As a content creator, executive assistant and mum, Monique Popa is constantly on the go, with no two days ever the same. Her social media content is all about creating systems that work for her family, whether it’s sharing time-saving food prep hacks, developing cleaning tips and tricks or managing her home and work life with precision. With so many moving parts, Monique knows the value of reliable tools. Investing in a speedy, portable device is a must for managing her work, planning her family’s week and even capturing content to inspire others to live their best organised lives.
In this review of the Microsoft Surface Pro (11th) Copilot+ PC, Monique puts everything to the test. “I’m really excited to try out the Surface Pro because my life can get really busy, really fast with content creating work, family life and everything else,” says Monique. So, how does its built-in AI assistant, Copilot, make light work of daily admin? How portable is its design? Will its battery life stand the test of time? Let’s find out…
Portable Design
“So I’m just going to get it out of the box and see what it comes with. Inside is the Surface Pro and picking it up, it feels really light and thin. It only weighs 900 grams. It’s nice and sleek. The design is really beautiful. We [also] have the power adapter, and what I like about this is it’s not overly huge like other ones can be, so that’s also nice and compact.”
“I also got the pen and the keyboard attachment, which are sold separately, but should be a very useful addition. The Surface Pro is super easy to set up on the go. You just need to flip out the kickstand, connect it to the keyboard and you are ready to go.”
Top Performance
“I have a lot going on in my day, so performance of any device I use is really important to me. The Surface Pro has a super-fast central processing unit and a unique piece of hardware called a neural processing unit, the NPU. The NPU is a game changer when wanting to perform AI-specific tasks. It acts super fast on the commands that I give it, and with [the] turbocharged neural processing unit, [it] provides an extra boost for AI tasks, [which is] essential for multitasking.”
Built-in AI Assistant: Copilot
“Let’s test out the AI accelerator Copilot functionality. I like to plan out my week with my family responsibilities, meal prep and content creation. I’m going to use Copilot to create a plan of seven dinners for next week. This is such a time-saver and eases the mental pressure of having to choose what to cook every night.”
To plan her family meals with Copilot on her Surface Pro, Monique tapped the dedicated Copilot key on her keyboard (you can also find it in the taskbar or start menu) to open the AI assistant. From there, it’s as easy as typing a prompt like ‘7 dinner ideas’. In seconds, she received plenty of suggestions to choose from. You can further refine the ideas by asking Copilot to tailor the recipes to meet any dietary requirements.
“Now that I’ve [worked] out my meal plan, I like to check the fridge, freezer and pantry for ingredients to then write a shopping list for everything else that I need. I used the pen to easily write the ingredients into my shopping list [on the device]. Once I’ve shopped for those ingredients, I can then tick them off. I can even do this from the comfort of my couch while watching my favourite show.”
Easy-to-Use Editing Tools
“I usually edit content for my social media platforms after work hours, so I’m excited to try anything that can save me time. The Surface Pro Copilot+ PC has AI editing tools Cocreator and Windows Studio Effects built in. Producing high-quality content for my social media is important, so having programs like this helps me save time when creating.”
With Cocreator in Paint, Monique designed one-of-a-kind backgrounds and graphics for her posts. By typing in directions such as ‘gradient watercolour background’, Cocreator suggested images in real-time to help her perfect her creation. Meanwhile, Windows Studio Effects takes her videos up a notch with handy features like background blur, auto framing and light filters – plus, it keeps audio sharp and clear with Voice Focus.
Security for Peace of Mind
“Device security is really important to me, especially having a young family. Windows Hello lets you access the Surface Pro with quick and accurate facial recognition – it’s really cool. It was easy to set up, and then every time I opened up the Surface Pro, it recognised me and opened up my home screen.”
Long-Lasting Battery
“The Surface Pro also has an all-day battery life, which is great because I’m on the go from early in the morning. When it needs to charge, it has two USB-C ports so I can charge it and transfer data at the same time, which again saves me so much time.”
Final Verdict on the Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ PC
“I've really enjoyed using the Surface Pro. It’s assisted me in all of my daily jobs between work, family and content creating. I love how slimline it is and how long the battery lasts. It just helps me get the job done.”
Battery life varies significantly based on device configuration, usage, network and feature configuration, signal strength, settings and other factors.
