Microsoft will officially end support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and millions of users are still running that version. Some will be able to upgrade to Windows 11, but many won’t, because Windows 11 requires hardware that many Windows 10 machines lack. That means a lot of PC users may find themselves in the market for a new computer between now and October.
And there’s another reason to consider upgrading: many new PCs now include a Neural Processing Unit (NPU)—a special chip designed to optimize tasks powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been using HP’s new OmniBook Ultra Flip 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop, marketed as a “Next Gen AI PC.” The review unit HP sent me came with 2 terabytes of SSD storage and 32 gigabytes of RAM—more than most people need. As configured, this version costs around $1,800, but you can get a model with 512 GB storage, a slightly slower processor, and 16 GB of RAM for about $1,100, which is plenty for most users.
The laptop has an impressive14-inch OLED touch screen, which looks great indoors and is readable even in bright sunlight. The version I have also flips all the way back. At a tad under 3 pounds, it’s on the lighter side as laptops go. I don’t use the flip feature often, but it can come in handy when watching videos or if you want to use it like a tablet. It can also be used with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse and be folded so that it functions as a great secondary display. Although I mostly use the touch pad to control the PC, the touch screen can come in handy at times. It also comes with an optional pen that you can use to write or draw directly on the screen, which is very useful for graphic artists.
As a writer, my favorite feature is the keyboard, with slightly oversized keys and larger-than-usual characters, which make it easier and more comfortable to type. It’s a noticeable upgrade from many laptop keyboards, and because you’re stuck with whatever keyboard your laptop comes with, this one is a welcome improvement.
The laptop is very responsive, loading apps almost as quickly as you can click. Although internet performance is mostly a function of the speed of your network, a faster PC can more quickly update your browser, which can make a difference. It’s not a big deal, but I like it when I don’t have to wait even a second or two to load an app or switch between tasks. It’s not so much the amount of time but the risk of losing my train of thought as I wait for a program or website to load.
The Omnibook is rated for “up to 12 hours and 30 minutes” of continuous use on battery only, according to HP and “up to 20 hours and 30 minutes of local video playback. Battery estimates, like miles per gallon or EV range, will always be different in the real world, but, so far, I’ve been able to get through a day’s worth of use without having to plug it in.
Like an increasing number of PCs, this machine is marketed as an AI computer. And although it does have a neuro processing unit (NPU) optimized for AI applications along with some software that uses that NPU and AI to improve performance, the NPU and the other AI features are not necessary to run ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Meta AI, Perplexity or any of the other excellent web-based AI services. You can run them on any internet connected device.
The HP does come with its own HP AI Companion app, which at first seems similar to the many AI web apps that run on any device, but it has one very promising feature that takes advantage of the NPU. You can create your own document libraries by importing PDFs, Word files and other docs that you can then query using the AI Companion. There are several use cases, including being able to better understand or find things from your own PC and enhanced privacy by not having to upload all these files to the cloud. I’m using it to create a library from the thousands of articles I’ve written over the years and am excited about the ability to query my own content. Companies could use this and similar tools to create their own internal AI data sets for employee access.
The AI OmniBook also comes with Polly Camera Pro that uses AI and the NPU to enhance photos and videos, including live Zoom calls. There are also some video editing and creation tools that use AI and the NPU to create and process video.
We’re still in the early days of PC-based AI processing, and only a limited number of applications currently take full advantage of the NPU and other AI features built into these new machines. But that’s typical with emerging technologies. Think back to the early Apple II. On its own, it wasn’t especially useful until developers created breakthrough programs such as VisiCalc, which transformed it into a must-have productivity tool for its time. The same could happen with AI PCs as the software ecosystem catches up.
We are still very early in the era of PC-based AI processing, so there are a limited number of programs that take advantage of the power built into this and other “AI” PCs. But that’s always the case with new technologies going back to the early days of the Apple II, which wasn’t all that useful until programmers started creating killer apps that turned it into an incredibly powerful machine for its time.
I don’t know if or when having an NPU will become essential. But if you’re shopping for a new Windows PC, it makes sense to consider one that includes it, just to “future-proof” your investment (quotes because the future is always uncertain).
For now, just about any modern PC or Mac will handle today’s tasks with ease. But if you’re curious about what’s coming next, an AI PC could be your window into the future—especially as software begins to catch up with the powerful new hardware.
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Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at [email protected].
