Technology journalist Marc Saltzman, renowned for his "Tech It Out" series and extensive media presence, has partnered with ASUS and News Media Group, Inc. to highlight Windows 11 security features and Copilot+ PCs in a comprehensive holiday shopping guide. The collaboration represents a significant push to educate consumers about the latest advancements in Windows computing during the critical holiday shopping season.

The Strategic Partnership

This partnership brings together one of technology journalism's most recognizable voices with one of the leading PC manufacturers in the industry. Marc Saltzman's credibility and reach across syndicated radio, local television, and digital platforms provide ASUS with an authoritative channel to communicate the value proposition of their Windows 11 devices.

According to search verification, Saltzman has been covering technology for over two decades, appearing on major networks including CNN, CBS, and NBC, and writing for publications like USA Today and The Toronto Star. His involvement lends significant credibility to the promotion of Windows 11 security and AI-powered computing features.

Windows 11 Security: A Core Focus

The holiday guide places significant emphasis on Windows 11's security capabilities, which have become increasingly important as cyber threats continue to evolve. Windows 11 includes several built-in security features that represent substantial improvements over previous versions.

Hardware-level Security: Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) for installation, providing hardware-based protection against firmware and ransomware attacks. This requirement ensures that devices running Windows 11 have a fundamental security foundation that protects encryption keys, user credentials, and other sensitive data.

Microsoft Pluton Security Processor: Many modern Windows 11 devices, including ASUS models featured in the guide, incorporate Microsoft's Pluton security chip. This integrated security processor stores sensitive data like credentials and encryption keys directly within the CPU, making them significantly harder for attackers to access even if they gain physical access to the device.

Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security: The guide highlights Windows Hello's biometric authentication capabilities, which allow users to sign in using facial recognition or fingerprint scanning rather than traditional passwords. This not only enhances convenience but also significantly improves security by eliminating common password-related vulnerabilities.

Copilot+ PCs: The AI Computing Revolution

A central theme of the holiday guide is the promotion of Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft's new category of AI-enhanced computers that represent the most significant shift in personal computing in decades. These devices feature dedicated neural processing units (NPUs) capable of performing over 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS), enabling advanced AI capabilities that run locally on the device.

Recall Feature: One of the most talked-about capabilities of Copilot+ PCs is Recall, which creates a searchable timeline of everything users have seen or done on their computer. Using advanced AI, Recall can help users find previously viewed content, conversations, or documents through natural language queries, essentially functioning as a photographic memory for your digital activities.

Live Captions and Translation: Copilot+ PCs can generate real-time captions for any audio content and translate between dozens of languages directly on the device, without requiring an internet connection. This capability demonstrates the power of local AI processing and its practical applications for everyday computing.

Cocreator and Image Enhancement: The AI capabilities extend to creative tasks, with features like Cocreator that can generate and refine images based on text prompts and rough sketches. These tools run entirely on the device, ensuring privacy and instant responsiveness.

ASUS's Copilot+ PC Offerings

ASUS has positioned itself as a leader in the Copilot+ PC space with several compelling devices featured in the holiday guide:

ASUS Vivobook S 15: This sleek laptop combines premium design with cutting-edge AI capabilities, featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor that delivers both exceptional performance and all-day battery life. The device showcases how Copilot+ PCs can maintain thin and light form factors while offering revolutionary AI features.

ASUS ProArt P16 and PX13: Targeting creative professionals, these workstations integrate AI capabilities directly into creative workflows. The NPU acceleration enables real-time content creation tools, automatic task optimization, and intelligent resource management that adapts to user behavior.

ROG Gaming Laptops with AI Features: While not all gaming laptops qualify as Copilot+ PCs, ASUS has integrated AI enhancements across its Republic of Gamers lineup, including AI-powered noise cancellation, game optimization, and performance tuning that learns from user preferences.

The Satellite Media Tour Strategy

The collaboration between ASUS, Marc Saltzman, and News Media Group, Inc. utilizes a Satellite Media Tour (SMT) format, which allows Saltzman to conduct multiple interviews with television stations across the country from a single location. This efficient approach maximizes reach while maintaining consistent messaging about Windows 11 security and Copilot+ PC benefits.

SMTs have proven particularly effective for technology products during the holiday season, as they provide local news stations with expert commentary and product demonstrations that would otherwise require significant production resources. The format enables Saltzman to tailor his messaging to different regional audiences while maintaining the core educational focus on Windows 11 advancements.

Consumer Education Challenges

One of the primary challenges this initiative addresses is consumer awareness and understanding of what differentiates modern Windows 11 devices from previous generations. Many shoppers remain unaware of the significant security and AI capabilities that have been integrated into the latest Windows ecosystem.

