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Microsoft Touts Copilot as Windows 11’s Top Productivity App as It Tests New AI Window‑Sharing Control

The marketing push meets skepticism, with reviewers citing reliability issues alongside conflicting usage signals.

Overview

  • Microsoft’s new promotional list places Copilot first among Windows 11 productivity tools, ahead of To Do, Calendar, OneNote, Snipping Tool, Clock, Sticky Notes, File Explorer, and Edge.
  • The company highlights scenarios such as email summarization, turning notes into checklists, cross‑app drafting, and conversational planning via the “Hey Copilot” wake phrase.
  • PCWorld and other outlets characterize the ranking as marketing rather than a measured assessment, pointing to mixed or poor Copilot performance in real‑world tests.
  • Adoption signals remain inconsistent: The Information reports weak demand affecting sales reps, Satya Nadella cites nearly 3x year‑over‑year usage growth, and a Windows Central poll split shows 27% daily users and 27% avoiding AI entirely.
  • Separately, Microsoft is testing a Windows 11 setting to share any app window from the taskbar with AI assistants like Copilot for read‑only analysis and guidance, with the control optional and off by default.