Apple Computers: A Refuge from Microsoft Copilot?

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I have only used Apple computers when I worked as a journalist. At that stage Apple offered what was then considered by the industry as the best graphic packages. I found myself not to be a natural Apple user though. Now years later, I find the presence of Copilot in Microsoft products becoming increasingly intolerable. However, I did some research and I found out that Microsoft's Copilot cannot be turned off. Apparently, everyone has to endure all Copilots' associated intrusiveness while writing emails in Outlook and writing documents in Word as Copilot barges its way in and wants to take over writing with its AI know how. It is multiple times more intrusive than the older paperclip that suddenly appeared on the monitor. "I can see that you are writing a business letter!" Can I take over writing it and totally scramble your formatting and destroy all your past efforts?"

Unfortunately, a lot of industries consider documents should only be written in Word. Just wondering if Apple's non Microsoft operating system forms a refuge from Copilot? Or does Copilot still have a presence within the Apple version of Word?

Kind regards
Lionel

[Saitch]

Last year, I disabled Copilot and Bing on my wife's laptop. Vaguely remember something along the lines of 'Group Privacy' in 'Settings', or such.

Sorry I can't remember, Lionel. I fumbled my way through the process.

[Slunnie]

We have to use Copilot AI at work as the information remains secure. However there are a few problems with it, and I'm finding ChatGPT is significantly better what it returns anyway.

[Lionelgee]

We have to use Copilot AI at work as the information remains secure. However there are a few problems with it, and I'm finding ChatGPT is significantly better what it returns anyway.

Hello Slunnie,

I would not mind the presence of the program if I had the specific need to access AI. I do not really appreciate having to click around the start of a new email message in the attempt to dodge around and not activate the lurking Copilot presence that is already loaded. Similarly, I really do not appreciate being towards the end of an email then have this text block pop-up and cover a major part of the screen as it offers to re-write my email. For some strange reason I find this just a little bit intrusive. With my recent renewal of my 365 subscription the top part of every new Word document is obscured by all the range of AI generated possible formats that I might want to write the document in.

As one forum member I found on the "How to turn off Copilot" forum mentioned, "I own my computer, I paid my money for the subscription, I use my computer in my own home - yet I cannot prevent this intrusive program from invading my life". The excuse is that Copilot is now so embedded within multiple programs that its removal would massively interfere with the efficient running of the programs. Well - apparently that was an answer given by a certain company.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Slunnie]

Hello Slunnie,

I would not mind the presence of the program if I had the specific need to access AI. I do not really appreciate having to click around the start of a new email message in the attempt to dodge around and not activate the lurking Copilot presence that is already loaded. Similarly, I really do not appreciate being towards the end of an email then have this text block pop-up and cover a major part of the screen as it offers to re-write my email. For some strange reason I find this just a little bit intrusive. With my recent renewal of my 365 subscription the top part of every new Word document is obscured by all the range of AI generated possible formats that I might want to write the document in.

As one forum member I found on the "How to turn off Copilot" forum mentioned, "I own my computer, I paid my money for the subscription, I use my computer in my own home - yet I cannot prevent this intrusive program from invading my life". The excuse is that Copilot is now so embedded within multiple programs that its removal would massively interfere with the efficient running of the programs. Well - apparently that was an answer given by a certain company.

Kind regards
Lionel

We are PC at work, using Microsoft suit including word, outlook etc. We don't have any of those problems. AI is available if we need it, but it is otherwise not active unless we go to use it or click on the swirl thing to open it within Outlook. Actually Copilot for us is really used like an App or website, rather than something embedded into all of our other applications. so I open it with a link and enter the request, but thats about it. Its not intrusive at all.

That said, I'm not sure if thats the way it is with ours, or if our IT Geeks have set us up that way.

