Nvidia's RTX Spark N1X processor is finally here, and we've been collectively testing a small fortune's worth of powerful laptops sporting this new "superchip." RTX Spark is designed to be a high-performing Arm-based SoC for laptops and small desktop computers, rivaling the best from Apple, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. It has loads of cores, Nvidia RTX Blackwell graphics, and enough power and unified memory to run sizable local AI models.

The flagship placement is inside Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra with a staggering 128GB of unified memory, which our own Tom Warren fully reviewed. Sean Hollister has been testing a 64GB version of the Asus …

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After setting up Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, I spent five minutes just staring at it. I wasn't surprised by its MacBook Pro-like design or blown away by its bright display. I was trying to work out what I'd actually do with a $5,900 laptop.

This isn't just any regular Windows laptop. Microsoft has teamed up with Nvidia to build a high-end laptop to showcase Nvidia's new Arm-based RTX Spark chips. It's a big moment for Windows on Arm, as these chips can run demanding AI models locally, alongside the latest AAA games and creative apps. The promise is compelling, but the reality of local AI is much messier.

Getting the most out of the S …

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Google's new operating system is off to a rocky start. The five newly launched Googlebook laptops have hardware that ranges from great to excellent, but the software in its current state is the weak point. There are four of us on staff at The Verge actively testing Googlebooks and, frankly, our internal Slack discussions have been mostly filled with collective venting of frustrations, disappointments, and bewilderment.

The promise of Googlebooks as a fresh and smartly designed alternative to Windows or Mac for Android phone owners sounds great, but there's more than just a few kinks and quirks to work out. Some of its issues and challenges …

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