Microsoft promised that Copilot Plus PCs would change how we use computers forever.
What they actually delivered is a laptop that costs more, does a few party tricks, and constantly reminds you that AI is watching.
But hey, at least the battery life is decent.
If you walked into a Best Buy lately, you've seen the stickers. "Copilot Plus PC" slapped on every shiny new machine like a participation trophy.
The pitch is simple: these laptops have a dedicated neural processing unit, or NPU, which handles AI tasks locally instead of shipping your data to a server farm in Oregon.
Sounds impressive until you realize most of us just want our spreadsheets to open without a fan sounding like a jet engine.
The headline feature was Recall, which takes screenshots of everything you do so you can search your digital life later.
Privacy advocates had a collective aneurysm, Microsoft delayed it, then shipped it anyway with more encryption.
Nothing says "trust us" like a feature that was too creepy for the first launch window.
Meanwhile, the actual useful stuff, like live captions and image generation, feels like solutions hunting for problems.
Here's the thing nobody at the keynote mentioned: that NPU only matters if apps actually use it.
Right now, the list of software that taps into these chips is shorter than a CVS receipt.
Adobe has some tricks, and a handful of video editors play nice, but your favorite programs are still chugging along on regular old CPU power.
So you're paying a premium for hardware that mostly sits there like a gym membership in February.
These machines start around $999 and climb fast.
Compare that to a standard laptop with similar specs minus the AI branding, and you're looking at a few hundred bucks of "future-proofing" that may or may not pay off.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips finally made Windows on ARM somewhat livable, but compatibility quirks still pop up with older software and games.
Steam libraries don't always cooperate, and that's a dealbreaker for a lot of folks.
Apple is watching this whole circus from Cupertino with a smirk.
The M-series MacBooks have been doing efficient, quiet computing for years without a marketing blitz about "AI PCs." When Apple Intelligence rolled out, it felt less like a rebrand and more like a feature update.
Microsoft, by contrast, is trying to sell you a whole new category of device based on software that's still in beta.
If you're due for an upgrade and find a Copilot Plus laptop on sale, sure, it's a fine machine.
The battery life is genuinely great, the displays are sharp, and Windows finally feels snappy on ARM.
Just don't expect the AI to change your life.
It won't write your emails better than you can, and it definitely won't do your taxes.
At best, it's a slightly smarter autocomplete with a fancy chip.
The real question is whether any of this matters in two years.
AI features are showing up everywhere, from your phone to your fridge.
The "AI PC" label might age like "HD Ready" or "3D TV" — a marketing gimmick that looked genius until everyone stopped caring.
Microsoft is betting big that this time is different.
History suggests otherwise, but at least the keyboards are nice.
So go ahead and buy one if the price is right.
Final Thoughts
Just know you're paying for potential, not polish.