ISSUE 23.45 • 2026-11-09 COPILOT By Will Fastie Microsoft’s handling of Copilot has been messy from the start. This isn’t exactly news. Copilot has been a moving target for the past three years, and the dance probably isn’t over yet. The most recent manifestation of this was the collapse of the Windows Copilot App, which […]

MICROSOFT By Lance Whitney Microsoft makes some of my favorite products, ones that I couldn’t live or work without. But it also drives me nuts with all the technical problems and sales tactics I encounter. When AskWoody editor Will Fastie asked me to write an opinion piece about Microsoft as a company, I had to […]

MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan Microsoft announced unwelcome changes to OneDrive allotments for Microsoft 365 Family and Premium plans. Less widely reported is a new “Pro” plan with an astonishing price tag. I will explain the changes and compare all the consumer Microsoft 365 plans. For Microsoft 365 Family and Premium plans, OneDrive will be […]

COMMENTARY By Amy Babinchak I am a known person in the Great Lakes sailing community, at least in some circles. Recently, I was asked to identify a fish from a photograph taken in northern Lake Michigan. This seemed a reasonable assignment, but I didn’t recognize the fish. I can identify a lot of Great Lakes […]

ISSUE 23.40 • 2026-10-05 MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan Copilot benefits are now available for all, ranging from a few for free Microsoft accounts and those sharing a Microsoft 365 plan, and more for owners of a Microsoft 365 plan and business plans with Copilot. The rollout of AI at Microsoft has been — how […]

MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan Microsoft is finally fixing a mess of its own making by merging two Copilot apps into one. Less obvious are other changes happening at the same time: reducing Microsoft’s costs and nudging more people toward paid AI services. Just so you’re not caught unawares, let’s go through the Copilot app […]

ISSUE 23.26 • 2026-06-29 MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan Give AI a chance to help you with any Excel or spreadsheet app. AI can greatly speed up your time spent working on a workbook — rom explaining functions and improving formulas to making a full sheet from your description. Any version of Excel, including perpetual […]