Microsofts claim that Arm-based Copilot+ PCs are fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs is debunked on X and the communitys verdict isnt wrong

Date:
Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:11:50 +0000

Description:
X fact-checkers were quickly on the case when Microsoft made its claims, and the ensuing takedown was pretty brutal.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Microsof t made some unwise claims about Snapdragon-toting Copilot+ PCs X
fact-checkers made short work of the assertion that theyre the fastest PCs They also disagreed with the intelligent claim, though thats not as clear-cut

'Be careful what you post on social media' might be a lesson Microsoft is
just now learning: a swift nugget of PR that was published on X (formerly Twitter) may, in hindsight, be viewed with some regret.

Windows Latest noticed the post, which was posted by the official Windows account on X, claiming simply that Snapdragon-powered (Arm) Copilot+ laptops are the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs out there. The fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever November 7, 2024

As you can see, X readers have added context essentially a community-based sort of loose fact-check that pops up here and there, pointing out
alternative views, or information that a post has missed out and did so in a rather withering fashion.

The X community asserts that: These are not the fastest Windows PCs. They run on Snapdragon processors which have significantly less computing power than top-of-the-line Intel or AMD chipsets."

[They] lack functionality for gamers, the major aspects of the AI are not implemented.

So, should we fact-check the fact-checkers in this instance? Why not (Image credit: Microsoft) Analysis: We cant argue for the most part

There are two main claims here from Microsoft, so lets deal with them in
turn, with the first being that Snapdragon-packing Copilot+ PCs are the fastest computers. This one is easy no, they are not, as the X community rightly observes. This is a rather absurd claim, given that there are mighty desktop PCs out there running Windows that are massively more powerful than a svelte Arm-based laptop.

Even if we assume Microsoft really meant laptops so not including desktop PCs, and the company should have specified that, we might add they are still not the most performant devices out there.

How does the Snapdragon X Elite stack up to, say, the Core i9-14900HX for gaming laptops, performance-wise? Not very well, and thats before we even consider overheads for emulating x86 apps on Arm. (Most software is coded for the x86 platform, and so needs to run via Microsofts Prism emulation layer on Windows on Arm, dropping back performance a bit).

The X context-check also notes that Arm-based CPUs lack functionality for gamers and this is also true games can be rather troublesome in the compatibility stakes compared to a traditional x86 AMD or Intel-powered laptop. Weve seen reports about how this is a particularly shaky area for Qualcomms Snapdragon X chips.

On to Microsofts second claim that these Copilot+ PCs are the most
intelligent Windows machines ever seen: its here that well concede Microsoft might have a point.

By "most intelligent", Microsoft is clearly referring to the extra AI functionality that comes with Copilot+ PCs, such as exclusive powers to enhance video chats, provide system-wide live captions, and AI-driven photo editing extras. The big halo feature is Recall, the supercharged AI search thats been mired in controversy , and was sent back to the drawing board earlier this year but is finally out (in testing) now.

However, while technically these extra features do make Copilot+ PCs more intelligent well give Microsoft that they arent just for Arm devices, as x86-powered Copilot+ laptops get them too. Although granted, Recall will be exclusive to Snapdragon notebooks to begin with but itll come to AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs eventually.

So, this isnt really a strong suit of Arm-based Copilot+ PCs specifically,
but all of these new AI-focused devices, both Arm and x86 machines included. And, as the X fact-check also points out, those AI powers are pretty limited right now. Remember, Recall is still in limited testing (and some folks may not trust it anyway).

The upshot of this is that Copilot+ PCs are not really that much more intelligent than normal Windows 11 computers not yet, anyway but still,
what Microsoft claims in that second aspect of its post is technically true.

Overall, though, the post feels like an unfortunate piece of PR puffery, though thats certainly not a crime that only Microsoft is guilty of in the tech world. You may also like... A Chrome-killing browser will be OpenAI's next big shot at Google, according to a new report Windows 11s feature to allow typing with your Xbox controller has vanished in a blow for owners of handheld gaming PCs Windows 11 remains an unloved OS but why won't people upgrade?



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsofts-claim-that-arm-based-co pilot-pcs-are-fastest-most-intelligent-windows-pcs-is-debunked-on-x-and-the-co mmunitys-verdict-isnt-wrong


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)