Copilot+ computers are a big deal for Microsoft, Windows, and the manufacturers that are making them. By all accounts, the Snapdragon X Elite chip that powers most of the new breed is extremely good, and overall our team members who have started testing them are impressed.
But the device is only one part of the equation, and the Copilot+ has had its share of bad headlines since it was announced. Maybe it deserves it, but anyway, Windows Recall is not my beef with it. This is how Microsoft has seen fit to handle its presentation.
Copilot+ is all software, albeit with a hardware requirement. But I have a laptop here with a Ryzen 9 CPU and a dedicated NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU inside that can easily run Copilot+, but still can’t. It can’t because of a conscious decision by Microsoft to keep one of the biggest advancements in Windows 11 exclusively for those who decide to drop at least $1,000 on a new laptop.
And that stinks.
NVIDIA will get Copilot+, but we don’t know when
NVIDIA has already announced that its RTX GPUs will be able to power Copilot+ and also that new laptops supporting this feature are coming. The problem is that we don’t know when that will happen, and if it happens at all in 2024, it will be a surprise. All we know is that it will be a free “when available” update.
There have been rumors of a Microsoft exclusivity deal with Qualcomm ending this year around ARM chips in laptops, backed by further rumors that NVIDIA is looking to get into the ARM game after 2024. The skeptical brain in my head would say that this deal it will also cover Copilot+, which would suggest Microsoft chose to line its pockets over serving millions of existing Windows users.
This is all speculation, of course, but there has to be a reason why existing, more than capable hardware is being locked out of Copilot+. Let’s face it, money talks, so it’s not hard to believe he could stand behind this decision. However, it doesn’t make it any better.
NVIDIA RTX GPUs will CRUSH current NPUs for AI
The other surprising part of this to me is that existing laptops with NVIDIA 40-series GPUs inside have AI capabilities far beyond the NPUs currently being deployed by Qualcomm. Copilot+ requires a minimum of 40 TOPS to run locally. The RTX 4050, the bottom rung of the scale, boasts up to 194 HORSE, while the RTX 4090 I have goes up to a staggering 686 HP. Both of these are many times more powerful than the 40 TOPS requirement for Copilot+ and, most importantly, are already in the hands of millions of Windows users worldwide.
NVIDIA has risen to the lofty heights of claiming the title of the world’s most valuable company, thanks in part to the AI boom. The company’s ceiling is high, as around the globe, businesses of all sizes try to get in on the action. NVIDIA itself has been building its AI software portfolio for some time, using its hardware in applications such as NVIDIA Broadcast and the latest developments, RTX Chat and RTX Video.
Copilot+ is definitely a big deal and just as clearly a big part of the future of Windows. However, only a small subset of Windows 11 users can try it right now. By the time this free update comes out, will anyone using a compatible NVIDIA, Intel or AMD computer remember this feature? Or even care?
Mass adoption over marketing
I strongly believe that mass adoption of Copilot+ immediately should have been a priority over any kind of carefully crafted marketing campaign or deal. And let’s face it, with the disappointment of the Windows Recall, marketing has already caught on. There’s a lot of negative hype over what should be a monumental change in the way we use our computers, and it’s unlikely to go away when the vast majority can’t even use it for themselves.
The way to get people behind Copilot+ is simply to get them to use it first hand. We’ll do our best to cover Copilot+ developments throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond, but it’s hard right now. And that’s what we do. The only members of Windows Central The team even able to contribute to our Copilot+ knowledge base right now are those who have been sent review units of the Snapdragon X Elite from various manufacturers.
I want Copilot+ to succeed. Artificial intelligence is an exciting development in technology and I’m already using it a lot. But I’m also a firm believer in putting your best foot forward. The best bet here would be to discover it and get it into as many hands as possible, and that’s not happening. It’s hard to generate excitement about a feature that no one can use, and it’s even harder to have any control over the narrative when no one can see the product itself.
It won’t happen, but please Microsoft, ship Copilot+ to as many people as possible, as soon as possible.