in some fortunate cases, even the GPU. This means faster, more efficient processing that’s sure to supercharge your productivity, powered by the Intel NPU.
Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite
But that’s not all! Qualcomm has also thrown its hat into the ring with the Snapdragon X1E Elite and Plus chipsets. This comes hot on the heels of their acquisition of Nuvia, marking a bold new chapter in their AI journey which we are about to start seeing hit the market.
Qualcomm AI Engine, Snapdragon X Elite can run generative AI models with over 13 billion parameters on-device. Qualcomm claims it has 4.5 times faster AI processing than its competitors. Qualcomm has called Snapdragon X Elite the “most powerful, intelligent, and efficient processor in its class for Windows,”
Apple M4
Yes so Apple have recently announced their new M4 Processor which will power the new iPad Pro. Apple say that the M4 promises 50% faster CPU performance than Apple’s M2 and is four times faster than the M2 in GPU performance.
Intel vs Qualcomm vs Apple
While benchmarking processor performance can sometimes be influenced by the manufacturer or even be misleading to the end user, the numbers below are really interesting to see.
The new Intel Core Ultra 5 chipset has also shown significant improvement, boasting a score of 2,150 and 10,450 for single core and multicore respectively. These numbers highlight the rapid advancements in AI capabilities and the potential they hold for our work.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite made a grand entrance with a single core score of 2,574 and a multicore score of 12,562. This immediately positions it as a formidable contender, outperforming the Ryzen 9 7940HS.
Qualcomm has added an AI engine to the X Elite too, which they say is capable of 75 TOPS (trillion operations per second) — that’s a huge increase over the roughly 34 TOPS the Intel Core 7 165H chip is capable of.
There are not yet scores for the Apple M4 to compare against the Snapdragon X Elite since the benchmarks for the M4 are not out yet.
Conclusion
With the latest iterations of Windows 11, we have a mature and stable build of ARM on Windows, that can run Intel apps in both Win32 and x64 mode, as well as native ARM applications. There are more apps than ever that run native ARM in Windows – and even Google have now launched an ARM version of their Chrome Browser.
The marked performance of the Snapdragon shows that will accelerate both the performance and advancements of AI edge compute in Windows 11, along with the efficiency and battery life expected. With this, the next generation of Qualcomm AI PCs on Windows 11 looks extremely exciting.
As we move into the second half of 2024, I think business, consumers, education and more are going to be super excited about the ability to get a new range of super quiet, super fast, super efficient devices with a real stonker of battery life that is able to run AI and traditional workloads with a breeze. All powered by Windows 11 on ARM and Snapdragon X Elite at the core.
The new Surface IT Toolkit which was officially released on April 25th 2024, promises to be a significant tool to help IT managing and optimise their coporate fleet of Surface devices.
We are excited to announce the Surface IT Toolkit, a modern desktop application that compiles essential commercial tools and streamlines the Surface device management experience for IT admins – all in a single application.
Microsoft.
Replacing an older mixture of admin tools, the refresh and centralising of these essential tools into a one application should simplify the deployment and management process, addressing the common challenge of using disparate tools across various locations and versions. This should greatly enhance efficiency and ease of use for IT admins.
What is in the Surface IT Toolkit?
The Surface Tool kit contains a number of new and updated apps. These are:
Data Eraser – Which is a NIST [Special Publication 800-88 Revision 1 NVM Express] compliant data erasure tool that also includes the ability to create certificates of sanitization for compliance and auditing. This is beneficial when repurposing, recycling, or retiring a device to guarantee that no sensitive data is left on it.
UEFI Configurator – enables IT to implement Surface Enterprise Management Mode (SEMM) UEFI configurations on Surface devices and peripherals such as Surface docks and other accessories. The UEFI configurator allows IT to efficiently and consistently manage and disable components at the firmware level. This enhances security and compliance by safeguarding against unauthorized modifications to device settings. For example it could be used to prevent the camera being used to comply with privacy in schools, or block USB ports being used to connect to external disks for data compliance.
Recovery Tool – This feature enables a full device reset, reverting it to its factory state for troubleshooting and re-building purposes. It also manages previously downloaded factory images for reuse, helping to resolve common issues and restore the device’s original performance. The latest update provides a new guided process and no longer requires the serial number to be entered. It also includes ability to build from new or build from an existing image.
