What's going on with Windows Laptops?

Summary

The video script discusses the new Microsoft Surface laptop with a Snapdragon X Elite chip, marking a transition to ARM architecture. It highlights the laptop's impressive battery life, smooth performance for everyday tasks, and solid build quality. However, app compatibility remains a mixed bag, with native support for popular apps but emulation issues and some apps not working at all. The review also touches on the absence of an OLED option and the laptop's AI capabilities with the dedicated co-pilot button.

Takeaways

• 💻 The video discusses the new Microsoft Surface laptop with a Snapdragon X Elite chip, making it an ARM-based laptop, similar to Apple's transition from Intel to ARM chips.
• 🔋 The Surface laptop boasts significant battery life improvements, with a quoted 23 hours, offering all-day use without the need for frequent charging.
• 🚀 The laptop's performance is smooth and consistent, capable of handling everyday tasks such as photo editing and Microsoft Office Suite applications without issues.
• 🛠️ App compatibility is a key concern with the ARM transition, with native apps running smoothly, emulated apps having mixed performance, and some apps not working at all.
• 👍 Native apps like Photoshop, Lightroom CC, Chrome, Spotify, and Zoom offer seamless experiences on the ARM-based Surface laptop.
• 😕 Emulated apps, such as Lightroom Classic and Tick Tick, may suffer from performance issues and increased battery consumption.
• 🚫 Certain apps and games are incompatible with Windows on ARM, including Arc browser, Google Drive desktop, VMware, and various VPNs.
• 🏆 The build quality of the Surface laptop is praised, featuring an all-metal design, a solid keyboard, and a large trackpad with good haptic feedback.
• 🖥 The laptop's display is a 120Hz LCD touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, but lacks an OLED option, trading deep blacks and contrast for a high refresh rate.
• 🤖 As one of the first co-pilot PCs, the laptop includes a dedicated co-pilot button for AI-related processing and easy access to Microsoft co-pilot services.
• 🛒 The video suggests that potential buyers should check the compatibility of their essential apps with ARM architecture before considering a Windows ARM laptop.

Q & A

What is the new Microsoft Surface laptop's processor type?

The new Microsoft Surface laptop features a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, making it an ARM-based laptop.

How does the battery life of the new Surface laptop compare to its predecessor with an Intel chip?

The new Surface laptop with the Snapdragon X Elite chip claims to have a 23-hour battery life, which is an improvement over the previous model with an Intel chip that had a 19-hour battery life.

What are the advantages of using an ARM-based processor in the new Surface laptop?

The advantages include improved efficiency, which translates to dramatically improved battery life, and smooth performance across everyday tasks without the need for charging frequently.

How does the new Surface laptop's performance compare to the MacBook Air in terms of battery life?

The new Surface laptop outlasts the 13-inch MacBook Air on some synthetic benchmarks, indicating superior battery life.

What are the challenges faced when transitioning from x86 to ARM architecture in terms of app compatibility?

The challenges include app compatibility issues where some apps are optimized for ARM, others work through emulation with reduced performance, and some apps may not work at all on the new architecture.

Which popular apps run natively on the new Surface laptop with ARM architecture?

Popular apps like Photoshop, Lightroom CC, Chrome, Spotify, Prime Video, Dropbox, and Zoom run natively on the new Surface laptop with ARM architecture.

What apps may not work well or at all on the new Surface laptop due to the ARM architecture?

Apps like Lightroom Classic, TickTick, Arc browser, Google Drive desktop, VMware, and some VPNs may not work well or at all due to the ARM architecture, either due to lack of optimization or incompatibility.

What is the build quality of the new Surface laptop?

The build quality of the new Surface laptop is excellent, featuring an all-metal design, a solid keyboard, and a large trackpad with good haptic feedback.

What is the display quality of the new Surface laptop, and does it have any limitations compared to OLED?

The new Surface laptop has a 2304 x 1536 120 Hz LCD touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio. While it's a good LCD, it doesn't match the deep blacks and contrast of an OLED display.

What is the significance of the co-pilot button on the new Surface laptop, and what does it do?

The co-pilot button on the new Surface laptop is dedicated to accessing Microsoft co-pilot, which allows users to perform AI-related tasks and ask questions without burdening the CPU or GPU.

What is the main consideration for potential buyers of the new Surface laptop with ARM architecture?

The main consideration for potential buyers is whether the software they rely on is compatible with ARM architecture, as app compatibility varies and some may not work at all.