Summary
- Microsoft pushes an ‘agentic’ Windows, using Copilot to act for users.
- Users are angry over lost customization: taskbar, local accounts, and control.
- Workarounds (e.g., ExplorerPatcher) exist – I removed Windows after five months.
So Microsoft has a little bit of a PR problem on its hands right now. We’re seeing signs of Microsoft wanting to make an agentic Windows experience, including the President of Windows flat-out saying they want it. The thing is, people aren’t as happy with these changes as Microsoft may like.
People on social media are taking their turns making potshots at Microsoft about its new direction, some of which are more famous than others. For instance, the CEO of Epic Games, Tim Sweeney, has just thrown his hat into the ring, and I have to give it to him: his comment nailed it for me.
Tim Sweeney puts forward his two cents about the state of Microsoft
If you’re just tuning in, Microsoft has been making a few pushes to get people to embrace the agentic future of Windows. “Agentic” means a system which mostly relies on AI tools and processes over user input, so an agentic version of Windows would likely entail Copilot doing all of your stuff for you. For instance, it would fetch the news for you without prompting, open up relevant apps for something you’re working on, and suggest tasks for today given the information it has about your schedule.
Feedback about this new agentic Windows has been mixed; some people see it as a useful progression in user experience, and others would rather use their PC rather than have their PC do things itself. One such critic is Tim Sweeney, who joined in with the naysayers to say something that I’ve been screaming about for years now:
shrinking options for making a local account. In another reply, Tim states that they use ExplorerPatcher to add missing features, an app that’s dear to our hearts here at XDA HQ. Nice pick, Tim.People flooded the replies to Tim’s post to show their support for his stance, including the owner of X himself:
Unfortunately, as popular as these comebacks get, something within me knows that Microsoft won’t reverse course. The company has shelled out unfathomable amounts of money to develop Copilot, and it has to get that money back elsewhere. Well, Windows fans, I have good news for you: there is a way to get a customizable taskbar and local accounts, and it caused me to delete Windows from my PC after five months.
