Has Microsoft finally reckoned with Windows 11’s many failings - or has its OS chief, Pavan Davuluri, simply offered more soothing platitudes to users fed up with bugs and unwanted AI?
Davuluri wrote a lengthy post on the Windows blog that was long on promises that things will get better, but short on words like “sorry,” “apologize,” or even the Americanism “our bad.”
According to Davuluri, the movable taskbar dropped from Windows 11 is returning. Windows Update will stop forcing restarts quite so relentlessly. File Explorer will work as it should. And Windows itself will be less of a resource hog, faster, and more reliable.
Microsoft has also promised to rethink its obsession with AI. Davuluri said: “We are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets, and Notepad.”
Not that Copilot is going away. “You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted,” Davuluri said.
This implies that, up to now, the changes have not been intentional. So spraying Windows with the assistant, regardless of how users felt about it, was somehow an accident?
Windows 11 has become a bit of a car crash in the last few years - borked update after borked update. Rather than fixing problems, Microsoft instead focused on adding AI to Notepad and Paint. Users cried out for the return of seemingly minor functionality, such as the ability to move the taskbar, but Microsoft instead offered widgets and more Copilot.
Consider trying to play the same games that you regularly play on linux and see if you could be free of Redmond’s touch
I do play with it every once in a while but if it’s not problematic setting up or there are some settings that don’t work correctly, invariably, there will eventually come a game update that breaks it on linux.
For all it’s flaws, the games I play have never needed more than an install in Windows. I know that may not be the case for all games, I can only speak to the games I enjoy playing.
I have used it since the 90s as my main machine and have nothing but love for it but Linux is not there yet for my gaming needs.