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Copilot+ PCs, Hardware Reviews, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog

The Incredible Lightness of (Some) Copilot+ PCs

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Things are getting interesting in the PC marketspace. In recent months, at least a couple of fairly full-featured Copilot+ PCs weighing under 1Kg (2.2 lbs) have been introduced. In January, we got the Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407). This morning, it was the Dynabook Z40L-N. Both come in at under 1Kg, with the Asus model at 900g, and the Dynabook right at the edge (998g). Both are Copilot+ capable. And both include snazzy touch screens, offer up to 32GB of RAM, and a max SSD of  1 or 2TB. Furthermore, according to Copilot, only 1 in 20 laptops falls into this weight class, making it something of a standout in the overall category.

Incredible Lightness of (Some) Copilot+ PCs Has Appeal

Mobile workers always want fast and light mobile PCs on the job. Fast (and powerful) lets them get more work done. Light makes it easier to schlep such units while they’re on the move. Thus PC makers always work the inherent tradeoffs involved. Such ultra-thin PCs will always be limited in terms of the number of ports they sport, and run more limited mobile CPUs and chipsets. They must also be unusually careful about managing heat and ventilation, because even these less-beefy mobile CPUs (Snapdragon X1-26-100 in the Asus, up to Intel Core Ultra 7 268v (Series 2) in the Dynabook) use throttling as well as cooling to keep themselves running.

The other tradeoff: compactness costs. Neither one of these units is exactly cheap. The Portege Z40L-N with i7 (vPro), 32GB RAM and 1 TB SSD lists for US$2,220.00. The ASUS comes with a distinct price advantage: the 32GB unit with 1TB SSD and its Snapdragon X1-26-100 lists for less than half that amount: US$1,100.00. Both get rave reviews. But if I had to foot the bill out of pocket, I’d need a strongly compelling reason to double down on cost to choose the Dynabook over the ASUS model.

I’ve requested review models of both machines from their respective makers. If I get lucky, I’ll have a chance to comment on this dynamic further and in great detail. Even so, it is pretty nifty to consider what you can pick up and carry with you in the realm of today’s lightest available Copilot+ PCs.

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Copilot+ PCs, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Thoughts & concerns, WED Blog

Pondering Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU Strategies

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I’m confused. Intel has recently announced a massive uptick in its latest series of CPUs. Let’s call them Core Ultra Series 2 items, in keeping with Intel’s own nomenclature. Why am I pondering Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU strategies? Because of  the ratio of Copilot+ capable packages as compared to those that do not meet those requirements.

Teasing Out Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU Strategies

Here’s a breakdown of what’s currently “in the family” of Intel Core Ultra CPUs. The number of members in each category is in square brackets to the left of the colon:

200U Series  [4] : Aims at ultra-portable devices
200H Series  [5] : Designed for high-perf laptops
200HX Series [6] : For high-end gaming laptops
200S Series  [11]: Targets desktop systems
200V Series  [10]: Meet Copilot+ requirements

Think about it: it’s a family of CPUs with a total of 36 members in all. But only 10 of them meet or exceed Copilot+ requirements. That’s just under 28%, or less than one-third, of that entire group. My question is: what does this ratio tell us about Intel’s thoughts on Copilot+ vis-a-vis the entire market for new PCs?

Understanding Intel’s Planning and Posture

Two good places to start are:
1. Mobile Processors (Series 2) Product Brief: describes and points to all of the Mobile CPUs in the family (e.g. U, H, HX and V).
2. Desktop Processors (Series 2) Product Brief: Ditto for the 11 members of the 200S desktop series of CPUs in the family.

I’m going to float a possibly absurd hypothesis: Given that less than one-third of its latest offerings support Copilot+ requirements, it looks like Intel thinks that Copilot+ PCs will make up about one-third of expected market demand for such devices. And yet, Microsoft seems to make Copilot+ PCs the impetus and cornerstone for its “2025 year of the refresh” messaging.

But with 2 of every 3 new CPUs from Intel outside that envelope, I’m inclined to think that plenty of new PCs running Windows 11 — arguably, a substantial majority — won’t be able to exploit features and functions available only on Copilot+ capable units. I have to imagine it’s about price points and specific demand niches where AI-enabled and -driven features don’t (and won’t) play.