Security Perception Gap: Despite Windows 11's robust security features, many consumers still associate Windows with the security vulnerabilities of earlier versions. The holiday guide aims to bridge this perception gap by clearly explaining the hardware-level security improvements and their practical benefits.

AI Understanding: The concept of NPUs and local AI processing remains unfamiliar to most consumers. Saltzman's role involves translating these technical capabilities into tangible benefits that resonate with holiday shoppers, such as faster photo editing, smarter organization tools, and more intuitive user interfaces.

Market Context and Timing

The holiday guide arrives at a critical moment for the PC industry, which has experienced fluctuating demand patterns following the pandemic-driven surge in computer purchases. Industry analysts from IDC and Gartner note that the market is poised for refresh cycles as devices purchased during 2020-2021 reach the end of their optimal performance period.

Windows 11 Adoption Acceleration: With Windows 10 support ending in October 2025, Microsoft has been aggressively promoting Windows 11 upgrades. Current statistics show Windows 11 running on approximately 30% of Windows devices globally, with adoption rates accelerating as hardware refresh cycles progress.

AI PC Market Projections: Research firms project that AI-enhanced PCs will constitute a significant portion of the market by 2025, with Canalys forecasting that 60% of PCs shipped in 2027 will be AI-capable. The ASUS and Saltzman collaboration positions both companies at the forefront of this transition.

Practical Benefits for Holiday Shoppers

The guide emphasizes several practical considerations for consumers evaluating Windows 11 devices during the holiday season:

Future-Proofing Investments: With AI capabilities becoming increasingly central to software and applications, Copilot+ PCs represent a more future-proof investment than traditional computers. As more developers integrate AI features into their software, devices with dedicated NPUs will deliver significantly better performance.

Battery Life Advantages: The ARM-based processors in many Copilot+ PCs, particularly those featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chips, offer dramatically improved battery life compared to traditional x86 processors. This makes them ideal for students, mobile professionals, and anyone who values all-day computing without being tethered to a power outlet.

Privacy and Local Processing: Unlike cloud-based AI services that require sending data to remote servers, the AI features in Copilot+ PCs process information locally on the device. This approach enhances privacy and security while delivering instant responses without internet dependency.

Competitive Landscape

The holiday guide emerges within a highly competitive PC market where all major manufacturers are launching their own Copilot+ PC offerings. Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung have all announced devices featuring the same Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors and meeting Microsoft's Copilot+ specifications.

ASUS's differentiation strategy, as highlighted in the guide, focuses on design innovation, gaming heritage (through its ROG brand), and specific features tailored to creative professionals. The partnership with Saltzman helps amplify these differentiating factors to consumers who might otherwise view Copilot+ PCs as largely interchangeable.

The Role of Expert Endorsement

Marc Saltzman's involvement represents a strategic use of expert endorsement in technology marketing. Unlike traditional celebrity endorsements, technology experts like Saltzman bring credibility and educational value to product promotions. His ability to explain complex technical concepts in accessible language makes him particularly valuable for introducing consumers to the relatively new categories of Windows 11 security and AI-enhanced computing.

Industry analysis suggests that expert endorsements are becoming increasingly important in technology purchasing decisions, particularly for higher-priced items where consumers seek reassurance about product quality and longevity. Saltzman's longstanding reputation for objective technology analysis lends additional weight to his recommendations.

Looking Forward: The Future of Windows Computing

The ASUS and Saltzman holiday guide provides a glimpse into the future direction of Windows computing, where AI integration becomes fundamental rather than optional. Microsoft's vision, as articulated through the Copilot+ PC initiative, positions AI as a core component of the user experience rather than a separate feature set.

Evolving Developer Ecosystem: As more developers create applications that leverage NPU capabilities, the value proposition of Copilot+ PCs will continue to strengthen. Early indicators show significant interest from software developers in building AI-native applications that can take full advantage of local AI processing.

Enterprise Adoption: While the holiday guide targets consumer audiences, the underlying technologies have significant implications for business computing. Enhanced security features and AI-powered productivity tools are likely to drive enterprise adoption of Windows 11 and Copilot+ PCs throughout 2025.

The collaboration between ASUS and Marc Saltzman represents more than just a holiday marketing initiative—it serves as an educational campaign designed to prepare consumers for the next era of personal computing. By highlighting both the immediate benefits and long-term value of Windows 11 security and AI capabilities, the guide helps shoppers make informed decisions during the critical holiday purchasing season while positioning ASUS as a leader in the evolving PC landscape.