Microsoft has revealed its newest high-end laptop, the Surface Laptop Ultra, priced at a staggering $2,599. The device, powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark Arm-based chip, includes a 15-inch HDR touchscreen and 24GB of RAM. While it’s designed for high performance, the price tag is likely to be a barrier for many.

Microsoft also announced the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a mini PC for developers, priced at $5,999. This device, with its Arm-based RTX Spark platform, aims to offer developers powerful local AI capabilities, though at a similarly steep cost.

During the event, Microsoft showcased updates to its Copilot AI, which can now use local files on your Windows PC to take action. This “Hybrid Intelligence” feature is a step towards a more integrated AI experience, but it remains to be seen how it will change day-to-day computing.

Microsoft’s rigorous testing process for its Surface devices, conducted in a lab in Redmond, Washington, ensures that every product can withstand extreme conditions. The Surface Laptop Ultra, in particular, is expected to push the boundaries of what a Windows laptop can do.

The release of these high-end devices coincides with a broader trend of increasing prices in the tech industry due to component shortages. As tech giants innovate, the question remains: is the future of computing accessible to all, or just a select few?