When announcing Copilot for Windows last May, Microsoft clearly indicated that its new chat tool would be exclusively reserved for devices running Windows 11. And in fact, during its official release in September, the Copilot function was not available on PCs running Windows 10.
This is all about to change. Because Microsoft has made a 180-degree turn and plans to introduce a Preview version of Copilot for Windows 10. When it launches, the new Copilot for Windows 10 will only be available to owners of unmanaged PCs running Windows 10 Home and Pro, version 22H2.
And even then, it will only be accessible to computers registered in the Release Preview channel of the Windows Insider program and for which the option “Get the latest updates as soon as they are available” is activated in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
The feature requires 4 GB of RAM and a minimum display resolution of 720p
The feature also requires 4GB of RAM and a minimum display resolution of 720p, which will rule out a small number of older, less powerful PCs that wouldn’t be able to comfortably run the Copilot sidebar.
Copilot in Windows 10 (preview) looks similar to its counterpart in Windows 11. Microsoft
Corporate administrators can relax, at least for now. Because the initial rollout of Copilot for Windows 10 will not be available for devices running Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions, nor on machines running Windows 10 Home or Pro that are managed using Windows Update for Business , Windows Software Update Services, or mobile device management (MDM) software.
At first glance, this sudden change of course on Microsoft’s part is strange. Why spend valuable development resources releasing a new feature on a platform that is less than two years away from the end of support deadline? The pressure exerted by Microsoft to make Copilot available to as many people as possible finally made Redmond management understand that refusing several hundred million customers was not a good idea.
Copilot on Windows 10 PCs will look like its Windows 11 counterpart
This explanation appears in an unsigned support article, “How we are maximizing value in Windows 10,” which was published late last week:
We are constantly evaluating how we adapt the latest technological advances to best meet user needs. Over the past year, the rapid pace of innovation in AI has reshaped the technology landscape, and we’re re-evaluating all of our products with this in mind, including Windows. Just as the PC has increased in value and importance in our lives during the COVID pandemic, we believe this new era of AI further increases the value and importance of the PC, with Copilot at the center in Windows.
We’re getting great feedback about Copilot in Windows (in preview) and want to extend its value to more people. That’s why we’re reviewing our approach to Windows 10 and will make additional investments to ensure everyone can get the most value from their Windows PC, including with Copilot in Windows.
According to a mock-up of the new feature provided by Microsoft, Copilot on Windows 10 PCs will look like its Windows 11 counterpart, with a button in the taskbar that appears to the right of the search box. Clicking this button opens the Copilot chat sidebar, which appears on the right side of the screen.
Windows Insider Program members who enable the “Get the latest updates as they become available” option will see the Copilot preview first. For other PCs running Windows 10, whether or not they are members of the Insider program, Microsoft says the feature will be delivered as a “controlled feature rollout (CFR) over the coming months.”
Source: “ZDNet.com”