Microsoft May 2024 live blog: Surface updates, Copilot+PCs and more

Hello from Redmond, Washington, where Microsoft will be holding its Spring 2024 event where it is expected to launch new Surface hardware and announce various improvements made to Windows 11 revolving around artificial intelligence (AI). There's also word that we'll hear from multiple OEMs that plan to release new thin and light laptops using Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series of Arm processors.

The event is not being live-streamed for the public, but we'll begin our live coverage of the event starting at 1 pm ET (11 am PT).

We're currently seated, loaded up with sugary treats from Microsoft and listening to some bumping music from Kryptogram.

Frank Shaw, Microsoft's communications chief just came on stage to welcome the assembled press. He welcomed us to the new Redmond campus and joked about how "lively" the crowd was when not many people responded to his "Good morning" greeting.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is now on stage to talk about moving beyond the cloud and instead toward the device. We moved to "how to build computers that understand us, instead of us having to understand computers. I think we're real close to the breakthrough."

Nadella announced that this new class of devices are called Copilot+PC

Yusuf Mehdi, Executive VP and Consumer Chief Marketing Office, is now on stage to talk up the benefits of Copilot+PCs. They are the "fastest Winodws PCs" ever created, things to a rearchitected Windows 11 operating system. Mehdi also claimed that the PCs are 58 faster than Apple's news MacBook Air with M3 processor.

Mehdi added, "The way we store content in our minds is not an efficient way of storing information on a computer." With Recall, a new feature in Windows 11, you leverage the power AI and system performance. As if you have a photographic memory. Helps you find anything you've ever seen or done on your computer.

For example, you can use your voice to search for anything on your PC. An example was shown where a voice search was initiated to find a chart with purple text that was created earlier in the week. Recall searched and found the PowerPoint presentation.

Windows CoPilot runtime with 40+ AI models built into Windows 11. For example, the Photos app has been reimagined to edit and enhance your photos or use Supe Resolution. You can even use AI to have your photos tell textual stories

The CEOs of Intel, AMD and Qualcomm taped footage of them extolling the virtues of AI PCs and how they will drive new demand for consumer and business PCs.

Talking now about Snapdragon X Series PCs

Copilot+PCs running on Snapdragon X will have native Microsoft apps to enhance performance. Microsoft will also have native Arm apps from a number of third-party software partners. Also have a new Prism emulator called as efficient as Apple's Rosetta 2.

Microsoft announced a new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop CoPilot+Pro. The most powerful they've ever developed, running Snapdragon X. Most intelligent and most powerful ever built. The new Surface Laptop is available in 13.8- and 15-inch displays, and is available in four colors.

It's more than 80 percent faster than the previous generation (Surface Laptop 5). It can run three 4K monitors plus the laptop itself (definitely a dig at the Apple MacBook Air). Longest battery life if any Surface device. The PixelSense display also has no notch (another knock against the MacBook Air).

Adobe's flagship apps are coming to Copilot+PCs, with native Arm support.

Live Captions with Live translations now available with Copilot+PCs. Can turn any audio passing through your computer into text in real-time, making it more accessible. Works with 40 languages, and the demo showed it working with four different languages simultaneously.

Now we're onto the new Surface Pro, which is up to 90 percent faster than the Surface Pro 9. Comes with Wi-Fi 7 and optional 5G. It also has a new OLED display, and a new Quad HD webcam and a 4K webcam. New Flex Keyboard can be used attached or detached -- it's also backlit. Touchpad is 14 percent larger and features customizable haptics.

Devices running Snapdragon X will be the first Copilot+PCs to hit the market. However, AMD and Intel machines meeting the Copilot+PC requirements will come from AMD and Intel. The first machines are coming from Asus, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and countless others. Starting at $999 and preorders start today.