Tool Library – The updated Tool Library houses the most recent versions of supplementary tools and installers for deployment to end users, offering IT descriptions of their functions and links to the most up-to-date documentation. This tools here include the Surface Asset Tag Tool, Surface Diagnostic Toolkit for Business, Surface Brightness Control Tool, among others.
Video: Install and using the Surface IT Toolkit
Here’s little video that shows the relevant webpages, installing the toolkit and first run experience and tools available.
Usng the Surface Tool Kit.
For more information from Microsoft on this – use the following link
How do I get the Surface IT Toolkit?
You can grab the IT Toolkit from Microsoft > here <.
The new buzz in the world of PCs is all about the “AI PC”. This term is the latest messaging being banded around from PC/Laptop manufacturers with a view to ensure that people, families and organisations are taking this next generation of PC into account when planning their legacy hardware upgrades over the next 12-18 months.
AI analytics and modeling require vast amounts of data, which are best suited for cloud, but performing some workloads at the device level delivers more efficient processing, or inferencing, by being offloaded to the device. These efficiencies could be applied to:
Visual inferencing: AI applied directly to the camera feed
Audio inferencing: AI applied to audio inputs
Live transcription: AI applied to language processing
New AI-PCs are being designed and built with specialised processors (NPUs) to support executing those models, and more, locally, in real time.
You don’t need to look very far to see the phrase “AI PC” everywhere both from Intel and leading device manufacturers including Microsoft, but what is the tech behind the latest tech phrase?
Note: AI is the capability of a computer program or a machine to "think, learn, and take actions without being explicitly encoded with commands".
So what is an AI PC?
In short an AI-PC needs to have these three key components:
An Chipset with a new NPU, CPU and GPU built-in
Windows 11 and Copilot in Windows
A Copilot Key (technically).
Of course CPUs and GPUs have been around for a long time, but it is the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that is new in PCs and it is this that is the key part of an AI-PC. The NPU (or AI-Boost as Intel calls it) is designed to process AI workloads locally rather than in the cloud which brings many improvements for the user, including processor efficiency, improved battery life and increased security.
The NPU is a dedicated microprocessor designed to efficiently handle AI-specific tasks, such as executing predictive models, processing machine learning algorithms, or powering generative AI applications.
Surface AI-PC – Available on Surface Pro 9, 10 and Surface Laptop 6
The Intel Core Ultra processors featured in AI-PCs like Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 provide a holistic approach to running AI workloads on PC. These different processors offer programming versatility to developers that maximise the three type of microprocessors – CPU, GPU, and their new, integrated NPU. With an AI-PC, each microprocessor (compute engine) has its own specialisation, but in the context of AI on Cloud PCs mean they work together when using AI workloads with:
The CPU being ideal for general and traditional compute workload as well as light-weight, single inference AI tasks. Think “accelerating cloud-delivered AI” while minimising impact on overall system performance.
The GPU being ideal for AI infused into media and 3D rendering apps and tasks. Users can perform data visualisation tasks, create and manipulate 3D images, or generate elaborate reports, enabling your team to efficiently tackle complex data workloads.
The new AI-Boosting NPU which is designed specifically for sustained and efficient offloading of AI models such as Windows Studio Effects.
What are the benefits of an AI-PC?
In short – performance, battery life and enabling new AI-Powered experiences.
Windows and many other apps have AI features within their applications sets, but put simply with AI-PCs these AI features and tools will work much quicker and will unlock additional NPU-Specific features.
The NPU is a dedicated microprocessor designed to efficiently handle AI-specific tasks, such as executing predictive models, processing machine learning algorithms, or powering generative AI applications. The image below shows the difference between a video app’s back-ground blur using a CPU vs an NPU. The device on the right is a Surafce Pro 9 with dedicated NPU and it is easy to see how much better the AI effect is when it is processing the AI workload locally.
Image showing the difference between a video app’s background blur on a CPU vs. an NPU.
