Microsoft unveils new hardware for local AI computing and major Windows updates
The company announced machines and system changes designed to run artificial intelligence on the device itself.
8 Oct 2026
Microsoft gathered people on October 7, 2026, for its first major live event in two years.
The company introduced new computers built to run artificial intelligence directly on the hardware instead of over the internet.
One product is the Surface Laptop Ultra, which starts at $2,599 and goes on sale starting October 16.
This laptop uses unified memory so the processor and graphics chip share capacity freely for demanding workloads.
A second machine called the RTX Spark Dev Box costs $5,999 and targets expert developers building complex AI systems.
The physical design of this box divides opinion, with one source describing it as a sleek console while another notes its heavy weight and many cooling vents.
Windows 11 software is updating to organize the Copilot assistant into three main sections for general use, coding, and automated tasks.
Search features will expand to let people tell the computer to adjust display settings directly from the taskbar window.
Security rules now allow administrators to limit where these automated helpers can go inside the system using special containers.
Microsoft labels this approach Hybrid Intelligence, a shift toward keeping personal data and processing on the local device.
Reports suggest the devices will support specific large models that run entirely within the machine without needing an internet connection.
Questions about user safety remain, but the new hardware is ready for those who want to test these capabilities immediately.