Microsoft launches Surface Laptop Ultra amid macOS design controversy

Microsoft has released the Surface Laptop Ultra, a high-end laptop featuring the Nvidia RTX Spark (N1X) chip designed for local artificial intelligence tasks. The device utilizes a unified memory architecture, with top-tier configurations offering up to 128 GB of memory and a Blackwell GPU capable of running AI models with up to 120 billion parameters. Prices for the new hardware range from approximately $2,600 to nearly $5,900.

Coinciding with the product launch, Microsoft faced scrutiny after metadata in a new set of Windows Insider wallpapers revealed they were created using Adobe Photoshop on macOS. The discovery, highlighted by developer Rafael Rivera, noted that the files contained technical attributes indicating they were saved on a Mac. This occurred as Microsoft is actively marketing the Surface Laptop Ultra as a direct competitor to the MacBook Pro for creative professionals.