The key thing about the AI-PC is the impact on the CPU processing AI workloads when there is an NPU present. With AI features like voice and video effects in Windows and the wealth of AI features in apps like Adobe, CPU workload is dramatically reduced as the NPU does the AI grunt work (and is far more efficient at running them) This leads to a more efficient device, increased battery life and a more responsive OS and applications for users. The image below illustrates the impact savings running smilar tasks on a PC vs an “AI-PC”.
Image (c) Microsoft – March 2024
AI-PCs will empwer and improve many experiences – as compute for AI workloads moves to more local-mode and hybrid-mode processing. This goes beyond just video effects and speech and will include things like object detection “seeing AI”, gesture tracing, security and many more.
Intel claim that “AI PCs with an Intel Core Ultra processor are able to edit videos more than 230% faster and perform AI image editing tasks 52% faster.
AI PCs are also set to be defined by how they align with Microsoft’s Windows operating system as well. One of the most consumer-facing AI products right now is Microsoft Copilot, which is slowly rolling out to Windows 11 devices and we’re set to see a dedicated Copilot key on some laptops in the future too. Over time this will also take advantage of local AI-processing with AI-PCs
Note: Today, Copilot operates in the cloud and thus does not utilize a computer’s onboard NPU. However, this is expected to change, as Microsoft has announced plans for new system architectures that will enhance Windows AI experiences by integrating the GPU, CPU, NPU, and the cloud.
Will the birth of the AI-PC reboot the PC market?
I think the AI PC will be the PC of the next decade.
The PC market has been in decline for several years, but IDC predict that 2024 is estimated to see a 3.7 percent year-over-year increase in shipments, ending the decline the market has seen since the highs of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are seeing Microsoft, Dell, HP and Lenovo, jumping on AI PCs and with the next two years likely to be the time that more organisations really start to experiment and test AI within their organisations, the rise of the AI-PC is set (according to IDC) to kickstart the PC business again.
Following Panos Panay’s competitor move to Amazon last year, Microsoft split up the Windows and Surface management structure with Pavan Davuluri looking after the Surface division and Mikhail Parakhin leading a new team that looked after Windows and web experiences.
As of this week, these divisions have again been consolidated, like they were under Panos, with both Windows and Surface being run by Pavan Davuluri. Pavan has been with Microsoft for more than twenty-three years and was a huge driver behind the recent custom-designed Surface processors (SQ) developed in collaboration with Qualcomm.
According to a memo obtained by The Verge, Microsoft says merging the two teams will “enable us to take a holistic approach to building silicon, systems, experiences, and devices that span Windows client and cloud for this AI era.”
Pavan Davuluri – Microsoft Surface and Windows Chief 2024
Personally, I think its great to see the reunion of Windows and Surface teams under Pavan which sits within Microsoft’s Engineering and Devices organisation, headed by Rajesh Jha.
This move also comes after Microsoft’s appointment of DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman as CEO of a new dedicated AI division within Microsoft which has presumably prompted a re-evaluation of their team structures as Microsoft look forward to an FY25 fueled by new advances in Copilot, big updates in Windows and Microsoft’s new AI-PCs.
Reflection
This move is welcomed by Windows enthusiasts, as it promises increased collaboration and cohesion between Microsoft’s hardware and software endeavours and just makes sense to see development of the OS that powers Surface (and of course the other OEMs) being overseen by the same person.
Microsoft has just (21st March 2024) announced their 2024 AI-powered flagship devices – the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. Both devices are AI-PCs, packed full of the latest AI hardware to designed to deliver the best performance of the next wave of AI powered apps such as Copilot for Windows, Copilot for Microsoft 365 and of course other AI powered applications from other software vendors such as Adobe. These new devices will yet again setting bar of how to make enterprise class devices for Business.
Video (C) Microsoft
Both the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 also come with a new Copilot key, putting Copilot front and centre and showing that Microsoft means business when it comes to AI PCs and Copilot.
These new AI-PCs are aimed at business users and not consumers……currently!
When are the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 Available?
Both the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 are available to pre-order now on Microsoft’s website. The devices will be released on April 9.
Introducing Surface Pro 10
Surface Pro 10 yet again improves on the previous version. In the case of Surface Pro 10 we see a huge improvement in power and performance boost over the previous Surface Pro 9 model thanks to the latest Intel Core Ultra processors which boost performance by 53%. As an AI-Powered PC, Surface Pro 10 also features a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) which does the core Edge processing of AI tasks, reducing load on the CPU and processing AI tasks significantly faster than a CPU does.
