While Microsoft's Surface Pro is a capable device, it is not the AI-powered tool to revolutionize personal computing.

• The 11th edition of Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet has a Qualcomm chip that conserves power, providing over eight hours of battery life in initial tests.
• The Prism emulator is improving app compatibility, although it's not perfect yet.

In May, Microsoft unveiled its new line of Windows PCs, stating that the computers were specifically engineered for AI with Qualcomm's new, energy-efficient chips that surpass Intel's previous processors.

A Surface Pro convertible tablet, one of the first devices of its kind to hit the market, is capable of handling heavier computing tasks and has a longer battery life than laptops with Intel processors. This strategy is similar to what Apple implemented in 2020 when it began shipping custom energy-efficient Arm-based chips into its MacBooks, which has been highly successful.

While the Surface Pro release from Microsoft represents an upgrade from its previous version, it is unlikely to mark the beginning of a new era in AI computing.

While Surface PCs contribute to Microsoft's device revenue, which totaled $1.07 billion in the first quarter, this represents only a small fraction of the company's overall $61.86 billion in revenue.

For two weeks, I have been evaluating the Surface Pro, and here is a summary of my findings.

What's good

The Surface Pro is a high-end device with a Qualcomm 12-core Snapdragon X Elite chip, 512GB solid-state drive, 16GB of RAM, and an OLED display. It starts at $999 but costs $1,499.99. The device's performance is snappy for web browsing, productivity software, and video games like "Retrowave World" and "Poly Bridge 3."

The display is detailed and bright, with smooth scrolling thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate. The touchscreen is responsive. The iconic kickstand propping up the display is still solid. A compartment under the kickstand protects the SSD, making hard drive replacements or upgrades easy.

In my initial testing, the Surface Pro provided over eight hours of battery life. Microsoft guarantees up to 10 hours of web browsing with the Surface Pro 9, which was released in 2022 and features Microsoft's Arm-based SQ3 chip. However, reviewers found that app compatibility remained an issue with this model, unlike previous Arm-powered Surface PCs such as the Surface Pro X from 2019, which can run a wide variety of applications without compromising on compatibility.

Microsoft launched a new emulator called Prism to enable these new computers to run programs designed for Intel and AMD chips.

Developers are increasingly using AI models for various purposes, and they are relying on servers in data centers for difficult processing tasks. However, some processing is being delegated to users' phones and computers. A Copilot+ PC with a neural processing unit (NPU) is well suited for this emerging type of software, as it leads to longer battery life due to the ability of the rest of the chip to perform other tasks.

The Surface Pro Copilot+ PC's Settings app includes an Eye Contact feature that simulates looking directly at the webcam during video calls, even when reading text. This feature is similar to Apple's simulated eye contact feature for FaceTime calls on the iPad.

In Paint, you can activate a Cocreator mode that generates an image based on your drawing and description input. The NPU produces the image, but Microsoft first sends your text prompt to the cloud to ensure it's not harmful or offensive.

While it was enjoyable to observe Cocreator's interpretation of my suggestions, the results were not particularly impressive. Instead, I discovered that pressing the Copilot key on my keyboard, which opens a chat window with Microsoft's Copilot, yielded better results when requesting image generation in a text-based conversation. However, Copilot has a limited number of free image-generation credits, and its performance slows down as it handles more requests. In contrast, the Paint feature is consistently fast.

The AC adapter in the box securely attaches to Microsoft's exclusive Surface Connect port through magnetic latching. This feature is recognizable to those who have previously purchased Surface devices. However, you can also charge your device using either of the two USB-C ports, which is a convenient option.

The Surface Pro supports three 4K monitors, while the MacBook Air with M3 chip can display a single 6K monitor at 60Hz.

The $999 tablet lacks a headphone jack and doesn't include a keyboard, similarly to the iPad.

The Surface Pro Keyboard that magnetically attaches to the bottom of the Surface Pro costs $139.99, while the version with Microsoft's Slim Pen stylus is priced at $279.99.

The new Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen included, priced at $449.98, is a more expensive option than the regular attachable keyboard because it connects via Bluetooth. Microsoft guarantees 41 hours of uninterrupted typing with this accessory, which charges while connected to the Surface Pro.

Using the tablet while keeping the keyboard at a distance might be helpful for some users. However, I didn't find the accessory to be a significant improvement from the Surface Pro Keyboard.

What's bad

The most significant AI feature of the new Surface Pro and other Copilot+ PCs has not yet been released.

Microsoft postponed the launch of Copilot+ PCs in May and stated that Recall, a feature that allows users to search their PC activity with a few words, would be disabled by default after security researchers discovered that hackers could potentially access private data through screenshots captured by the feature.

While some apps, such as Google Drive and ExpressVPN, are not yet compatible with the new computers, the issue of software compatibility is less of a concern for Surface PCs with long battery life.

The Copilot assistant on Windows 11 has been limited in its ability to control your PC, similar to using a chatbot on the web. Initially, Copilot could open programs, switch to dark mode, and disable Bluetooth when it was introduced last fall.

Should you buy it?

The 11th edition of the Surface Pro is a good option if you can confirm that the necessary apps will run on an Arm-based device. This is more probable now than it was previously.

The new laptop has a good battery life, easy-to-upgrade and swap-out storage, and an excellent screen. It's a significant improvement from previous models. Microsoft's decision to switch to Arm-based processors was wise. However, the device is being marketed as an "AI PC," but the most advanced AI features are not yet available.

Microsoft's new PCs with AI have received a positive review from WSJ's Joanna Stern, who gave them a thumbs up.