Amazon is bringing Alexa to Windows 10 through partnerships with various OEMs. Alexa is being integrated into a handful of new PCs from Acer, ASUS, and HP, but it isn't yet clear how nicely Alexa will play with Windows 10, or whether it will be available on existing devices.

The biggest tech companies on the planet are all battling it out to have their artificial intelligences rise above the rest. And Amazon is battling harder than most, with Alexa being integrated into all manner of different devices. The latest being Windows 10 computers.

OEMs Unveil New Alexa-Enabled Devices

At CES 2018, various OEMs have announced new Windows 10 devices which will have Alexa integrated into them. These include the Acer Aspire, Spin, Swift, and Switch, the ASUS ZenBook and VivoBook, and the HP Pavilion Wave. All of which will make use of a new Alexa app for Windows 10.

Alexa on Windows 10 will work the same as it does on Echo devices and your smartphone. However, at launch Alexa may be limited to only answering questions, with other skills such as calling, messaging, and streaming, not available. So it's definitely a work in progress.

In Acer's press release, Steve Rabuchin, the vice president of Amazon's Alexa division, said, "Hands-free access to Alexa on PCs can be helpful to customers in many ways, like making it simple to interact with your smart home, get news or weather, set timers, and more. This is a big step toward making Alexa available wherever customers might need her."

It should be noted that this is seperate from the partnership Amazon and Microsoft have already forged. In August 2017 the two companies announced plans to help the two platforms communicate. So Cortana would be able to speak to Alexa, and vice-versa. But that was due to go live by December 2017, and we've heard nothing more from either company.

Amazon Risks Upsetting Microsoft

This is a bold move by Amazon. Partly because it brings Alexa out of the Amazon ecosystem and into the outside world, and partly because it would seem to go against the company's existing partnership with Microsoft. Still, fans of Alexa and her foibles should be delighted.

Are you a fan of Alexa? If so, in what ways do you make use of Amazon's artificial intelligence? Are you keen to use Alexa on your Windows 10 device? Or are you happy using Cortana instead? Or do you feel that all AIs are a waste of time? Please let us know in the comments below!