Surface Pro 10 | Image (c) Microsoft
The Surface Pro retains the same design and format of its predecessors, but does include a new screen which is now non-reflective and 33% brighter, making it much easier to use outside and when travelling, while also retaining the same battery life. Microsoft also provide more configuration options than ever with options for Intel Core Ultra 5 135U or Intel Core Ultra 7 165U processors and support for RAM configurations from 8GB to 64GB.
Surface Pro 10 also gets a front camera upgrade and comes with a brand new 1440p webcam with a 114-degree field of view. This, combined with the new Windows 11 Studio effects and the Core Ultra’s NPU for AI workloads enables brings new capabilities for video enabled applications and clearer images.
Surface Pro comes with Thunderbolt 4 ports as standard for connectivity and charging but still includes the staple Surface connector port for connections to Surface Docks and Surface Chargers. You also still get USB-A and microphone jack. There is no SD-CARD slot which is something I still think is a poor decision but hey – nothings perfect.
Connectivity and working from anywhere continues to be a big theme for Surface Pro, with Surface Pro 10 being the first Surface device to support 5G.
Introducing Surface Laptop 6
Available in 13.5-inch and 15-inch models, Surface Laptop 6 combines the sleekness and modern design of a premium laptop with the processing power of a desktop, supporting for the first time, Intel’s H-series processors without compromising on weight, thickness or prestige creating a power house of a laptop, second only to the Microsoft Surface Studio Laptop 2.
Surface Laptop 6 | Image (c) Microsoft
During Microsoft’s live event in the US, they showcased the Surface Laptop 6 connected to multiple 4K screens, running video calls, complex graphics apps, Visual Studio and other apps showcasing the sheer grunt work and power of the device. Leveraging options to choose the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H or Core Ultra 7 165H processors means that Surface Laptop 6 can run at twice the performance of the Laptop 5.
The Surface Laptop 6 stands out not only in performance capabilities but also in its range of specifications catering to various user needs. At its base, the device is equipped with 8GB of RAM, which is quite generous for standard tasks, yet it offers scalability up to an extraordinary 64GB of RAM for those requiring intensive computational power for tasks such as data analysis, programming, video editing, and more.
In terms of storage, this now starts at 256GB Gen4 SSD, ensuring quick boot times and efficient data retrieval. For users with higher storage demands, this can be configured all the way up to 1TB of storage capacity, allowing ample space for large files, video, multimedia libraries, and extensive software applications.
Further bolstering Microsoft’s security credentials, Surface Laptop 6 also comes with additional (optional) security features, with options to include a smart card reader (currently available solely in the US) and near-field communication (NFC) technology, which is aimed at bolstering a client’s commitment to zero-trust security principles. These features enable swift and secure sign-in and sign-out processes, particularly vital in high-risk areas where security is paramount.
Surface Laptop 6 still of course includes support for Windows Hello for Business and of course user-specific PINs, again helping to eliminate the need for cumbersome passwords. This approach to dual-factor authentication significantly heightens security, making unauthorised access exceedingly difficult.
Sustainability and Repairability
Finally, I need to mention Microsoft’s on-going commitment to sustainability and reparability. Microsoft design all their products with the circular economy in mind, with “integrity built in across the entire product lifecycle – from design and supply chain through product usage and end-of-life management”.
The new Surface devices are fashioned from recycled aluminium, which not only provides a sleek, modern aesthetic but also reduces the environmental footprint of the manufacturing process. Internally, the device now includes QR code guidance, which simplifies repair processes and effectively reduces the overall maintenance costs, further catering to the needs of businesses conscious of their environmental impact and operating expenses.
Unlike in previous years, Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 are only available for business customers. But don’t worry – Microsoft made it clear that they “absolutely remain committed to consumer devices.” “Building great devices that people love to use aligns closely with our company mission to empower individuals as well as organisations and we are excited to be bringing devices to market that deliver great AI experiences to our customers. Todays commercial announcement is only the first part of this effort.”
just three years after announcing they were bringing Android apps to Windows 11 (via the Amazon App Store), they have now u-turned and said they will be ending support for their Windows Subsystem for Windows from March 2025.