I have to believe Intel doesn’t see Copilot+ PCs as its only, and perhaps not even as its primary focus. Is that different from Microsoft’s vision for the future of Windows 11 computing? I think it is. My primary evidence is that Intel built 26 CPUs across ultra portable, high-end gaming and high-performance laptop categories, as well as a substantial desktop category, none under the Copilot+ umbrella.Indeed, how it unfolds will be extremely interesting to watch, as market uptake indicates if Intel’s strategy is sound.

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Insider stuff, Microsoft 365, Recent Activity, WED Blog

Outlook Text Input Lag Comes & Goes

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Here’s an interesting but annoying — and thankfully,  merely temporary — Outlook gotcha. Monday and Tuesday my email productivity was hampered by some bizarre cursor behavior when entering text into the body of a message. Too bad I didn’t shoot a video, but I’ll do my best to explain the experience. During text input the cursor would occasionally freeze without displaying all of what I had just typed. But then, as soon as I hit the proverbial “any” key, all text would output in one go. Repeat ad nauseam. This morning, I decided to check Microsoft 365 (Office) updates. Sure enough, after restarting Outlook this cursor lag is gone. Hence my blog post title: Outlook text input lag comes & goes.

Optimistic Strategy Drives Outlook Text Input Lag Comes & Goes

If you check out my August 2024 ComputerWorld story, you’ll see that running updates could be an early entry in a series of 5 steps to repair Microsoft Office (or Microsoft 365, if you prefer). It reflects a slightly Pollyanna-ish hope that MS might have noticed and fixed whatever’s currently amiss. And indeed, sometimes this strategy actually works. That’s what happened this time, amazingly enough, with my cursor lag problem in Outlook text entry.

Other potential fixes include (try again after each one, to see if it’s worked):

  • Close down Office applications or apps, and reboot the PC.
  • Run the Quick Repair tool.
  • Use the Office Online Repair tool.
  • Try Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) for Office repairs.
  • Uninstall, then re-install Office. Be sure to download and use the OffScrub tool as part of this maneuver for maximum clean-up.

In my experience, I’ve only had to go as far as Step 5 in this series a handful of times. With 30-plus years of running Office on Macs and PCs, that’s not too shabby.

All’s Well That Ends Well

I was shocked … shocked, I tell you … when my “Let’s try Update” strategy fixed the cursor lag for text entry in Outlook this morning. But I’m glad to be working closer to my optimum, thanks to the vital importance of Outlook email to my daily routine. Thanks, MS!

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AI, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

Copilot UI Goes Native

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OK, then: MS just pushed a new Copilot version via the MS Store (1.25023.106.0). After the update, it announces itself anew on the desktop “Hi, I’m Copilot, your AI companion.” And again — as shown in the lead-in graphic — it asks you to set it up with toggles for diagnostic data, auto-start at log in, and the Alt+Spacebar shortcut.

What Copilot UI Goes Native Means

Apparently MS is previewing this new look in at various Insider Preview channels (I see it in the Canary and Beta Channels right now). According to Zac Bowden at Windows Central, this represents a “brand-new Copilot app for Windows 11 that utilizes the company’s native app UI framework for a more cohesive experience.”

Among other things, this includes (all bullet points quoted verbatim from Bowden’s story):

  • a sidebar for different chats
  • mica blur effects
  • native context menus and buttons … more aligned with Windows 11’s design language

FWIW, that sidebar appears to the left in the Copilot Window and shows links to previous chat topics. Interestingly, the new version picks up this info from the online data Copilot maintains about users, so you can see the 20 most recent prompts when you fire up the new version for the first time.

Copilot Is Unable to Explain Itself

Just for grins, I asked Copilot to tell me about its new UI capabilities. It replied by saying it lacked “specific knowledge about my interface or updates…[it is]… designed to work seamlessly with the tools available … to make …. interactions engaging and smooth.” This includes the following items (quoted verbatim):

  • Visual Elements: I can use markdown formatting to structure and present information in an appealing way, such as headings, tables, bullet points and even LaTex for math equations.
  • File and Image Integration: You can upload images or files, and I can understand and describe their content (though I can’t edit images you upload).
  • AI Tools: I have capabilities to search the web for up-to-date information or generate unique, creative images based on your prompts.
  • Language Adaptability: I adapt to your tone and preferences, aiming to feel less like a tool and more like a thoughtful collaborator.

