Feeling Confused - Co-Pilot and a Laptop

HollyandCo

So, basically I need a new laptop.  Current one is 7 years old and as soon as I move the laptop or touch the cable jack, it shuts down.  It won't hold any charge and only works when connected to the electric.  No visible battery to replace.  It's a Lenovo Ideapad 330s and Core i5.

I'm ready for a new one.   Recently my word documents keep getting interupted by somethingcalled co pilot that wants to interrupt the way i do things.  Its driving me bonkers.  And now I need a new Laptop, everything I look at is promoting this co-pilot thing.   Its just too stressful for me.

What laptop should I buy?  Can I simply just turn this co-pilot thing off?

Also, every year Microsoft have been charging me about £60 for Microsoft 365.  They have now upped this to £85 year to include the co-pilot thing.  I even amended my renewal to say I didn't want co-pilot but they still took the higher amount and lumbered me with it.

I dont even want to pay a licence so any advice on what I can do is appreciated.

hubr

Consider Mozilla's OpenOffice, which contains everything MS Office has, but is 'open-source software' so zero cost, even for updates. You'll have to get used to slightly different wording for commands, a small inconvenience for a considerable cost saving.

Could a faulty power jack be a reason why your laptop shuts off when touched? Frequently the internal soldered joint fractures with constant use and is a simple repair for anyone with the skills/ tools.

Eyeful

1. Windows is determined to ram Copilot down your throat, even if you do not want it.
There are however some things you can do:

(a) Turn off copilot & reduce the amount of messages sent to you.
If you do not know how to do this, look it up on YouTube, or ask copilot how to do it.

(b) Unless you are doing something that really can only be done with Microsoft 365, then dump it & use one of the free office suits instead.
There are a number of these free suits you can use, (example "Libre Office"). They do the majority of what 365 can do.

2. Windows 10 support is supposed to end on 14 October 2025. I do not know if your current computer meets Microsoft's requirements needed to up grade to Windows 11.

3. Buying another laptop Windows computer depends on how much you wish to pay and what do you use your computer for.    

4. Do you actually need a Windows computer anyway?
Would the following meet your needs
(a) iPad
(b) Chromebook
(c) Changing the operating system from Windows to Linux Mint 
    

Vitor

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by “Copilot” being bundled into everything lately you’re not alone. But before writing it off as bloatware, it’s worth taking a moment to understand what it actually does.

Copilot is Microsoft’s attempt to add AI-powered assistance to help with things like speeding up repetitive tasks, drafting documents, summarising content, or pulling together info faster than you might on your own. At its best, it saves time. At its worst, it can feel a bit intrusive or redundant.

But here’s the thing: you can usually turn it off or just ignore it if it’s not for you. If it’s already included in what you’ve paid for, it may be worth trying it before dismissing it. That way, if you do choose to ditch it, at least it’s based on actual use, not just assumption.

New tech often feels like an annoyance when it first lands, but sometimes it hides surprisingly useful shortcuts we’d otherwise miss.

You can reduce the intrusion of CoPilot by avoiding laptops which are branded as "Windows 11 + CoPilot", these are generally the ones fitted with "Snapdragon" CPU.

NB If you've renewed your Microsoft 365 subscription within the last 30 days you may be able to cancel it, however if not you may as well get the use of it foer 12 months rather than jumping to unknown alternatives. 

mta999

you can uninstall copilot from windows settings / apps

bob_a_builder

Do your really need a new one - how about a refurb one ?  £150 ish

This link is just an example, plenty of other suppliers on there 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256488328443?var=556667813608&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918
adjust storage and memory for different prices

QrizB

bob_a_builder said:

Do your really need a new one - how about a refurb one ?  £150 ish
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256488328443

I'm a big fan of nearly-new business laptops and have mentioned them once or twice on this board but that particular model is from 2016/17 so likely to be older than the OPs current laptop.

If a 14" business laptop is required, I'd be looking at something more like this (which is from 2021/22):

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/376495458235

(Link amended as the first one had me asking questions.)

Key to Dell Latitude model numbers:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Latitude

HollyandCo

hubr said:

Consider Mozilla's OpenOffice, which contains everything MS Office has, but is 'open-source software' so zero cost, even for updates. You'll have to get used to slightly different wording for commands, a small inconvenience for a considerable cost saving.

Could a faulty power jack be a reason why your laptop shuts off when touched? Frequently the internal soldered joint fractures with constant use and is a simple repair for anyone with the skills/ tools.

Hi

I do think this is the case.  I dont have the skills to sort myself and I am frightened to take my laptop some where for repair as all the info I have stored on it.   I'm using the laptop at the moment, but I have to sit very still lol.

I'm totally happy to ditch Microsoft!

HollyandCo

Eyeful said:

1. Windows is determined to ram Copilot down your throat, even if you do not want it.
There are however some things you can do:

(a) Turn off copilot & reduce the amount of messages sent to you.
If you do not know how to do this, look it up on YouTube, or ask copilot how to do it.

(b) Unless you are doing something that really can only be done with Microsoft 365, then dump it & use one of the free office suits instead.
There are a number of these free suits you can use, (example "Libre Office"). They do the majority of what 365 can do.

2. Windows 10 support is supposed to end on 14 October 2025. I do not know if your current computer meets Microsoft's requirements needed to up grade to Windows 11.

3. Buying another laptop Windows computer depends on how much you wish to pay and what do you use your computer for.    

4. Do you actually need a Windows computer anyway?
Would the following meet your needs
(a) iPad
(b) Chromebook
(c) Changing the operating system from Windows to Linux Mint 
    

a)  Excellent. I will find out how to turn it off.
b) Yes happy to dump Micrososft.
2)   I think I'm already on Windows 11, another upgrade I didn't want.  I'm feeling my age with change lol.
3)  I was happy to pay around £500 (no more though)

4)  I have no idea if I need a windows computer, I thought everything was windows.   I'm kind of retired now but I still have to write letters and create and store and print documents a fair bit.   I use excel a fair bit too.  I do admin tasks for family members.  I also use my laptop for researching and watching youtube videos and podcasts, facebook etc.

My son now uses an AppleMac for work.  I suggested to him that perhaps I should change to one and he said I would hate it.  I also saw the price of them and feel they are too expensive.

Eyeful

1. Well Holly if you do not want to use Windows then may be a Chromebook might be suitable for your needs,
Have a look on YouTube to get a feel for them.
Example of what I mean:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdNM_r-3M10


2. This might be of interest to you:
https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/laptops/article/top-laptops-by-type/mac-vs-pc-vs-chromebook-how-to-choose-the-right-laptop-aacuu8i4xyVQ#quick-summary-chromebook-vs-laptop-with-windows-vs-macbook

3. Use this Chrome update information sheet to find when a particular model will stop getting updates.
https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en#zippy=

Frozen_up_north

You can buy a legitimate copy of Microsoft Office Home (inc Word and Excel) for a one off cost of £120, no need to pay for 365. There are dodgy licences sold on Amazon and eBay for much less than full price.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/p/office-home-2024/CFQ7TTC0PQVJ

Make sure you backup your work, either to an external drive or to one of the cloud storage services (Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, Proton Drive, etc). Those paranoid about snooping may prefer Proton Drive, up to 5GB storage is free.

Copilot sends your data to Microsoft in order to “help” you. Many are uncomfortable with Microsoft potentially accessing their work. Running without an internet connection restricts what MS can see, as does shutting off Copilot.