Amazon Apps on Windows
In a support article on Microsoft Learn, they said “Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android™️ (WSA). As a result, the Amazon Appstore on Windows and all applications and games dependent on WSA will no longer be supported beginning March 5, 2025. Until then, technical support will remain available to customers. Customers that have installed the Amazon Appstore or Android apps prior to March 5, 2024, will continue to have access to those apps through the deprecation date of March 5, 2025“.
Writing was on the wall
Is this a strange move? Personally no. Even though Microsoft has been continually updating the Windows Subsystem for Android since it first launched, usage was low despite it being a big promotional item to drive value of Windows as a single OS for home and work. Microsoft had initially positioned Android apps on Windows 11 as a way to compete/align with Apple and their move to support the running of iOS apps on macOS. The main draw back of Microsoft’s approach was that their partnership with Amazon did not provide official access to Google’s Play Store, making it difficult for consumers to access download the more popular Android apps on Windows. Personally, I think this is the main reason Microsoft might be retiring support for Android Apps on Windows.
I had used it a handful of times, but in most cases defaulted to Web Apps or the Windows native app experience. I’m not really one to play loads of Android games so it wasn’t really a thing I envisaged using Windows 11 for.
It could have been better.
I think if Microsoft has managed to leverage this system using the Google Play Store rather than Amazon store, it could have been a different story. Selfishly, it is not a service I will miss, but it was a good way to enable people to access a wider set of apps not available for Windows 11 devices.
Microsoft need to spend more time on getting more developers to write apps for Windows. Its an age old problem Microsoft have experienced and whilst the best it is ever been, Windows is still not a default destination for apps with many apps being web apps for more common social media and gaming apps outside of the big hitting apps and those supported in Xbox and Windows Games.
Whilst there is nothing new or standout about the Surface Go 4, it is the latest version of Microsoft’s small 10-inch tablet which is ideal for use at home, as a companion device, when travelling or when away, Surface Go is also extremely popular in education, Heathcare, front-line and field operations, retail and in call/contact centres. Surface Go 4 ships with Windows 11.
Being a huge fan of the Surface Family and being a fan of the Surface Go 2 LTE and Surface Go 3 for traveling and working on the go, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Surface Go 4 and put it through the paces to see how much compared to the previous version.
Introducing the Surface Go 4
The Surface Go 4 is looks very much the same when compared to its predecessor, the Surface Go 3 – Infact, the design hasn’t really changed since the original Surface Go. It measures 245 x 175 x 8.3mm and weighs just 529grams. It has a 10.5inch, 1,920 x 1,080 IPS screen with high quality, solid magnesium body, complete with “any angle” kickstand, single USB-C port, Surface Connect Port and headphone jack port and optional Surface Pen and Type Cover Keyboard. You can find the full spec here:
Surface Go 3 vs Surface Go 4
Being the same overall size and dimensions, the great thing if you are upgrading from a previous generation Surface Go is that it is fully compatible with the any Surface Go accessories such as keyboards or cases you may have. This iteration does get an upgraded chipset and therefore performance lift over the 2021/22 version and is still built with high-quality magnesium alloy body with a premium finish making it feel like a premium device – which Surface is. I do wish, fours on however, that Microsoft would have reduced the oversized black screen bezels a little as it does look a little dated compared to other tablets.
Surface Go is used a lot in education and with frontline workers. This is one of the reasons for the larger screen bezels. This makes it much easier to hold without accidently touching the screen.
Signature Look and Feel
As you expect with Surface 2-in-1 devices, Surface Go 4 gives you the familiar kickstand which is built into the back of the device and can be easily folded out to various angles making it extremely versatile as a tablet or a laptop with the optional (and not included) keyboard. The kick stand is smooth in operation and very sturdy.
Surface Kick Stand
On the underside of the kickstand, you can find a MicroSD card slot. On the sides of the device, you will find the familiar Surface Connect port, a headphone jack and a USB C 3.1 port which can also be used for charging the device as well as connecting to a range of peripherals, docks or displays.
