What’s going to drive Copilot+ PC gross sales, do you assume? Excellent AI acceleration chops? Home windows on Arm getting emulation nailed for quick app and gaming efficiency (on Snapdragon X fashions)? No – it’s the Copilot key on the keyboard, dummy.
Stunned? Nicely, we definitely are, however apparently certainly one of Microsoft’s promoting factors for Copilot+ PCs is the devoted key to summon the AI on the keyboard.
We will draw that sudden conclusion from a transfer Microsoft simply made which appears fairly mystifying in any other case: specifically the elimination of the keyboard shortcut for Copilot from Home windows 11.
As flagged up by Tom’s {Hardware}, the brand new Home windows 11 preview (construct 22635) within the Beta channel has dumped the keyboard shortcut (Home windows key + C) that brings up the Copilot panel. That is an replace that simply occurred (on June 19), after the preview construct initially emerged on June 14.
Microsoft explains very vaguely that: “As a part of the Copilot expertise’s evolution on Home windows to develop into an app that’s pinned to the taskbar, we’re retiring the WIN + C keyboard shortcut.”
Evaluation: A cynical transfer by Microsoft?
What now? How is eradicating a helpful keyboard shortcut a part of the ‘evolution’ of Copilot? Absolutely, it’s a step backwards to drop one of many methods to invoke the AI assistant to the desktop?
Now, if Microsoft had huge plans for the Home windows + C shortcut elsewhere, say one other piece of performance that had come by which required this specific combo, the reasoning would possibly not less than be a bit clearer. However by all accounts, there’s no substitute perform right here – Home windows + C now does nothing.
As for the explanation one way or the other being tied to Copilot shifting to develop into an app window, relatively than a locked facet panel in Home windows 11, we don’t see how that has any relevance in any respect as to whether you may open the AI with a keyboard shortcut or not.
As Tom’s Information factors out, seemingly the motive force for this transformation is to make the Copilot key on the keyboard a extra pivotal perform, changing the shortcut, however guess what – you solely get that key on new Copilot+ PCs (proper now anyway). So, the logical conclusion for the skeptical is that that is merely a recent angle on serving to to stoke gross sales for Copilot+ PCs.
It’s not like you may’t simply click on on the Copilot icon, in fact, so that you’re not misplaced at sea with no AI help unexpectedly – however that’s not the purpose. It’s a misplaced comfort, clearly although, and it looks like a cynical transfer by Microsoft.
Tom’s Information factors out that you can use third-party key mapping software program to revive the performance of this specific shortcut, however the level is, you actually shouldn’t need to trouble leaping by means of such hoops. Come on, Microsoft – don’t pull stunts like this, or, if there’s a good purpose behind the change, share it, not some waffling soundbites about evolving Copilot.
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