ChatGPT plants its flag on Copilot’s front lawn — 5 months after OpenAI snubbed Windows 11 for Apple despite Microsoft’s multi-billion dollar investment

ChatGPT plants its flag on Copilot’s front lawn — 5 months after OpenAI snubbed Windows 11 for Apple despite Microsoft's multi-billion dollar investment

What you need to know

  • OpenAI recently announced that it has started testing an early version of its ChatGPT desktop app on Windows.
  • The Windows desktop app is currently limited to ChatGPT Plus, Enterprise, Team, and Edu users, meaning you’ll need a $20 monthly subscription to access the tool.
  • The app works on Windows 10, but its capabilities are fairly limited. It doesn’t support the Advanced Voice Mode feature and OpenAI’s GPT Store.

As a seasoned analyst with years of experience in the tech industry, I must say that OpenAI’s decision to finally release ChatGPT for Windows users is long overdue, especially given Microsoft’s significant investment and integration of OpenAI’s technology across its platforms. However, I find it rather amusing that even in 2023, we still need a subscription to access cutting-edge AI tools like ChatGPT.


Previously this year, OpenAI unexpectedly released its primary AI-driven chatbot, ChatGPT, only on Apple’s macOS platform. This decision sparked a range of reactions due to Microsoft’s significant financial investment and integration of the AI company’s technology across various layers of their technological infrastructure, such as Windows 11.

During an interview, Mira Murati, who was previously OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), explained that their focus is on delivering ChatGPT where most users are currently located. When queried about why there isn’t a Windows version of ChatGPT available at present, she implied this was the reason. However, it’s worth noting that OpenAI has announced intentions to distribute ChatGPT for Windows later in 2023, but they have yet to provide a more specific timeline.

As a tech enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that five months after exclusively launching ChatGPT on macOS, OpenAI is finally making good on its word! Announcing it on their new platform (previously Twitter), they have commenced testing an early version of the Windows desktop app.

Currently, the enhanced Windows experience is only available for ChatGPT Plus, Enterprise, Team, and Edu subscribers. To utilize this tool, you’ll need a $20 subscription to one of these plans. Keep in mind that OpenAI intends to roll out the complete experience to all ChatGPT users by the end of this year.

According to OpenAI:

Using the official ChatGPT desktop application, you can engage in discussions about your files and photos. This software offers the latest advancements from OpenAI, granting you access to OpenAI’s o1-preview, our most sophisticated and intelligent model.

Will ChatGPT work in Windows 10?

ChatGPT plants its flag on Copilot’s front lawn — 5 months after OpenAI snubbed Windows 11 for Apple despite Microsoft's multi-billion dollar investment

The desktop version of ChatGPT from OpenAI will operate on Windows 10, but there are some significant limitations. For starters, it won’t have access to the Advanced Voice Mode feature and OpenAI’s GPT Store. At this point, it’s undetermined if these features might be added in the future.

In about a year, on October 14, 2025, Microsoft plans to stop providing support for Windows 10. Currently, Windows 10 holds an impressive 62.79% share of the global desktop operating system market. Interestingly, its successor, Windows 11, has been growing steadily. As of now, it accounts for 33.37%, up from 23.64% in September.

Microsoft has been actively encouraging users to transition to their newest AI-enhanced operating system by employing a bold strategy involving numerous, attention-grabbing pop-up advertisements spread over several pages.

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2024-10-18 17:09