Camera, Video and Windows Hello®️
You get two cameras. At the back of device, there is an 8-megapixel camera which is good medium range camera for a rear camera on a laptop. At the front you get a 5-megapixel webcam which performs really well in various light settings on video calls and when recording in apps like PowerPoint and Clip Champ. Unlike the Surface Laptop Go, you do also get the additional sensors for Windows Hello and light adjustment and as always Windows Hello works incredibly fast.
Repairability and Sustainability
Microsoft have continued to improve on the repairability and sustainability of their devices and supply chain. Surface Go 4 is more repairable than ever, with the display, battery and back cover, kickstand, motherboard, microSDXC card reader, type cover connector, front, rear and Windows Hello camera, and speakers all being replaceable.
Screen
Surface Go 4 has the same 10.5-inch 10-point multi-touch, PixelSense display as its predecessor and has an aspect ratio of 3:2. Microsoft consistently uses this aspect, and it remains the perfect ratio for office or schoolwork.
Screen resolution supports 1920 x 1280 pixels, meaning you get a Full HD resolution on a 10.5-inch screen which makes it look super sharp and clear. The screen is bright, and colours are vibrant, and you also get great viewing angles. Gorilla Glass 3 also protects the screen. Touch is accurate and responsive as always.
For a late 2023 device, it's a shame that Microsoft didn't upgrade to a 120Hz panel as they have in the latest Pro and Laptop range. I would have also liked to have seen anti-glare screen options to help in outdoor or bright conditions.
Audio and Sound
Yoi get stereo sound with speakers located on the left and right of the display. Whilst sound quality is not studio level like you get on the Surface Laptop Studio, it is more than good enough for calls and watching videos when away or watching in bed. making it a great all-rounder and fine if you want to use it as an entertainment device.
Power and Performance
Microsoft Surface Go 4 is powered by an Intel N200 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM as a standard. This an improvement over the previous models which started at 4GB RAM which was simply not enough in my experience. Storage starts at 64GB SSD storage and provide options of 128GB and 256GB too. Strangely there is no LTE/4/5G version this time round.
According to benchmark reports I have seen, performance of the Surface Go 4 is slightly better than the Surface Go 3 due to the slightly updated chipset and is also more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE tablet. It falls short of the Apple iPad 9. which is to be expected.
Performance, like many things is subjective though. The Surface Go 4 (I have been using the 8GB/256GB) version which was more than sufficient for multi-tasking office apps and personal social media and video streaming apps.
Usage and Experience
Surface Go 4 is positioned as a work or school device and not designed (unlike a high-end iPad) for video editing or playing video intensive games. That said, for office apps and web applications, I noticed no performance lags at all and the device multi-tasked well. Microsoft’s Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote run smoothly and I was able to have many Edge tabs open at the same time with any issues.
Surface is also a great device for watching stuff on YouTube, Netflix, Disney +. This combined with good performance for multitasking with business or school apps, makes Surface Go 4 an affordable, practical, light weight and fully featured 2-in-1 device. I find this great when I travel or work away without having to take two devices.
Type Cover Keyboard
All previous generations of the Microsoft Type Cover for Surface Go are compatible with Surface Go 4 and the design has not changed with version 4. You can of course buy cheaper (non-Microsoft covers) or USB keyboards, but don’t. Microsoft’s Type Cover keyboard is excellent.
In case you are not familiar; Microsoft’s Type Cover keyboard is extremely high quality. It is made of plastic but has a very high-quality finish and a fabric-like surface. It includes a backlight and is magnetically attached to the tablet and protects the display when folded. Due to the slight angle of the keyboard that the magnetic connector creates, it makes it feel much more like a laptop than cheap ‘flat’ keyboard.
Surface Go Type Cover Keyboard.
The keyboard is relatively large for a small 10-inch tablet but does not feel small to use. I can easily touch type on this without effort or having to change how I type. The Type Cover is comfortable to use and much better than some of the cheap tablet keyboards I have used in the past.
There is a touchpad under the keyboard, which, while not a big as some laptops, is a good balance of size and usability whilst helping to avoid accidental touches on the touch panel.
The Surface Pen
For me, a touch screen and pen are a non-negotiator when choosing a device for work or home. Once critiqued by Apple saying that “no one would ever need to use a pen with a tablet”, Surface Pen has been a stable companion to the Surface Pro since the first Surface in 2012.