And here’s the image it generated to show those things off, after I asked it to include some text labels in its initial cryptic offering:

Here’s Copilot’s effort to depict its manifold capabilites (note the various misspellings throughout). Sigh.

It did do something more interesting when I pointed those misspelling out and asked it to correct the. Hooray! It’s another rabbit hole.

My only question is: is the gibberish deliberate or accidental? It’s nteresting, though. Bu overall, Copilot still feels more like a tool to me, and less like a thoughtful collaborator. Just sayin’…

Note Added 15 Minutes Later

I now see that the new version is more widely available than I had thought. It’s running on my Windows 10 desktop right now (Release Preview Insider Channel). But it’s that, too, is a Windows Insider item. It’s not coming through on any of my production Windows 11 PCs (currently at Build 26100.3194).

 

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Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Updates, WED Blog, Windows 11, Windows Update

Installing Build 27802 Throws Memory Error

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Here’s a new one on me. Last Friday, as I was installing the latest Canary Channel upgrade, the installer threw an error code that I’d not seen before. That code is 0x8007000e; its output from the Microsoft Error Lookup Tool (err_6.4.5.exe) appears as the lead-in graphic above. That error occurred during the GUI portion of the install. And it occurs to me that while installing Build 27802 throws memory error, it might have been because I was running WinGet in parallel, installing other stuff at the same time. I’m guessing was a self-inflicted thing…let me explain.

Self-Inflicted: Installing Build 27802 Throws Memory Error

The recommendation that comes with this error, is to restart the PC and try again. As soon as I did that — without added activity on the side — the upgrade installed successfully with no further errors along the way. As I look back on what got updated during my first botched attempt, I see that some fairly intense items were involved. Most notably, it included Visual Studio, for which a typical install is usually around 50GB in size. I can see where trying to juggle both on a 2021 vintage laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Tablet with 16GB RAM) might cause resource issues.

Anyway, the proof’s in the observation that a second attempt worked. That’s probably because I didn’t try to multi-task while the GUI install was underway. The only reason I haven’t done this to myself before is that you can’t do anything to the PC except let the installer run, during the post-GUI phase!

27802 Takes a While to Complete, Too

I couldn’t help but notice — because I perforce went through the process twice on the X12 — that the upgrade process to this latest build takes some time to complete. Normally, a Canary Channel upgrade finishes in under half an hour. This time around, the whole process — including download, GUI install, and post-GUI install — took about 75 minutes to complete from desktop to desktop.

At least I now know I should leave my PCs (mostly) alone while the GUI phase of a Windows upgrade is underway. I wonder what my next creative abuse of the runtime and installer will teach me? There’s always something new and interesting to learn, here in Windows -World!

 

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Cool Tools, Insider stuff, WED Blog, Windows 10, Windows 11

Skype Attains Oblivion in May 2025

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First it was a swelling rumor, based on some  eagle-eyed code scanning (reported at XDA.com on Feb 27). Today, it’s established fact, as Zac Bowden at WindowsCentral updates his story with “Microsoft has confirmed that Skype is shutting down in May, with warnings now appearing within Skype apps.” MS wants everybody to move to Teams instead, and offers tools to move chats as needed. If all goes according to plan, that means Skype attains oblivion in May 2025.

Note: I’ve morphed the screencap from the afore-cited XDA story that shows the warning “Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams.” in text form. Reading the code can occasionally provide insights (and reveal future plans, as in this case).

After Skype Attains Oblivion in May 2025, Teams Takes Over

With a much broader range of capabilities, and options to scale audiences into the thousands, Teams can do everything Skype can, and quite a lot more. The transition is already over for some — including your humble author. Hopefully, it won’t be too difficult for those hold-outs still using Skype to switch over to Teams, too.

