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The
Windows maker is expected to reveal a new version of its Surface
Pro tablet and Surface Laptop that feature Qualcomm chips based
on Arm Holdings' architecture.
After Intel's processors dominated the personal computer market
for decades, Qualcomm and other makers of lower-power Arm
components have tried to compete in the Windows-PC market.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips include a so-called neural
processing unit that is designed to accelerate AI-focused
applications, such as Microsoft's Copilot software.
Microsoft's product event, a day before the start of its annual
developer conference, is open to journalists and industry
analysts who attend in person. It will not be live-streamed.
Microsoft aims to extend its early advantage in the race to
produce AI tools that consumers are willing to pay for. Its
partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI allowed it to jump ahead
of Alphabet, as other Big Tech companies race to dominate the
emerging field.
Last week, OpenAI and Alphabet's Google showcased dueling AI
technologies that can respond via voice in real time and be
interrupted, both hallmarks of realistic voice conversations
that AI voice assistants have found challenging. Google also
announced it was rolling out several generative AI features to
its lucrative search engine.
The PC industry has been under increasing pressure from Apple
since the company launched its custom chips based on designs
from Arm and ditched Intel's processors. The Apple-designed
processors have given Mac computers superior battery life and
speedier performance than rivals' chips that use more energy.
Microsoft tapped Qualcomm to lead the effort to move the Windows
operating system to Arm's chip designs in 2016. Qualcomm has
exclusivity on Microsoft Windows devices that expires this year.
Other chip designers such as Nvidia have efforts under way to
make their own Arm-based PC chips, Reuters has previously
reported.
(Reporting by Max A. Cherney in Seattle; Additional reporting by
Noel Randewich in Oakland, California; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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