Subj : The most disruptive thing in computing since Windows 95: how Qual To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Wed Jun 05 2024 15:45:05 The most disruptive thing in computing since Windows 95: how Qualcomm won Computex 2024 before it even started Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:36:46 +0000 Description: The most important thing at Computex this year didnt come from AMD or Intel, and its not Nvidias digital humans either. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Big industry events, like Computex 2024 , currently underway in Taipei, rarely have a clear-cut victor. Sure, sometimes one of the big dogs in the tech world unveils something that blows us all away, but more and more frequently, each new expo ends up devolving into a mess of samey competing products, while companies save the juicy stuff for private events where they dont have to worry about someone else stealing their thunder. Well, Qualcomm already had its thunder stolen by Microsoft or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it gift-wrapped those thunderclaps for the Windows creator, since it was Microsoft that revealed the new slate of laptops equipped with Qualcomms new Snapdragon X Elite chip at its AI Era live event just a few weeks ago. As such, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amons keynote speech at Computex had no fresh reveals . And yet, Snapdragon X Elite is such a big deal that Im willing to declare Qualcomm the unequivocal winner of this years Computex but probably not for the reason youre expecting. In the Copilot seat You can watch the Qualcomm keynote in its entirety now on YouTube , but for those who dont want to sit through a 78-minute-long video, Ill sum up: Qualcomm has partnered with Microsoft and six other laptop manufacturers to bring us a new wave of AI PCs featuring the new X Elite chip, which will enable the freshly boosted capabilities of the Copilot+ assistant in Windows 11. It's the most disruptive thing in computing since Windows 95, Amon said at a Q&A session a day after the keynote, referring to the version of the OS that crystallized the virtual desktop formula we know and love today with its taskbar and start menu. Its a reasonable comparison at least, assuming that Copilot+ really does become the inflection point for a new way for us to use Windows. The potential is certainly there, and X Elite enables it. Cristiano Amon had a lot to show off in his keynote presentation and several other industry CEOs guest-starred, too (Image credit: Future) Its all good stuff (even if Im a tiny bit scared of Copilots capabilities), but heres the thing: Qualcomm isnt really the only company doing this. Amon claimed in his keynote that Snapdragon X and Copilot+ are the only platforms capable of unlocking the potential of next-generation AI, which is technically true, but only until AMDs AI 300 chips and Intels Lunar Lake chips arrive in laptops later this year. Qualcomm has the jump on them, but at the end of the day, Intel and AMD arent being muscled out of the CPU game. So the AI powers offered by Snapdragon X Elite arent the truly exciting thing here; whats exciting is that Qualcomm has managed to pull off inserting itself into the processor market in a big way. Seven OEM partners for a chip launch designed to put you on the map is an impressive number Microsoft, HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and Samsung have all joined forces with Qualcomm to make the X Elite chip the new biggest thing. Healthy competition Ill be honest Im a bit of an AI skeptic . There aren't even that many people actually using AI tools right now , and its hard for me to get excited about Copilot+ and the power of generative AI because of my myriad concerns, but seeing Qualcomm insert itself into the CPU arena with such confidence has me genuinely pumped. I had similar feelings when Apple ditched Intel to reveal the M1 MacBook Air , running on its own silicon. The M1 was a tremendous leap forward, but I knew it would remain locked within Apples tightly controlled hardware ecosystem, so I couldnt get overly hyped about it. But the real takeaway from this years Computex is that with Snapdragon X Elite, AMD and Intel finally have some real competition, and thats excellent news. Qualcomm hopes that this Snapdragon X Elite badge will capture the same attention as the iconic 'Intel Inside' badges of laptop yore (Image credit: Qualcomm) Okay, its perhaps not such excellent news for our old friends Team Red and Team Blue, but it does stand to hugely benefit the consumer. More competition drives the competing parties to (hopefully) work harder at producing better-quality products, and Ill allow myself a small moment of hope that this theory works in practice. No longer can Intel rest on its laurels as the king of Windows laptop processors Snapdragon is coming for the crown, and its not messing around. As for the future of X Elite, thats potentially even more exciting. Amon was cagey when asked about a potential second-gen chip, saying I cant disclose the evolution of the X Elite, but you should expect significant improvements in performance across many factors. Considering that this is Qualcomms first major effort to break into the Windows laptop game, I cant wait to see what comes next especially in a third or fourth generation when Snapdragon gets updated to a new architecture. I suppose were going to need a 'Team name' for Qualcomm now. Its a tricky one the Qualcomm logo is blue, and the Snapdragon logo is red, but those are both taken. Team Q, perhaps? You might also like... I saw a Snapdragon X Elite laptop run Baldurs Gate in 4K, yet Qualcomm insists its 'not a gaming laptop' Asus ROG Mjolnir uninterruptible power supply is shown off at Computex 2024 and it's an absolute unit MSI introduces the worlds first AI gaming monitor at Computex 2024 ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/cpu/the-most-disruptive-thing-in-computing -since-windows-95-how-qualcomm-won-computex-2024-before-it-even-started --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .