Windows 12 is reportedly set to arrive this coming summer as an overseas PC manufacturer announces its plan to be the first to invest in AI PCs. Lin Baili, chairman and founder of Quanta, which is a contract “white-box” PC maker in China whose products are often resold under different names, and Acer Chairman and CEO Chen Junsheng both recently attended the Taiwan Medical Technology Exhibition conference where they went on record expressing optimism about the forthcoming AI PC industry. Microsoft’s next operating system is said to have been designed with AI PCs in mind and is believed to launch in support of forthcoming PCs featuring AI technology.
Lin Baili has said that AI PCs could roll out next summer and that Quanta will be the first to invest in the industry with strategic pathways for AI PCs, AI servers, and AI automotive technologies. While the company is known throughout China as a contractor for its PCs it also manufactures servers and server components. Baili stated that due to ongoing supply limitations, the company is still working on current server orders but is more confident about the new market even if the demand for it is uncertain.
Per The Commercial Times (machine translated):
“He expects that next summer, when Microsoft launches a new generation of Windows operating systems, AI PCs will also be launched one after another. The demand is difficult to estimate, but “it is a good opportunity” for the industry.”
Acer’s Chen Junsheng was a bit more pragmatic about the potential of the AI PC industry but does believe it will happen, even if not overnight. He clarified that there will be more of a gradual, step-by-step, change over to AI PCs as users, and developers, become more acquainted with AI PC features. Once this has happened, it is expected that industry growth will quickly accelerate.
Per The Commercial Times (machine translated):
“However, he also reiterated that the demand for AI PCs and the benefits it brings to the market will not explode overnight and will require changes in usage behavior. , step by step, this process will “continuously accelerate”, and generative AI applications will accelerate the introduction of more functions, which is bound to stimulate new usage models and thereby drive demand for AI PCs.”
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said back in July (via PCWorld), that its Meteor Lake processors would usher in the era of AI PCs. What constitutes meeting the criteria for being an AI PC is still a bit of a grey area but in this case, Gelsinger is no doubt referring to the neural processing units included in Meteor Lake processors similar to other technologies used by other processor manufacturers.
Per PCWorld:
“AI PC is generally assumed to be a PC with a processor (such as Intel’s Meteor Lake, AMD’s Ryzen AI, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite CPU) with on-chip AI capabilities.”
Windows 12 is reportedly going to be released in June 2024 and according to TechPowerUp, it will also include support for ARM chipsets. AMD, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and other processor manufacturers are expected to introduce their latest ARM-based offerings throughout 2024, thus creating an expanded presence of ARM in the PC market space.
Per TechPowerUp:
“Qualcomm is set to debut its Snapdragon Elite X SoCs in mid-2024, aligning with the alleged release schedule of Windows 12. With more players like NVIDIA, AMD, and others planning to utilize an Arm instruction set for their next-generation PC chips, we expect to see Windows 12 get full-fledged support for Arm ISA and treat it like a first-class citizen in the OS.”
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →What is an AI PC
I was kind of excited about Windows 12 (the old skip every-two versions kinda thing), I was really thinking maybe Win12 will be the one I finally upgrade to from Win10, it might be THE good one. But, I am now reserved, considering this huge shift and push into "AI" (which isn't really AI, it's just large language models or machine learning). This worries me, for the direction of Win12 and I can only imagine the intense spyware it will really be. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Probably PC connected to copilot at all times. ☹️
I don't think holding out any hope of skipping versions means much anymore. Win 11 simply built on Win 10. My guess is 12 won't be different, just maybe more 'connected.' Sooner or later, it'll be required. Companies can't seem to shut off the sweet monthly money stream.
What new features and abilities is win 12 bringing to the table?
Complete unknown at this stage.
They will bingify a bunch probably.
Honestly don't think I'll be mad at this.
My PC has been losing it place at home for a long time anyway.
AI bing is pretty good tbh.
I don't know for sure, but I imagine it being just a PC with an AI accelerator in it intended for AI use.
To each their own. If I can't block and/or remove anything and everything AI and/or Cloud in it, I don't want it.
I just want a desktop OS.
I don't want a included software ecosystem, I don't want a Microsoft account, I don't want anyhting subscription based (software or OS) I don't want any integration with any cloud service, I don't even want it to communicate over a network interface unless I explicitly tell it to, and I sure as hell don't ant anything AI.
I'm already already borderline discontinuing use of all Microsoft products as it is based on what they have done with 10 and 11. If they continue down this path, I'll likely just ride them to the EOL date and then wipe the partition, and just be Microsoft free from that point on.
They are not getting as much as a penny from me. Anyone who pays a subscription fee for any software or cloud services is a goddamn fool.
I used to buy and use Office. I used to buy and use Photoshop (though admittedly way back when it was more affordable)
I have just stopped buying their products now that they have moved to a subscription service, and there is pretty much zero chance I ever will again.
So in theory at least, they are getting LESS money from me than they used to. And I will die on this hill.
I want to continue using my desktop PC the way I have always used my desktop PC until the day I die. No automation, no AI, no cloud, no online account. They can take pretty much any "feature" offered after Windows 7 and shove it somewhere the sun don't shine.
My mind will not be changed on this, come hell or high water.
Sounds like you want a Linux build. No I don't mean that offensively it's just patently clear that MS is going to the connected ecosystem for their products going forward. I've bought into it... and find it useful and handy.
BUT if I were developing a crash cart for recovery and security I sure as shit would have Either a locked down MS OS or a flavor of Linux or even Mac OS that was secured. No Domain, Normally kept offline, booted to manually apply security updates when needed sort of thing with prepping with staged recovery information once a quarter or month depending. (Something I'm trying to get approved where I work for our most critical environments to expedite recovery.)
He already mains Linux, and so do I.
Our pcs are turning into mere service portals. Ms is making sure you adopt several of theirs via os. I will not pay for office nor for photoshop, those are dead to me.
I have paid for " ai" services a bit, for images, image enhancement ( vance ai I think, dall e 2) but havent done subscription on those at all, only put some money in the pot to use the service.
I don't know what ms will be doing with bing later, for now things been free.. If that changes I may put some money in that pot if I see usefulness, but no subscription for me, i don't think I would go that far.
Sadly adobe became a multi billion dollar company by going subscription. MS incredibility keeps growing thanks to subscription, its sad, but its reality, people love their monthly crap. I choose subscriptions wisely enough, and things like photoshop and office can shove it. In general I just cant go for it monthlt when its low use. Netflix and Tidal I am unlikely to give up for now cause I use it a lot.
I use my office apps all the time for personal use so I keep the sub. Now if work offered the same sub for cheaper because of enterprise connections as a benefit I would take advantage. But 10 bucks a month... 5 computers with full office (sans visio, access, and publisher, and Project if you consider it part of the office suite.) it kind of works out. for me. Especially since each user gets 1tb of cloud storage.
I'm not scared. I usually jump into the new Windows with both feet. I even join the Windows Insider program just to test it out.