Windows 11 24H2 Arrives with AI Powerhouse and More!
The release of Windows 11 24H2 has finally arrived, bringing with it a slew of AI-powered features and exciting improvements. Initially launched alongside the Copilot+ laptop series, this major update is set to revolutionize the Windows experience. Let's dive into the details.
AI Takes Center Stage with Copilot+
Artificial intelligence is the star of the show in 24H2. Microsoft has introduced Copilot+, a comprehensive brand encompassing all AI capabilities processed locally through the NPU (Neural Processing Unit). To unlock the full potential of Copilot+, a minimum performance of 40 TOPS is required, currently achievable with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chips. Support for upcoming AMD Ryzen AI 300 and Intel Lunar Lake processors (slated for release later this year) is also confirmed.
Windows Recall: Your Digital Memory
One of the standout features is Windows Recall, a revolutionary tool that records your computer activity history, stored locally for privacy. This allows you to seamlessly pick up where you left off on projects and documents. Searching for specific files is a breeze with natural language queries like "find the essay about computers I was writing last week." Windows Recall also captures screenshots and browser history, making it incredibly convenient to retrieve online information. Imagine needing to recall the model of a smartphone you saw earlier - the algorithm can pinpoint it within the chronology of snapshots.
Enhanced Gaming, Creativity, and Communication
Gamers rejoice! Auto Super Resolution, akin to NVIDIA DLSS, enhances image clarity in games while boosting frame rates by offloading some of the rendering burden from the GPU. For creative minds, Cocreator, the AI-powered image generation tool, now operates locally.
Video conferencing gets a major upgrade too. Live Captions provide real-time subtitles for participants, supporting translation across 44 languages. Moreover, Windows Studio effects offer features like background blur, auto-framing, lighting enhancements, and filters.
File Explorer Improvements and More
The File Explorer receives a welcome update with the addition of file compression for archives like RAR, 7z, and TAR. The context menu gets a visual refresh, with icons for copy, rename, and other options now accompanied by their respective labels. Laptop users will appreciate the new Energy Saver preset in the power settings, designed to limit background processes and extend battery life.
Additional Enhancements
Windows 11 now incorporates the Sudo command, allowing users to execute code in the command prompt with administrator privileges, even when logged in as a standard user. Select gadgets can now function as webcams. Support for 32-bit ARM utilities has been removed. Lastly, the operating system now supports USB 4 2.0 interfaces with speeds up to 80 Gbps.
Availability
While initially available exclusively on the June-released Copilot+ devices (including Microsoft Surface Pro 10 and 11, Surface Laptop (2024), HP OmniBook X, and others powered by Snapdragon X processors), Windows 11 24H2 will roll out as an optional update for other compatible PCs in September. However, the full suite of AI features will be limited to PCs equipped with NPU chips meeting the 40 TOPS requirement, essentially targeting high-end Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel machines released in 2024 onwards.