[Tins]

All I will say is that I have been an Apple user for 25 years and I have never encountered any ms garbage such as copilot. People sook that Apple hasn't ?caught up ? with the AI thing. To me, that's not a bug, it's a feature. Apple has its flaws but it allows me to keep my computer as mine with no nagware.
That said, I don't use Word and haven't since Apple got Pages up to speed and made it pretty much compatible with Word. However I don't write for a living. But if I did I have a head start because Apple software is what I'm used to, and it is often the industry standard in areas like publishing.
And if you're into photo or video editing there's no contest. For maths based stuff windows is better, but that's mainly due to the head in the sand attitude of most big mobs. So it's horses for courses I guess. I use emulation for the few occasions where only windows will work.

[Lionelgee]

Hello Slunnie,

I renewed my 365 subscription only a couple of weeks ago. A subsequent forced "upgrade" resulted in the new display for each new Word document that I open. See the attachment. The Outlook Copilot tag seems innocuous enough until you want to actually start typing. Time has to be spent attempting to dodge around the tab with a mouse before typing can start. If the misfortune finds a click happening inside the tab then Copilot opens in full flight. Not pretty! Then as previously described when a significant amount of writing has occurred Copilot makes its presence felt - as unwanted as this is. I have to open the new post into full-screen mode to be able to get around the intrusion. You know as per the forum this is happening on my computer in my home ... with AI monitoring while I write.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Tins]

You may find this, from a former Windows user, interesting. Illustrates the issues with nagging software.


https://youtu.be/4RQ6pek3JoM'si=SoZMLzdGjcRhg2y2

[Lionelgee]

All I will say is that I have been an Apple user for 25 years and I have never encountered any ms garbage such as copilot. People sook that Apple hasn't ?caught up ? with the AI thing. To me, that's not a bug, it's a feature. Apple has its flaws but it allows me to keep my computer as mine with no nagware.
That said, I don't use Word and haven't since Apple got Pages up to speed and made it pretty much compatible with Word. However I don't write for a living. But if I did I have a head start because Apple software is what I'm used to, and it is often the industry standard in areas like publishing.
And if you're into photo or video editing there's no contest. For maths based stuff windows is better, but that's mainly due to the head in the sand attitude of most big mobs. So it's horses for courses I guess. I use emulation for the few occasions where only windows will work.

G'day Tins,

I sent you an email in response to the email you sent me a fair while ago - sorry for my lack of a more prompt response.

You wrote about Pages. I used to use WordPerfect, and the other Corel related professional program suite (1994), like Lotus 123. Then along came the supposed "industry standard" Microsoft con job for the gullible government department purchasing officers. "If you do not buy our products you will not be up to industry standard - you don't want that - do you!." Not longer afterward along came directives in government contracts of what programs you must used as part of any work contracts. Because everyone needed to be up to industry standard.

I was teaching in Queensland TAFE at the time, and a certain company representative had just left our campus. The local IT bloke told them to sod off because their product was inferior. Our IT bloke was in fact ropable. Part of the rant was how often the sales rep from a certain company kept on rabbiting on about "industry standard" in every sentence. Unfortunately, our IT bloke was an isolated case and guess what range of products soon became 'industry standard'

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

You may find this, from a former Windows user, interesting. Illustrates the issues with nagging software.


https://youtu.be/4RQ6pek3JoM'si=SoZMLzdGjcRhg2y2

Hello Tins,

Much appreciated. My - I am showing my age here ... "IBM Compatible", I think that used to be the collective term of non-Mac computers. Slunnie grouped them as PCs now as the non-Apple alternatives. Anyway, my non-apple laptop is starting have a couple of wobbles. I am starting to think about investigating replacements before my computer hits a critical mass. Until today I would not have even considered the powered by fruit variety - not even for a spit second. Now ...

Kind regards
Lionel

[AK83]

Not a fan of the fruity flavoured operating system personally, sometimes now have to endure it for the missus tho.

Don't think you can get away from co-pilot just cos your pc came from the fruit market tho. If you use the online M$ office app environment, it ominously there too.(it is for my missus)

But for a Win 10(I assume Win11) system, you should be easily able to remove copilot from your PC, if your issue is PC related .. i.e. and not just an office app problem!!

