In the heart of January, I found myself grappling with a challenging week as a researcher studying Microsoft’s activities. Salesforce launched an attack against the tech giant, and Microsoft stirred controversy by rebranding some of its most recognized apps. To add fuel to the fire, they increased the price of Microsoft 365 and mandated Copilot for millions of their paid subscribers. Even the positive news about Microsoft last week was tainted, as the long-awaited addition to the Windows 11 taskbar—a feature that’s been available on smartphones for years—only emerged after a prolonged wait.
In conclusion, Android co-founder Rich Miner explained that Microsoft lost approximately $400 billion when Bill Gates missed out on the mobile market, which was eventually dominated by both Android and iOS.
Indeed, the saying goes that any form of publicity can be beneficial. It appears as though Microsoft chose to demonstrate this adage in practice.
Microsoft 365 increases in price
For the first time in twelve years, Microsoft raised the cost of its Microsoft 365 subscription. Interestingly, Microsoft didn’t attribute this price hike to their new AI-driven tool, Copilot. However, it’s worth noting that Copilot is now available for Personal and Home subscribers, albeit with certain usage restrictions.
Increasing the price by $3 per month, you will now pay $9.99 monthly for a personal Microsoft 365 subscription and $12.99 monthly for a family plan.
After the price increase, Microsoft is offering Copilot credits to users with a Microsoft 365 Personal or Home subscription, though unlimited access to Copilot can only be achieved through the separate paid plan, Copilot Pro, for an extra $20 monthly fee.
Should you find yourself not requiring Copilot or seeking a more budget-friendly option, you might consider transitioning to the “basic” subscription level. However, keep in mind that this offer is temporary and may not be available for long.
Microsoft rebrands its Office apps
This month, Microsoft 365 underwent a slight rebranding. While it retains its original names, the application across iOS, Android, and Windows platforms is now known as “Microsoft 365 Copilot.” This new moniker serves to replace the somewhat puzzling “Microsoft 365 (Office)” name that many users have been searching for in app stores to find Microsoft 365 applications.
On January 15, 2025, a new app icon and name were introduced, along with a URL update for Microsoft 365. Simultaneously, Microsoft began providing AI credits to subscribers of both the Personal and Home editions of Microsoft 365, as previously stated.
The change drew criticisms from many, including our executive editor Jez Corden.
In simpler terms, Corden stated that the concept of Microsoft 365 seemed illogical, replacing long-standing habits with what appears to be more an ideological shift than a practical one. He also found it peculiar that Microsoft was labeling something “Microsoft 365 Copilot” before “Copilot” had even fully materialized as a product or service.
I concur with Corden. Integrating AI under the Copilot brand isn’t widely accepted, and many people find the idea of merging AI with all aspects distasteful. This strategy seems like an effort to boost Copilot’s brand visibility by linking it with Microsoft’s top-performing applications, which might be perceived as a last-ditch attempt at recognition.
Salesforce CEO attacks Microsoft
As a dedicated admirer, I can share that Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s CEO, once more expressed his critical viewpoints towards Microsoft, specifically their AI endeavors. Recently, he delivered another pointed remark against the tech giant, maintaining his vocal stance on this matter.
In a recent interview, Benioff stated that Microsoft’s approach to the AI sphere has fallen short of expectations. Currently, upon examining their product Copilot, it appears they have taken the work of OpenAI and integrated it into Excel.
A few months back, Benioff referred to Copilot as the modern equivalent of Clippy. Given this context, it’s consistent with Salesforce CEO’s criticism towards Microsoft’s AI endeavors. However, since Salesforce and Microsoft are significant rivals in the AI sector, any criticisms should be viewed with a touch of skepticism.
The continuous advertisement series from Salesforce playing during the NFL playoffs implies that Agentforce represents the true essence of artificial intelligence, a sentiment shared by Benioff, though it doesn’t directly refer to Microsoft or Copilot.
Windows 11 adds battery percentage to taskbar
It appears that Windows 11 will soon introduce a long-anticipated feature – displaying a PC’s battery percentage directly within the taskbar. Microsoft began testing this functionality last week. This feature is already commonplace on macOS, iPadOS, iOS, and many Android devices; however, it has been missing from Windows 11 thus far.
In the most recent Windows 11 Dev Channel Insider build, there’s a concealed feature that allows you to display battery percentage in the taskbar. If this feature functions as planned and doesn’t have any significant problems, it will likely become official for Insiders soon. Fingers crossed that it won’t take too long for this option to be made available to everyone.
How Microsoft made “the greatest mistake of all time”
According to Bill Gates, his biggest regret is not being able to compete effectively in the mobile market against Android. However, Android co-founder Rich Miner interprets Microsoft’s history with mobile devices and Android differently.
In simpler terms, Miner once stated that he aided in the development of Android specifically to avoid Microsoft dominating the smartphone market as they did with computers, suppressing creativity. Hence, it amuses him when Gates complains about losing the mobile market to Android.
The miner continued by expressing, “Bill, it seems you underestimate your role in the loss of $400B.
The points raised by both Gates and Miner are valid, despite the significant differences in their delivery styles.
Reviews
Every week, our team scrutinizes the newest games and tech devices. Recently, one particularly fascinating piece of equipment that caught our attention is the AVerMedia Elite Go GC313Pro, which serves dual purposes as both a capture card and a charging station.
According to Cole Martin, the AVerMedia Elite Go GC313 Pro is a remarkable combination of a charging brick and capture card. It’s an ingenious innovation that not only enhances your accessories but also merges them into one compact device. This versatile device can slip effortlessly into your pocket or bag, making it perfect for travel, ensuring your handheld console is never without its essential companion.
Additionally, our group examined a high-quality laptop case by Tomtoc, a gaming headset featuring extended battery life from HyperX, as well as the detachable Lenovo ThinkPad X12 PC.
Deals
At Windows Central, we’re all about laptops, applications, and games. However, what we can’t stand is having to pay the full price for them. Fortunately, there are some fantastic discounts available at the moment that will help you reduce your spending on must-have apps, a trending game, and a Copilot+ PC.
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2025-01-20 20:09