alt Hacker NewsMicrosoft isn't removing Copilot from Windows 11, it's just renaming it
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Microsoft put AI, Tabs, a login portal, a 'search with bing' action and text formatting on notepad before a 'redo' button to pair with the 'undo' action.
That says everything about the current product priorities that you need to know.
So they didn't remove it, they just renamed it? Reminds me of that time we fixed racism by renaming the master branch to main.
From the article: "Additionally, AI features in Notepad settings has been renamed to Advanced features and it allows users to toggle off AI capabilities within the app."
I honestly don't mind this, as long as it's not being forced. And I believe this feature exists only within their npu PCs.
I honestly don't understand Microsoft's AI strategy. It seems to be built around automating the writing process. If you ask MS 365 Copilot (as opposed to the many other Copilots) what it can do, it's deeply disappointing:
"Can you edit the Word document so the format is in line with these requirements?"
"No, but I can help you draft an implementation consistent with the requirements."
"Can you add this section to the 35 individual copies of this document in this OneDrive folder?"
"No, but I can help you draft [something]."
This is NOT the AI revolution anyone was waiting for.
I have been using Windows on my laptop and been annoyed by how performance have really degraded.
RAM consumption on startup is 50% (of 16Gi).
I asked claude to help me remove bloat and was horrified by all the different background services and "enhanced" and "advanced" features that are always ON.
I don't think it's fair to say "no AI in any app", however. That should depend on the value delivered in the app.
But I do wish there was some honest restraint on all these weird OS services that no one wants/uses.
> At the start of the year, Microsoft generated a lot of goodwill among Windows 11 fans when it announced its big plan to fix the operating system in 2026.
Interesting, I can't recall a single voice "Oh I'm so happy they changed their corporate strategy" but many of "I'll believe it when I see it".
They’re doomed to repeat the cycle of reinventing Clippy every few years and always failing at it.
I think we'll see this happen over time in all tools - individual AI brands replaced by generic AI icons.
The real question is this: While the floppy disk became the standard "Save" icon, what will eventually become the standard "AI functionality" icon?
So they're reshuffling the branding again. At this rate they'll rename it three more times before most people figure out what it does.
I spun up an old laptop the other day and it has Windows 10 on it. I can't believe how snappy and fast that old laptop felt in comparison to what I've been experiencing on Windows 11.
Especially when you consider that the old laptop has inferior hardware to my newer one with twice the RAM.
I just hate using windows at this point.
Turns out users don't want your AI features. But, sure, paint the dumpster fire.
Seems like what Apple does with Writing Assistant. At least in this case, it’s opt-in. You have to click. I don’t run Windows so I don’t know if this implementation is vastly superior or not.
> At the start of the year, Microsoft generated a lot of goodwill among Windows 11 fans when it announced its big plan to fix the operating system in 2026
The only thing generated was boatloads of incredulity and some laughs.
Moved to MacOS, chao Copilot...
The copilot executable and the edge executable are actually the same! It looks at argv[0] to decide which to show you. You can move mscopilot.exe to msedge.exe, it still opens edge. And vice versa.
Previously:
Microsoft starts removing Copilot buttons from Windows 11 apps
Microsoft is collapsing under the weight of their own bloat.
I hope this is better than seeing that Copilot logo infecting every menu, I’ve had to use registry hacks to get rid of that thing.
No surprise for large companies, one company even renamed itself but its approval ratings still stayed in the basement.
A fortune 500 company I worked for renamed internal projects many times when the original failed. But they continued dumping money into those black holes. One dollar eating project was renamed 3 times and was on its way for a 4th rename when I left. That project was started between 2005 and 2010. I was not involved with it, but everyone knew it would fail.
So M/S renaming copilot ? I expect a few more renames as time goes on :)
Microslop? No trust.
Please just make W11 IOT LTSC more available. Please. Pretty please?
Deep copilot integration feels so intrusive. It pops up with your recent files. What if they were my bank accounts or api keys? Whoever thought that would be a good use experience should be fired.
Sorry if your a windows user, but you have no escape, only Linux. Until you get the time and courage to do the move, you will continually be abused by microslop.
It's almost as if Microsoft really loves to assault and abuse its users and claim its for our own good.
I'm tired of being a victim.
I like Copilot. Don't hate any OS, Windows, MacOS or Linux. Just don't see much thought put into the design, engineering and User Experience aspect of some of these OS iterations. As far as Copilot, I can't see a way to exist without it because it keeps me off my mobile phone :)
Welcome to the new FartPilot!
LOL ... of course it is.
If only there was a virtual machine I could run Windows in with full hardware passthrough, I think I wouldn't ever install Windows as main system anymore.
Didn't Microsoft say it will listen to the community, some weeks ago? And now it looks as if Microsoft did not tell the truth. To be fair: I think Microsoft actually has no alternative option. They sold out to AI and all Win11 users will have to support the hype train. I am so glad to have switched to Linux a long time ago.
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Copilot has been reduced to "Internet Explorer" status, where it is the "AI to download another AI".
That is a smart move from them. People have AI advertising fatigue but they sure like some of the features it allows. I don't know of anyone asking their 15y nephew to edit their ex or a photobomber out of a photo anymore, they just do themselves from their smartphone. They use automatic translation everywhere, they don't even look at links in web search but read the answer provided by an LLM, they sure fall into periodic meme/trends like converting photos to Studio Ghibli like drawing a year ago or whatever is trendy today, etc.
I have windows on my desktop pc because it's easier to get executable mods (downgraders, engine fixes, etc) working on windows than linux. There's also the matter of 'kernel level anti-cheat' games not working.
But if I just judge windows vs linux, on even ground, W11 is painful. I've main'd linux on my laptop for ~ 25 years. There was a time when it was a jank experience that I put up with for better devex, but that ended in the late 00's. From that point forward, unless you were trying to get bleeding edge hardware to work, linux has been hands down better.
It's enough that I've considered giving up online play all together just to have a nicer computing experience.