Microsoft began the new year by announcing the biggest change to the standard Windows keyboard layout in 30 years. It introduced a new dedicated Copilot key to trigger the Copilot assistant directly from the keyboard. It is the first major change to the keyboard layout since the introduction of the Windows key. It was believed Copilot key would be a requirement for the Windows hardware certification process but this does not seem to be true.
Microsoft Not Pushing Copilot Key to Windows PC Makers
As per a statement received by a German publication Dr.Windows from Microsoft, the Copilot key is not a requirement to launch new Windows PCs or laptops. It further added that OEMs will have the freedom to choose the placement of the key if they want to offer it.
We have seen that the desktop and laptop keyboards typically follow a standard keyboard layout. The placement of commonly used keys is fixed including the dedicated Windows key. It helps with familiarity and users do not have to spend time adjusting to a new layout when switching Windows PCs.
The publication received the following answer from Microsoft when asked about the Copilot key placement (Google-translated version from German):
The placement of the Copilot key varies by manufacturer, but generally it is located on the right side of the space bar opposite the WIN key. In some cases the key replaces the right CTRL key, on some larger keyboards there is space for both the right CTRL key and the Copilot key, and in other cases the Copilot key is combined with the “Menu” key (the Menu key is accessed secondary with the Fn key + Copilot key).
You can see that Microsoft is ready to offer flexibility to OEMs when it comes to placing the Copilot key on the keyboard. This is undoubtedly good news as many feared Microsoft was forcing Windwos 11 users to use AI.
Acer’s newly launched Aspire and Swift series are among the laptops that come with the new Copliot key.
Microsoft has confirmed it will launch the new Surface devices with the Copilot key as well. It recently announced a new test under which the Copilot assistant will launch automatically whenever Windows 11 starts on “widescreen devices”. It has already released the new Copilot app for Android and iOS devices.
All these initiatives confirm one thing Microsoft does not want to be left behind in the battle of generative AI experiences like it happened with Cortana in the war of virtual assistants.