A Skype Timeline and Some Recollections

Skype started out on the Internet back in 2003 as a standalone service. Mostly it required establishing credit to offset upcoming charges, with occasional replenishment to keep a positive balance after that. For a while, my wife used it to interact with members of her family (who live in Germany) via voice and video on her PC. Microsoft acquired the company in 2011, and made a half-hearted attempt to build it into Windows 10 in 2015.

If memory serves, we all quit using it around that time. FaceTime on the iPhone was free and easier to use. Plus phones are better suited as communications devices than bigger laptops or deskbound desktops. I’d argue that Skype’s demise has been foreshadowed for a long, long time, and that it’s planned end-of-life-and-service date is no big surprise to anyone.

So long Skype. For my purposes, Teams already works better, and does more, than you ever did.

Note Added 2 Hrs Later

See Tom Warren’s Verge story Microsoft is shutting down Skype in favor of Teams for more useful details. The drop-dead date is reported as May 5, and further info on options open to current Skype users is provided. Apparently, he got an MS spokesperson to provide additional tidbits to help prepare the userbase for this change.

 

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Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, Updates, WED Blog

PatchMyPC Updates 9 Apps Today

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Gosh: I don’t see this very often. On the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Ultra just now, PatchMyPC Updates 9 apps today. You can see them in the lead-in graphic. The whole thing took less than 4 minutes to complete. My appreciation for this handy update tool knows no bounds!

OK PatchMyPC Updates 9 Apps Today: Next?

The full name of the tool is Patch My PC Home Updater. (I’ll call it PMPC for brevity here). With 516 apps in its library, PMPC is not as comprehensive in coverage as is WinGet or the MS Store (2,600+ packages in the former, and over 60,000 in the latter). But it’s completely automated, incredibly easy (and fun) to use, and — for some odd reason — almost always faster than running the same installers in PowerShell or the Command Prompt.

Indeed, PMPC is also less careful or respectful of running apps than WinGet. It cheerfully stops web browsers (and other apps) to update them, then restores their previous runtime context. In WinGet, you will often either be unable to update a running browser (e.g. Chrome) or you’ll have to relaunch it manually (e.g. Edge or Firefox).

It’s a handy tool, and comes in a variety of commercial forms that work with Autopilot and InTune, among other patch and update management systems. As with WinGet, you can also use it to install and uninstall the items in its library as well. Highly recommended, and a treat to use.

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Hardware Reviews, Insider stuff, Recent Activity, WED Blog, Windows 11

So Long, ThinkCentre M90a Gen5 AIO

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Allrighty, then: I’m packing up the Lenovo All-in-One for return to North Carolina. It’s been fun, but it’s time to say “So long, ThinkCentreM90A Gen5 AIO.” As I’m readying the unit for return, I’ll also file this blog post by way of final thoughts and farewells to this doughty device. Overall, it’s actually quite fast and capable.

Adieu & So Long, ThinkCentre M90a Gen5 AIO

Overall, I like the performance and compactness of this All-in-One. As I said before, this unit would make a great office/cubicle PC; ditto for college students looking for a dorm room desktop. It would, however, make sense, to spend ~US$500 less for 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD with no optical drive, then add more memory and a second SSD at market prices to match the pricier configuration. That’s because, as configured, this unit costs around US$2K (i7-14700, 1TB SSD, 32GB RAM, Windows 11 Pro, optical drive).

I also don’t understand why Lenovo didn’t provide Thunderbolt 3 or better ports — ideally, USB4 compliant ones — in this AIO. It comes equipped with numerous USB-A ports and a single USB-C (8 in all). Alas, they top out at 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds (2 of those, plus another 6 USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps ports, all of the Type A variety).

An AIO Past Its Peak?

Though the CPU is a speedy 20-core model (8 P-cores for 16 threads, 12 E-cores for a total of 28 threads altogether), no NPU means this unit is not Copilot+ capable. Those wishing to exercise Windows 11 24H2’s more advanced AI capabilities can’t do so on this PC. I’m also a bit vexed at the lack of high-speed USB as well. But if those things don’t play into your users’ computing needs, this is  a solid, work-ready PC. If I were going to buy one myself, though, I’d look for refurb deals or discounts from Lenovo or other resellers.

