Windows and Surface are reunited again.
Microsoft has a new Windows and Surface chief - The Verge
“This will enable us to take a holistic approach to building silicon, systems, experiences, and devices that span Windows client and cloud for this AI era,” explains Jha, head of Experiences and Devices…
Isn’t that exactly what Panos said…???
Don’t think he used the A word. Maybe that is why he left?
I’m wondering whether “building silicone” is an actual commitment to deliver MS chips (for anything other than AI), or just Intel bait to keep the heat on.
As far as devices, it’s getting harder for me to consider MS as a serious long term player in consumer hardware given the graveyard of canceled MS devices - many of which still populate my junk drawer(s).
I’d really like to hear the truth about that.
This is just more proof of the dominance of AI in M$'s forward strategy. It looks more to me like a marginalization of Windows and Devices as subservient to AI-onization as the core business (so long as it keeps the stock price propped up). They are headed for a wicked fall if AI flops…
The spin we are getting early today from our MS contacts is that this is an affirmation/re-commitment to Surface Devices, specifically ARM/Nuvia ones. as well as AI
I can’t share the particulars yet, but MS current and forthcoming AI feature are either much more preformant on the new Qualcomm chips, or in some cases have functionality that simply isn’t available on Intel’s 14th gen.
I’m somewhat skeptical about how long this can/will hold given MS flips in the past, but IMHO this is by far the strongest action of intent toward WOA I’ve seen yet.
EDIT: For instance, the web cams in the new consumer surface pro 10’s may be the best yet from any manufacturer…
Well, I stand corrected (for now) but fear an upcoming Surface Duo tailspin…hope I’m wrong…love the potential of more small/powerful/efficient WOA devices, but am still amazed there’s been no legal saber rattling from ARM, Intel, and Apple. Maybe it’s just too early until we really see how WOA/Elite work together…
Yes, what I think many are missing including many here are the deep learning parts of AI that MS is incorporating as well. This is along the same lines as computational photography that, at least I anyway, really value in the latest smartphones.
And I’ve been part of proof of concept demos for instance where AI driven software modifies WIFI/Ethernet packets if for example the network is dropping or mangling larger packet sizes.
Or for that matter, the auto screen brightness functions much more intelligently adjusting if for example there is a strong 45 degree angle light source hitting the screen.
TLDR AI really is going to be a big deal that will improve (or has the potential anyway) the general computing experience
But, what if I don’t want Ai & still want to use a new version of Windows? I’m open to switching to Linux(Fedora or Ubuntu specifically), but I hear pen support could be better.
I don’t see where you will be forced to use the AI features. But OTOH speaking of the pen AI (better thought of as deep learning really ) can and does improve things like pen performance through things like finer grained pressure sensitivity ,. palm detection/rejection and so on
I don’t think anyone here thinks otherwise, if you define “AI” broadly. As you wrote, machine learning has improved photography quite a bit on phones and that’s a good thing. I look forward to the same kind of improvements in dictation since I use that a lot nowadays. And so on.
It’s the dark stuff that advertisers and worse are scheming that brings about the negative reaction IMO.
My discomfort is around the idea that we won’t be able to opt out of the AI tools training on our files, and taking the “learnings” out to use in algorithms for other users/applications. It is a huge risk to trade secrets, and may trigger “publication dates” or prior art that may defeat an innocent end user’s copyright or patent opportunities.
Exactly my concern.
So with “Ai is everything” being crammed down my throat…I dreamt during an accidental cubical nap session of a really awesome pen feature.
What if Ai could do like “assist-draw”
Despite drawing for decades, I still suck at drawing hands and feet
Coupled with the Haptic engine in the Slim Pen 2, what if Ai could learn our drawing styles, weakness’s, and somehow assist, like maybe it takes control of the pen using haptics and guides to the perfect hand/foot drawing.
As cool as that could be, I’d imagine it would be an even worse art-ethics nightmare then Ai-Art allready poses.
This could cause me to absolutely sprint back to MacOS/iOS.
Well, Apple hasn’t announced anything specific about its AI plans, and although I do trust them more than 
the other shoe hasn’t dropped yet.
At least in the past, Apple has shown they are militantly protective of their user’s data. Granted, they may be protective so only they can use it. I haven’t done enough research to know for sure.
I’m not sure either. Apple seems on the face of it anyway to be more user privacy aligned, but OTOH, people forget that they basically analyzed their users iCloud photo libraries as they were building out their version of Computational Photography. Though Apple does swear they completely anonymized the user data.
Of course Google did the same, and were even more opaque about it initially until blogs and others started talking about it
