A sign outside Microsoft's Copilot+ event. Photo: Ina Fried
There were three big things that made yesterday's Microsoft event different from past PC launches — and I've been covering the company since the days of Windows XP.
1. Intel on the outside. All of the Copilot+ machines introduced and all of those on display were running Qualcomm chips.
Microsoft has launched the occasional Qualcomm-based Surface laptop in the past, but they have always shared a stage with Intel-based machines.
2. No cords. Microsoft's confidence in the battery life provided by the Qualcomm chips was evident in the fact that the laptops in the demo area were running only on battery power, even as the event stretched on for several hours.
Late in the afternoon, Microsoft did charge or swap a few devices that had been running video editing software.
3. Sharing the stage. Microsoft seems to have found a balance between highlighting its own hardware and hardware from partners, a tricky dance that has in the past meant holding separate events for the company's own Surface PCs.
The Copilot+ demo room had devices from Microsoft and PC partners such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Samsung on a fairly equal footing.
