Microsoft just renamed Office to Microsoft 365 Copilot on Windows for everyone
windowslatest.comAlso good to remember that Microsoft Copilot is not Github Copilot even if Microsoft now runs Github. And then there's apparently Microsoft Copilot in Azure, which is a devops tool. Clear as mud!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Copilot
Oh wow, I wish they'd adopt that strategy to clarify the mess that is .net, .net framework, .net core, .net standard, and .net.
I remember the time when Microsoft was rebranding everything as “.NET”. Lasted for a couple of years and then they moved on to a different hype.
As far as I can recall, this has been their branding strategy:
1996: Rename everything to "MSN" including a news TV channel
2000: Rename everything ".NET" even if it's not a programming language
2005: Rename everything that remotely touches the internet to "Live"
2013: Rename everything to "365"
2025: Rename everything to "Copilot" even things that are not just an LLM
Also sprinkle "Windows" liberally over everything in the late 90's-00's
Did I miss anything?
Edit: was reminded of this classic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUXnJraKM3k
Skype and Lync, surface, windows subsystem for linux, AD to Entra, 10S, "whatever for enterprise", whatever for teams, one, one s, one x, windows phone, windows mobile, windows mobile 8, service pack became anniversary update became creators update. Let's not even get started on things like Visual C++ redistributable runtime framework package for desktop bridge (not making that up).
So there's Lync and Linq? No wonder I was having trouble searching, and I thought I was bad at spelling on top of that...
2013ish also had a "One" naming trend that was short lived: Xbox One SkyDrive->OneDrive
It didn't seem to spread much though...
you frogot "Visual" in there.
Microsoft 365 Copilot .NET 4.0 SP2
Needs more MSN and Live in there somewhere
Microsofts MSN 365 Copilot Live .NET 4.0 SP2
Hope I helped ;)
At some point the FTC and DOJ really need to split up these huge companies to stop this bundling of separate products to block out any competition.
easy solution - just don’t use windows
Hundreds of millions of people are required by their employer to use Windows
Milions of soldiers are required by their employer to shoot and kill people.
That their employer said so doesn't make it moral or ok. Using Windows is always wrong. Using Chrome is always wrong.
It's childish, privileged, and detached from reality to tell people to quit literally their entire career to avoid using Windows or Chrome. There are industries (not just single companies) that use Windows.
The degree of moral purity is only possible for people who are already rich or willing to be a burden on the rest of society by being unemployed.
How are these claims any different than saying: Buying groceries in any supermarket chain is always wrong; buying an automobile from any of the large car makers is always wrong?
These aren't serious claims. They're criticising the argument being used.
They are things I do stand for though
I visit hacker news for insightful discussions and this ain’t it chief. The world is much larger than your bubble and sticking your fingers in your ears doesn’t change that.
These aren't serious claims. They're criticising the argument being used. Good job on the reading comprehension.
They are things I do stand for though
yup, in which case this is a simple corporate issue. what does one care about what windows bundles together if this is OS and software provided to you for work?! if I was insane enough to work for such a company (am not) I would want them to bundle 100 things together, pile it on - flight attendant to the copilot to the copilot… :)
I've come to appreciate two things in salty ass tech culture:
* Don't say "hello" alone in DMs * When you say "Just", whatever follows can be summarily replaced with "Go Fuck Yourself".
Summarized pretty well by [0], honestly.
[0]https://youtu.be/BOKpkWnrq4w?t=309 (timestamp important)
All they did here was change the name.
So that the next generation will never know there was such a thing as a local-first office suite free from invasive AI.
How about “Microsoft Blob”?
Microsoft NoClip
An alternative to Microsoft Office is LibreOffice. It's pretty good:
There’s also Zoho for those seeking an online productivity suite:
https://www.zoho.com/workplace/office-productivity.html
And it seems like Proton is working on a privacy first office suite, which is exciting:
I am the only who wonders if Microsoft marketing people also rename their children once they reach a couple of years old?
Boo copilot integration Microsoft’s path to monetization of their chat gpt “partnership”
Anyone remember when Microsoft slapped .NET on everything?
This is that.
"We must get an ROI on the money we lit on fire!" -Some exec, probably
Well excel is going to continue to excel.
...everything else in office is in danger of getting AI crammed into it diagonally whether it needs it or not.
The competency crisis will also affect Excel down the line, just like it's affecting Boeing spaceships and planes and everything else the new demographics touch.
People only use Word or PowerPoint to do a small part in a larger job.
Many people live in Excel and spend much of their day-to-day in it. When Microsoft introduced the ribbon, it was the Excel crowd that was, by far, the loudest and most vocal. Excel has the Microsoft Excel World Championship, a legitimate Esport.
so, Clippy again?
so, what about leap years?
Suddenly everyone uses copilot and the numbers are looking good /s
I’m trying to understand why the sentiment in many of the comments is one of near outrage. Is this based on the atavistic hatred of Microsoft or is there a cogent position on why this is a noxious implementation?
Name no do job good; is this post just to practice your vocabulary? Do you really find difficulty understanding why one finds ire with muddying identifiers?
Cause they’re moving forward with forcing their AI slop down every Windows users’ throats
You're not forced to open the app and purchase a $120/yr subscription just because they changed the name.
I’m not paying a cent but I see AI buttons and ads for it all over my OS and software interfaces. Let’s just say this renaming makes me think that’s not about to improve anytime soon.
I do not agree that seeing a button I don't like is equivalent to forcing AI slop down our throats.
Think about all the confusion a normal user will face and then some of us have to answer and offer support for it. They could have called it Office 733 or 999 and people wouldn't be as angry. But they completely got rid of Office brand name.
I guess at least they did it after Christmas family dinner.
using obscure words doesn't make you look intelligent.
But it makes me more intelligent after I decipher them.
I for one am just exhausted from the torrent of confusing random changes.