AI search engine company Perplexity officially announced that its Personal Computer AI assistant is officially available to all Mac users. This service was originally only available to Max plan subscribers who cost $200 per month (approximately NT$6,400). Now both Perplexity Pro ($20 per month, approximately NT$640) and Max users can download the new macOS native App to experience the powerful functions of Personal Computer.
What is a Personal Computer?
Personal Computer is Perplexity inAI agent capabilities launched in April this year, it runs directly on Mac and has the ability to access local file systems and native applications. Unlike ordinary AI chatbots, Personal Computer can perform tasks across multiple levels: from local files, third-party applications, the network to Perplexity’s own cloud servers, forming a complete digital agent system.
Announcing Personal Computer.
Personal Computer is an always on, local merge with Perplexity Computer that works for you 24/7.
It’s personal, secure, and works across your files, apps, and sessions through a continuously running Mac mini. pic.twitter.com/EpvilVX6XZ
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) March 11, 2026
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas boldly stated in an X post that the product could help one person build a billion-dollar company because it overcomes humanity’s greatest disadvantage: sleep. “It never rests. It’s personal and more powerful than any AI system out there,” Srinivas said.
A new native macOS experience
With this opening, Perplexity simultaneously launched a new macOS native application to replace the previous Mac software version[2]. The new app has a built-in exquisite operation introduction video to guide users to understand how Personal Computer operates on Mac.
Most notably, the new app provides a universal keyboard shortcut: press two Command keys at the same time to bring up the new “Command Bar” command bar at any time. This allows users to quickly call Personal Computer to perform various tasks without having to switch between multiple windows.[2]。
Personal Computer is now available to all users in a new Perplexity Mac app.
Personal Computer is an advanced version of Perplexity Computer.
It operates on any Mac, running tasks across your local files, native Mac apps, the web, and Perplexity’s secure servers. pic.twitter.com/M1QMZJuOyJ
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) May 7, 2026
Perplexity said that the old version of the app is still available, but will be phased out, and users are advised to upgrade to the new version as soon as possible.[2]。
Features and operation methods
The operating model of Personal Computer is similar to Anthropic’s Claude Cowork or OpenAI Codex. It is a type of “computer use agent” that can work with your files, applications and network services to complete complex or even continuous workflows.
In terms of model architecture, Personal Computer integrates multiple AI models to perform different tasks: Gemini is responsible for in-depth research, Nano Banana is responsible for image recognition, and ChatGPT is responsible for long context review and extensive search. Unlike similar tools that operate entirely locally, Personal Computer handles most of the computing load in the cloud to reduce the burden on Mac hardware.
Users can input commands through voice or text to let the Personal Computer perform various tasks. For example, with Perplexity, you can ask it to “read your to-do list” or even “complete your to-do list.” It opens the Notes app on your Mac, analyzes the content and determines the best way to assist.
Security and Audit Mechanism
To address the security issues that users are most concerned about, Perplexity has designed a multi-layered protection mechanism. All operations of Personal Computer are auditable and recoverable, so users don’t have to worry about AI accidentally deleting important files or photos. In addition, Personal Computer creates files in a secure sandbox environment and is equipped with an emergency stop switch (kill switch), allowing users to immediately interrupt all operations when necessary.
Perplexity emphasizes: “A system that performs tasks on your behalf must be both practical and transparent. It should feel like a team you manage, not a rogue employee holding your most important information.”
Mac mini becomes an AI agent artifact
Perplexity specifically recommends using the Mac mini to run your Personal Computer, which allows it to run 24/7 for tasks that require continuous running or work that requires secure local file access. Users can even launch and manage tasks remotely via iPhone while on the go.
This suggestion also echoes the recent popularity of the Mac mini in the AI agent community. However, because they are so popular, Apple itself admitted in its recent earnings call that demand for Mac mini and Mac Studio has far exceeded expectations, and it may take several months to reach a balance between supply and demand.
Plans and Prices
While Personal Computer is now available to all Mac users, usage is still tied to quotas on the Pro and Max plans. The Perplexity Pro plan is priced at $20 per month (approximately NT$640), while the Max plan is $200 per month (approximately NT$6,400), which also includes unlimited access to Labs, priority customer support, and access to top third-party models.
Source: KOCPC Chinese