October 7 — local AI, Surface hardware; Nadella and Jensen Huang in San Francisco
Microsoft and NVIDIA unveiled RTX Spark hardware for local AI agents on Windows PCs. The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box opened preorders at $5,999 for November shipment. Surface Laptop Ultra launches October 16 from $2,599 with Magnetic Connect charging. Windows taskbar search becomes an AI chatbot this fall. Hybrid AI runs 70B to 284B parameter models locally. Copilot gains file access on Copilot+ PCs. New Insider builds added updated search and battery widget.
Microsoft has introduced a local edition of MAI-Code-1.1-Flash that runs on Windows PCs without server access. The model requires substantial memory and is coming to GitHub Copilot in experimental preview by the end of October, starting with Nvidia RTX Spark PCs.
At its Windows and Surface event, Microsoft opened preorders for the $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra and the $5,999 Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, and said Copilot will be able to use files and act across Windows in the coming months.
NVIDIA and Microsoft opened RTX Spark preorders and made Microsoft Execution Containers generally available at the Windows AI and Surface event, aimed at running AI agents on Windows PCs. RTX Spark laptops, first introduced in June, are on preorder today with up to 128 GB unified memory and one petaflop of AI compute, shipping October 16.
Microsoft says Copilot on Copilot+ PCs will be able to use files and recent activity on your PC, take actions across Windows, and tap local AI models, with your permission. The features are expected to start rolling out in the coming months.
Microsoft released new Windows 11 Insider Preview builds to Beta and Experimental channels on October 7. The updates introduce a redesigned Windows Search with inline actions and a Battery Status widget.
Microsoft announced Magnetic Connect, a magnetic USB-C charging solution for the Surface Laptop Ultra that keeps the port's video and data functions. The laptop starts at $2,599 and begins shipping October 16.
Microsoft will turn the Windows Task Bar search menu into a chatbot interface this fall that handles thousands of actions through typed commands. The redesign lets users control settings, access Copilot and send messages without separate apps.
Microsoft demonstrated hybrid intelligence on Windows that runs AI models from 70 billion to 284 billion parameters locally. The approach keeps data on-device, supports offline use, and switches to cloud models for heavier tasks.
Microsoft has set an October 16 launch date for the Surface Laptop Ultra with pricing from $2,599. The RTX Spark-powered laptop targets premium creative, gaming, and AI workloads.
Microsoft’s Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is available for preorder at $5,999 with November shipping. The Nvidia-powered mini PC targets developers running local AI models exceeding 120B parameters.
HP's first RTX Spark laptops appeared in a mistaken listing at $2,999.99 to $4,999.99. The page was removed shortly after.
Satya Nadella and Jensen Huang take the stage at Microsoft's Windows and Surface event. Details are expected on the Surface Laptop Ultra and NVIDIA RTX Spark.
