Windows 11 Copilot — First Impressions

A Microsoft revelou uma das suas maiores atualizações para o Windows 11 - o Microsoft Copilot. Um assistente digital potenciado por IA que me faz lembrar a Cortana, agora profundamente integrado no sistema operativo, pronto para executar uma miríade de tarefas, desde alterar configurações do sistema, lançar aplicações, a responder a perguntas.

The surprise was notable when Microsoft released Copilot today as part of the Windows 11 22H2 (KB5030310) update, an unexpected advance given that it was planned for Windows 11 23H2.

It's crucial to note that this release does not include everything announced during last week's Surface and AI event.

John Cable, vice president of Windows servicing and delivery at Microsoft, said in a blog post that “Windows 11 devices will receive new features at different times, as we will be gradually rolling out some of these new features over the coming weeks initially through controlled feature releases (CFRs) to consumers.”

So what does Copilot bring to Windows 11 22H2? Let’s explore!

How to Activate Windows Copilot

The first step is to update your operating system to the latest version. Go to the settings menu and, in the Windows update tab, click on “Check for updates”.

After downloading and installing the 2023–09 Preview Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5030310), a system restart will reveal the all-new Copilot icon in your taskbar.

Clicar no ícone abrirá um painel "Copilot" no lado direito do ecrã, com uma interface de usuário que assemelha-se muito ao Bing Chat no navegador Microsoft Edge.

To disable and remove the application icon from the taskbar, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and enable the Copilot menu (preview).

Activate via Registration

If after installing the latest OS update you cannot see the shortcut, you can still activate Copilot via registration.

Open the registry browser and go to:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\ShowCopilotButton

By opening the registry editor and navigating to the indicated key, double-clicking the ShowCopilotButton DWORD and setting its value to 1, followed by a system restart, should reveal the Copilot shortcut button on your taskbar.

Available Features

It is with disappointment that I inform you that most of the features presented in the announcement are not available in the version of Copilot released today.

In this preview state, interactions with AI are limited to answering questions, changing system settings, launching applications, and generating images.

For example, when I asked to switch to dark mode, the AI took a few seconds to start changing my desktop theme. It asked for permission before making any changes outside of the chat box, which was a bit annoying.

But in the end it managed to change my theme to dark mode.

Cost

If you’re expecting Copilot to be completely free, it’s not. The final version of the AI assistant will cost $14,300 per month, an additional cost on top of any existing Microsoft 365 subscription.

Final Thoughts

Sinceramente, esta pré-visualização inicial do Copilot não é impressionante - pelo menos, ainda não.

However, I remain confident in Microsoft's ability to deliver a polished, feature-rich final version.

I'm particularly excited about Copilot's potential to help with more complex tasks like writing documents, creating presentations, and coding.

To get early access to more features that are coming to Windows 11 Copilot, like the super cool Paint Cocreator, you can do so through the Windows Insider program.