I’ve been using a work laptop with a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key for months now, and it’s made me realize one thing
When Microsoft Copilot was first announced in September 2023, I, like many other observers in the technology world, was excited to see what it could do.
The tool offers an AI-powered way to get exactly the information or help you need, when you need it. It launches with just a single press of the dedicated Copilot button (the first major change to the Windows keyboard layout in years). It’s a potential game-changer for my often hectic and chaotic workday.
When I got the chance to test the HP Envy x360 14-fc009na, one of the company’s first business laptops with Copilot, I jumped at the chance. How has Copilot changed my work life?
Go, go, Copilot?
In short, not much.
Actually, it was a little annoying at first: the new, dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard was pressed quite often by accident while I was still getting used to my new device.
As soon as I remembered it was there, I tried to use Copilot as best I could, mostly to track down specific work documents or find information about an event we had organized last year, in preparation for this year’s event.
That worked fine, but it was often difficult to find information or documents in Google Drive (the main system we use here at Future PLC). In addition, you had to log in with a Microsoft 365 account to get more detailed answers, which was a problem.
As I grew to trust the program, I found that Copilot was great for quickly summarizing news stories (useful when brainstorming headlines for a news article) and identifying the best sources to cite from a huge range of choices. This saved me time and stress when compiling our daily news list.
Obviously this is based on my day-to-day usage and is certainly not representative of everyone using Microsoft Copilot.
The tool is actually intended for people who have to work with large amounts of information, such as work documents across multiple projects and deadlines, or for people who want to make their work emails a little more refined or streamlined.
Obviously, I didn’t plan on using AI to make the articles I write smarter (as this would violate several personal and corporate policies), but you can certainly see it as an opportunity for those who could use some inspiration.
Microsoft has already announced the next step forward, with improved “Copilot+ PCs” coming later in 2024. But as my colleague Matt Hanson reported in his hands-on, even these high-end devices remain subject to some concern about what exactly they will offer the average user.
In short, the Copilot key on my HP Envy x360 14-fc009na has been largely neglected. However, it can definitely be an indispensable tool for you at your workplace. I highly recommend you try it out as soon as possible.