Surface Go 4 supports all previous iterations of Surface Pens (expect the ones that shipped on the first Surface Pro 1 and Surface RT devices) including the Surface Slim Pen and Slim Pen 2. The Surface Pen is very responsive and precise, and it’s fun to take handwritten notes with it. The lates
Whilst optional to buy, Surface Go 4 together with the Surface Pen and writing and graphics apps like OneNote, MS Paint, Designer, Edge, PDF etc, are what make Surface standout. Yes, you can do this on most tablets, but Surface is by far the best (and original) 2-in-1 device in my experience.
With the latest update to Windows 11, there is now also support for inking anywhere you can type in dialogue boxes.
Windows 11 brings Surface to Life
Everyone knows that Windows is not an OS designed for tablet only devices. Windows 8 tried too hard to make Tablet mode work (and was awful) and Windows 10 had various attempts at tablet mode, but Windows 11 has actually (finally) done a half decent job of adapting the OS to work with tablet devices. This includes 2-in-1s like Surface Go 4.
With Windows 11, tablet mode is switched on automatically when the keyboard is disconnected or folded back to use the device in tablet mode.
In tablet mode, the Windows taskbar becomes significantly larger so that it is easier to use with your finger or pen and the customisable on-screen keyboard opens whenever you click/tap in a text field. If have a Surface Pen, then you also get quick access to the Windows Inking features.
Within Windows, some apps are also tailored for use with Tablets, and some even adapt based on the use mode. OneNote is a good example. When using OneNote in tablet mode, the canvas gets simplified and decluttered, making it much easier to use with pen and ink.
Using Surface with Android Apps
While a Windows thing more than a Surface thing, Windows 11 supports the use of many Android apps via the Amazon App Store. To use this, you need to install the Amazon Appstore via the Microsoft Store.
You can then install a vast number of apps and games such as angry birds or City Mapper and use them just like any other app. Whilst you don’t get the full library of native Android apps you get in the Play store, there are thousands, and it works seamlessly once installed from the Microsoft Store.
Surface is even better with Windows 365
Windows 365 is Microsoft’s desktop as a service which is delivered as a SaaS service to business/corporate users. It is a dedicated Cloud PC which is provisioned, used, managed, and updated just like a physical PC but runs in the Microsoft Cloud. Windows 365 provides an “instant on” desktop environment than can be accessed securely from any device (or browser) and allows you to pick up where you left off, providing a seamless experience with all your corporate applications and files available wherever you need it. Since Windows 365 is a Cloud Service, access to it is secure, instantly provisioned, upgraded or updated and since it can be used on “any” device avoids the need for hardware upgrades, protects against device loss and theft and removes the data security / leakage risk of having corporate information on physical devices.
Windows 365 (work PC) running on my personal Windows 11 desktop
So why Surface Go 4 and Windows 365? Well, I have recently got myself a Surface Go 4 for home and family. The kids love using pen and ink and we use a Microsoft 365 Family subscription for personal, school and work stuff.
When I’m away from the office or traveling with my family, I often need to access work-related files and applications. Windows 365 allows me to securely multitask on our shared device without having to install and download apps, set up complicated VPN services, or compromise company security or confidentiality by using a personal device for work. With Windows 365, I can use my personal device as a work device and switch back seamlessly as needed. Plus, if my kids want to play with Designer or watch YouTube, I can pause what I’m doing and resume later without worrying that they will mess up any of my work.
I’ve written other posts on Windows 365 before, and for more information on Windows 365 you can check Microsoft’s official sites here.
My Conclusion
Starting at £549 in the UK (pen and keyboard separate), Microsoft Surface Go 4 is a well priced, versitile allrounder that is great for home, work, school or a combination of all (maybe combined with Windows 365).
Surface Go continues to be a great choice if you need/want a “proper” Windows based PC type device rather than “just a tablet”. This is not a device for intense gamers or graphic designers, but for everything else, it’s a great device that is well built, offers high quality, is super repairable and includes full multipoint touch, pen support and a full and versitle type cover ketboard.
The only dissapointment was battery life. Windows devices in my experience just dont have the power efficienicies that Apple iPads offer.
