Microsoft Prices Surface Laptop Ultra, Expands Windows AI Features
Microsoft set an October 16 launch and $2,599 starting price for its Nvidia-powered laptop while demonstrating Copilot features that can work with local files.
Microsoft used its Windows and Surface event in San Francisco to announce release details for the Surface Laptop Ultra and demonstrate new AI features for Windows. The Nvidia-powered laptop will be available on October 16, starting at $2,599, according to The Verge and Engadget. Microsoft also showed how Copilot could use files on a PC to complete tasks, alongside a broader set of actions available through Windows search.
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Surface Laptop Ultra gets a price and release date
The Surface Laptop Ultra runs on Nvidia’s Arm-based RTX Spark chip and is aimed at developers and creators, Engadget reports. It has a 15-inch display, a larger trackpad and a magnetic charging option that uses USB-C rather than Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect port. Engadget also lists USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, a headphone jack and a full-size SD card reader among its connections.
The Verge says the $2,599 starting configuration includes 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Its event roundup describes that configuration as having an eight-core CPU, while a separate item in the same report calls it an 18-core CPU. Engadget describes the RTX Spark chip as having 20 CPU cores, without specifying the processor configuration in the starting model. Preorders opened on October 7, according to Engadget.
Copilot gains access to local tasks
Microsoft presented what it calls “Hybrid Intelligence,” an approach that combines AI running on a device with cloud-based models. With a user’s permission, Copilot will be able to use local files and take actions in Windows, Engadget reports. In a demonstration described by The Verge, Microsoft showed an AI agent finding documents for an accountant, renaming and compressing them, then drafting an email with the files attached.
Windows search is also set to offer quick actions from the taskbar starting this fall, according to Engadget. Examples include changing to dark mode, taking a screenshot, adjusting volume and sending a text message. Engadget says Microsoft also plans a “Get Started” tool to help people set up AI agents in Windows.
A developer-focused device joins the lineup
Microsoft opened preorders for the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a $5,999 mini PC expected to ship in November, The Verge reports. The outlet says it is designed primarily for developers working on local AI tasks, including testing models, prototyping agents and running coding tools on the device.
Together, the laptop and Dev Box give developers two new Nvidia-based Surface options for work involving local AI. The Windows demonstrations also point to a change in how AI tools could interact with everyday files and operating-system tasks, although the reports do not establish how users will respond to those capabilities.
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This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.