Microsoft's best and worst of 2024, not surprisingly, centered around AI. When Microsoft was trying to force Copilot upon us, it didn't go so well. But when it used AI to enhance what was already working, the results were much more successful. For the last few years (2021, 2022, and 2023) we've recapped what I call Microsoft's wins, fails, and WTF moments: Microsoft's highs, lows, and the moments where you wondered what in the world that this company was up to. We're not going to try and piece together the company's enterprise strategy (Azure and Copilot, basically).

The big Windows 11 2024 Update (also known as Windows 11 24H2) is both a brand-new operating system but also one that's been out for several months now. And its best features are really reserved for those who have invested in a next-gen Copilot PC powered by chips from Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD. These seeming contradictions are at the heart of Windows 11 24H2, which begins rolling out today in a "phased" rollout that will last several weeks. But when you get it and what you get with it will all depend on whether you own a Copilot PC. In other words, there's a set of basic features that everyone will receive (including new energy-saving features for laptops and desktops, improved smartphone integration, plus support for Wi-Fi 7 and the upgraded 80Gbps capabilities of USB4), along with more advanced features that are only available to Copilot PC users.

Ever since Apple's MacBooks switched to the company's homegrown M-series chips, Windows users have wondered when a similar revolution would happen to their machines. To Microsoft's credit, it hasn't been for a lack of trying. Way back in 2012, the company released the Surface RT with an Arm-based processor, which is the same architecture used in Apple's silicon. Unfortunately, a tiny app library, sluggish performance and limited software compatibility made using one full-time kind of frustrating. Then in 2017, Microsoft renewed its efforts with Windows on Snapdragon. This led to systems like the Surface Pro X, which sported gorgeous hardware that was once again marred by lackluster processing power and spotty software support.

While the AI features touted by Microsoft's Copilot PCs are a flat miss, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite hardware inside Copilot PCs is a definite win. Finally, after more than a decade of effort, Windows on Arm is a viable alternative to traditional x86 processors--and it's especially alluring if you long for longer battery life. There's reason to be skeptical., Games are often developed with a highly specific platform target. Even ports that seem simple, like a move from PlayStation 5 to Xbox Series X S, can take a lot more effort than you might think.