If you have a Surface Go 3, I would not reccommend rushing out and upgrading (unless you have an etry level one with 4GB RAM). If you do not need a Windows device or just want a tablet to watch films on and browse social media, then Surface Go may be wasted on you.
Surface Go is also a great second device. If you have a desktop for work or home (or a chunky, heavy laptop), Surface Go is a grwat choice as a flexible second device that can also be used for work with or without Windows 365 (see above).
On Windows 11. corporate users with a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license will see that premium experience is now integrated into the Copilot Windows desktop experience.
This means that users who have a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license and Copilot for Windows enabled can chat with Copilot in Windows using Graph-based features.
With a unified experience across M365 Chat, Copilot in Windows 11 and the Copilot on the web experience, users can now leverage the Microsoft Graph connected features in Windows, thanks to the integration of Copilot for Microsoft 365 into the Windows desktop experience.
This experience requires users to have a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license, as well as having Copilot i Windows 11 experience, making it a convenient and consisytent experience for users to access Copilot in Microsoft 365 features, along side the existing options in Teams Chat, Edge, and at https://copilot.microsoft.com.
For comsumer users wanted to leverage the advanced feaures of Copilot in their apps and services like OneNote, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook, checkout Copilot Pro
Microsoft have announced (quietly) that all Surface devices shipped from 2021 onwards will now receive firmware updates for six years (two years more than initially committed).
The documentation states that all Surface devices shipped after 1st January 2021, will receive six years of firmware updates. Devices that shipped prior to this date will continue to receive update for four years.
What Surface devices will receive six years of updates?
Any Surface device shipped after Jan 1st 2021, the following devices will now benefit from the extended firmware support cycles.
Surface Pro 7+ onwards.
Surface Go 3 onwards.
Surface Laptop 4 onwards.
Surface Laptop Studio 1 onwards.
Surface Studio 2+ onwards.
What about older Surface Devices?
In their documentation, Microsoft states they reserve the right to extend the firmware support cycle for any device where necessary. For example, Microsoft have already extended the firmware update life cycle with the Surface Studio 2 despite this shipping in 2018. This already has a six support file until later this year (2024).
It is worth noting that firmware updates are different to the Windows Operating System updates that devices receive through Windows Updates. Firmware updates are software updates that are applied to the hardware components of a device, such as a motherboard, a hard drive, or a graphics card. Firmware updates can improve the performance, stability, security, or compatibility of the device. Firmware updates are usually provided by the device manufacturer and can be downloaded from their website or through Windows Update.
Firmware updates are sometimes needed to fix driver compatibility issues, known bugs or security vunerabilities and may also be required (or recommended) for major OS upgrades, but are not always necessary. As such there is no issue continuing to use devices that are beyond the firmware lifecycle end date.
What do firmware updates do?
Firmware updates are software updates that are applied to the hardware components of a device, such as a motherboard, a hard drive, or a graphics card. Firmware updates can improve the performance, stability, security, or compatibility of the device. Firmware updates are usually provided by the device manufacturer (in this case Microsoft) and can be downloaded from their website or are delivered/offered directly via Windows Update.
Firmware updates are sometimes needed to fix driver compatibility issues, known bugs or security vunerabilities and may also be required (or recommended) for major OS upgrades, but are not always necessary. As such there is no issue continuing to use devices that are beyond the firmware lifecycle end date.
Firmware updates are important for Surface devices because as well as fixing bugs or vulnerabilities, they also optimise and “tune” the device’s compatibility with Windows and drivers. Typically a firmware update can improve stability, enhance the battery life and improve/tweak performance of the device, and sometimes they can introduce or activate new Windows features. Therefore, it is beneficial to have firmware updates for your Surface devices as long as possible so this extended support cycle is welcomed.
The Future Of Surface
With the departure of Panos Panay last year, many have questioned what the future will look like for Surface. We know there will be some major updates this year to the Surface Pro and Laptop lines (I’m sure you’ve seen some of the “leaks”) as they continue to press forward with updates to Windows (and the next version) which will see more AI goodness throughout the OS.
This coupled with the longer support lifecycles for their older devices also suggests a commitment to continue to innovate and lead the future vision of the Windows device eco system.
