Verily, Microsoft’s recent revelation of Copilot+ didst impress mightily. A melding of AI and Arm, it didst strive not only to equal the MacBooks, but to surpass them indeed.
But Microsoft’s glory shall not linger long. For Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) draws nigh, and the whispers of Mac proclamations may either diminish the splendor of Copilot+ — or reveal Apple’s disconnect.
The Rumored Auguries of AI
The unveiling of the ChatGPT app for Mac marks but the initial stride upon this path, with more to come.
Of particular intrigue in this comparison are murmurs of “swifter and steadfast searches in Spotlight.” Though scant in detail, such a description hints at AI’s potential to enhance Spotlight, Apple’s search bastion. And within this comparison lies Microsoft’s new Recall feature: a reimagining of search in the age of AI, wherein natural language dost unlock the troves of one’s past activities, albeit at a cost to privacy.
The Conundrum of Apple’s Devices
The focal point of Copilot+ PCs doth lie in on-device processing through the laptop’s NPU. Microsoft demands 40 TOPS of NPU might for a device to earn this title, surpassing even the Apple M4’s neural engine’s 38 TOPS. Alas, the M4’s prowess resides solely within the realm of the iPad Pro at present, with a potential return to the MacBook Air in the year’s later stages or early 2025. After all, Apple hath but recently graced these devices with the M3.