The display is gorgeous (2880×1800) and supports refresh rates as high as 160MHz. It’s a treat to look at, and work with. I also hooked it up to a 34″ external Acer monitor, and the Intel 770HD chipset had no issues driving its built-in 24″ display at the same time. It made for some impressive and watchable screen real estate. Yes, I know: that plays against the compactness factor, but I was curious! HWiNFO output for the built-monitor serves as the lead-in graphic here.

As the unit heads back to the reviews team, I find myself wondering what Lenovo might send my way next. Stay tuned: I’ll tell you all about it. Can’t wait!

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Cool Tools, Insider stuff, Networking, WED Blog

Right Networking Tool Delivers Visibility

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I spend at least 15 hours a week on TenForums.com and ElevenForum.com. To me both sites are invaluable sources of intelligence as well as information, fixes and tutorials. In lurking on the Eleven Forum Network and Internet threads recently, I was reminded that the right networking tool delivers visibility that File Explorer can’t match. You can see what I mean in the lead-in screencap, where File Explorer shows the network with 4 PCs, one printer and one router. To the right, the free Advanced IP Scanner (a personal fave) shows 6 computers, 2 printers, 2 TVs, an iPhone, and various other networking devices, including smart thermostats, cable TV boxes, and two routers. Big difference!

Why Stress That Right Networking Tool Delivers Visiblity

The aforementioned Eleven Forum networking threads often gripe that File Explorer fails to show all network devices. They also provide oodles of ingenious hacks and settings to force that tool to show more, more, more of what’s on the network. I simply turn to Advanced IP Scanner instead, because it not only shows me everything within a private (or public) IP address range, it also provides quick, ready access to remote access and management functions that let me reach out to them.

There is a stubborn streak in the Windows community that sometimes says: “Heck no, I won’t use 3rd-party tools. I’ll do it ONLY with native Windows facilities.” That strategy may be understandable — in theory, at least — but in practice it’s sometimes easier to achieve in some cases, and not so much in others. Getting active network nodes to show up in File Explorer is one of the latter. To me, it’s as much about tail-chasing as it is about getting stuff to show up in the UI.

I’ll skip that tail-chasing myself, and use Advanced IP Scanner instead. It does the job right away and requires no drama, nor other unseemly contortions. As I’ve said before, and will say again: In Windows-World, “Cool Tools Rule!”

 

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Backup/Restore, Cool Tools, Recent Activity, WED Blog

Free Macrium Update Conundrum

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OK, then: I’m chuckling. I’ve noticed for the past two months that while Macrium Reflect Free (v8) notifies me updates are available, it never downloads them. Then, I used one of my two remaining paid-for v8 licenses and presto! v.8.8.8325 is now available for download. That poses a free Macrium Update conundrum — namely, are they or aren’t they? So I asked Copilot about company policy on updates for that free version.

Here’s what it told me:

Yes, Macrium has stated a policy regarding updates for the free version of Macrium Reflect. As of January 1, 2024, Macrium Reflect Free v8.0 no longer receives feature, compatibility, or bug fix updates. Security patches were provided until that date, but no further changes are made to the v8 Free code base.

You can continue to use Macrium Reflect Free, but to receive updates and new features, a paid license is required.

Timing the Free Macrium Update Conundrum

Again, I’m chuckling because I’ve managed to go nearly two full months before catching this on my various testbed PCs. That’s also a clever use of notifications from Paramount Software (the makers of MR). It let me know — somewhat more slowly than I’m sure they intended — that my old free licenses were orphaned.

Now that I’ve updated as many of them as I can, I need to figure out how many MR version X licenses I’m actually still using. I’ve sent at least 3 or 4 such machines back to Lenovo after installing paid-up versions on them. I need to reclaim them so I can use them for other such machines as and when they show up here at Chez Tittel.

And now, at least, older members of my mini-fleet can get their Macrium updates on. Boy howdy: Isn’t that just the way things go here in Windows-World from time to time? Keeping up isn’t a full-time chore, for sure, but it does require paying a certain amount of attention…

 

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