If it's a PC related issue and it's annoying on the PC in some way, just uninstall it from the PC, just like you would uninstall any other software.
I haven't ever been bothered by it since M$ installed it in some update I made ... whenever.
I saw it, found it was listed in the programs list too, uninstalled it and it hasn't ever bothered me on the PC ever since. I don't get it in Word or Excel.

I have to say, it's quite good, with the specific intent here that I'm not the kind of person that would voluntarily enroll into an MBA type course.
However my missus is! ... so I have to suffer for it.

Maybe copilot is annoying for you, and me ..... and maybe Bobby Magee! ... but for my Japanese partner who's primary language is not English, copilot is a godsend(for me, that is).
It helps her get her head around English, so I get much fewer request to correct her English writing, and very occasionally I just have to 'elaborate' on why the English language is the worst most convoluted language ever forced onto humans.

Anyhow, that doesn't help you, that was more of a perspective of don't knock it just coz you don't really need it .... (yet).
The point here is that I can see how it would be handy as a tool for writing(or research, or whatever else it can do).

I get that intrusions into our lives are usually annoying, and sometimes can't be turned off .. enough ... I'm the same, but I've seen it now from the perspective that it's indirectly helped me, and helping my partner too.
Being a Samsung phone user, I had to disable the idiotic AI assistant that is Bixby.

So, you can easily remove the from the software list on the PC, not sure if it's easily disabled online, never looked, because I'd prefer that it helps my partner.

[p38arover]

I have used Win10 for years but have never seen CoPilot. I'll have to look up what it is and what it does.

My wife uses a Mac but I can't use one, too hard to use after being a Windows user from day 1.

(I have separate laptops with 3.1, 95, 98, XP, Win 2000, Win 7, and Win 10 - plus Linux Mint. I have Win 8.1 in a box.)

[incisor]

Co-pilot and one drive are easily removed with the free version of revo uninstaller

[AK83]

I have used Win10 for years but have never seen CoPilot. I'll have to look up what it is and what it does.

.....

copilot is an Ai type thingy assistant for helping with various things(as I understand it)

My partner has to write up assignments, and while she can communicate well, her English isn't perfect.
She's got her degree in Japan, so knows how to do the work, just that it's more confusing for her trying to disseminate English AND trying to complete this MBA course.

copilot helps her to translate English to Japanese and back.

The topics asked of her are 'nearly' understandable, but to confirm her understanding she will translate it into Japanese. Then she knows what she has to do, writes it up in Japanese translates it into English and I check it for grammar and spelling.
copilot is helpful here.

On the online version of word, it's a bit pesky pretty much always asking you what it is you want to do ... basically an assistant.

It would be interesting to see how well it recognises voice ... for example dictation or whatever too(if it can do this).

[Lionelgee]

Co-pilot and one drive are easily removed with the free version of revo uninstaller

Do tell - Dave! How and where can one source such a version? Especially, if it is from a secure and reputable source! I am very cautions of clone downloaded freeware that gets somehow linked to the less reputable types, such as hackers.

Postscript: Following on the old philosophy "the Lord helps those who help themselves", I revisited some of the Microsoft forums that are highly critical of Copilot. Armed wit Dave's information I found a contribution that provided a link to the very same company that Dave kindly mentioned. Here is the link.



Use Revo Uninstaller to uninstall the program. See the link below:

https://www.revouninstaller.com/revo-uninstalle... (https://www.revouninstaller.com/revo-uninstaller-free-download/)


Also, thank you Manoel Barros Independent Advisor for posting the original link. I checked out the site and was happy with their offerings and the security offered if I chose to opt for the paid for - more features version of their software.

Kind regards
Lionel

[AK83]

Do tell - Dave! How and where can one source such a version? Especially, if it is from a secure and reputable source! I am very cautions of clone downloaded freeware that gets somehow linked to the less reputable types, such as hackers.

Kind regards
Lionel

You don't need it that much.

On the PC, just go to your programs list in the c section, rightclick copilot and uninstall... easy as that.

If the online version is annoying too, you can disable it via your microsoft account settings. That is, you have Office365, so you have to have a Microsoft account. that could be an outlook, hotmail or whatever account you used to get 365. In the account that you use, you can disable the copilot assistant.

[Lionelgee]

You don't need it that much.

On the PC, just go to your programs list in the c section, rightclick copilot and uninstall... easy as that.

If the online version is annoying too, you can disable it via your microsoft account settings. That is, you have Office365, so you have to have a Microsoft account. that could be an outlook, hotmail or whatever account you used to get 365. In the account that you use, you can disable the copilot assistant.

Hello Arthur,

Thank you for that advice and insight. As Maxwell Smart used to say ... "I missed it by that much!"

However, I am more than happy to make a small contribution to any little player in the field who devotes time to remove some of the excesses that some giant conglomerates consider it their right to impose upon their consumers.

Lionel's small act of rebellion against the big players for today .... Tick

Back in the day when even very small country towns had at least one newsagent, they frequently had a rotating stand that held a range of A4 sized laminated posters. One I remember featured a cartoon image of a mouse standing up like a human in the foreground. In the rather too close background was an eagle with its talons fully extended towards the mouse. The eagle's beak was fully opened too. The poster had an inscription something like "The last act of defiance" Closer inspection of the mouse identified that their right hand's middle finger was extended. Apparently, I have not evolved beyond that poster. I never did buy the poster though!

I am back from researching the proper term associated with giving things like animals human characteristics. Thanks to Kassiani Nikolopoulou (2023. Revised on February 7, 2025), accessed 2nd August 2025 from, What Is Anthropomorphism? | Definition & Examples (https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/anthropomorphism/)

[B]Anthropomorphism


Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, feelings, and behaviors to inanimate objects, nonhuman animals, or nature. Anthropomorphism can occur consciously or unconsciously and is a common way people perceive the world.

Lionel's little bit of research for today .... Tick :banana::banana::banana:

Now it is time for Lionel to go for a walk in the paddock ... see ya!

Kind regards
Lionel

[p38arover]

I just checked, Copilot is installed on my PC but it's never shown it's head and I have no idea how to activate it.

[350RRC]

I have a MacBook running ventura and use the 365 package mainly because it was part of a deal with telstra and a domain name registration.

I vaguely remember the co-pilot thing popping up out of the blue some months ago when I opened an old word doc and just clicked something like 'not now' or 'decline' or something similar and haven't seen it ever since. Just checked now and it's not there.

DL

[p38arover]

Maybe copilot is annoying for you, and me ..... and maybe Bobby Magee! ... but for my Japanese partner who's primary language is not English, copilot is a godsend(for me, that is).
It helps her get her head around English, so I get much fewer request to correct her English writing, and very occasionally I just have to 'elaborate' on why the English language is the worst most convoluted language ever forced onto humans.

Our daughter lives in Japan and spent 2 years at a college learning to read, write, and speak Japanese. Now she's doing a 2 year course in forestry management and woodworking that is in Japanese only. She uses a Mac. I wonder if she uses AI.

Oh, I don't find English convoluted. :)

[JDNSW]

I gave up on MS when Windows 98 became obsolete, and upgrading would mean a new computer. Since then I have exclusively used Linux, currently Linux int 22.1. For word processing I use Libre Office*. It produces (if you want it) a Word compatible (sort of) output that for me has not raised any eyebrows from my correspondents, including editors.

*Libre Office is available for Windows and MacOS as well as Linux.

[p38arover]

I found that LibreCalc doesn't handle imported Excel files very well. It completely corrupts graphs to the point that they are useless. I've had to stay with Excel for that file. I've used LibreCalc elsewhere OK.

[BradC]

I use both. For all my personal stuff, and things I've written I use LibreOffice. For stuff where I have to interoperate with others I still use Office2010. I keep an old Windows 8.1 VM with Office on it for such occasions.

Formatting, charts and of course the horrible VBScript either don't work well, or just don't work between the two.

Frankly I never really needed to upgrade from Windows XP and Office 95, but the VM was progressively getting flakier each time I upgraded the host hardware so I bit the bullet and went 8.1 and Office 2010 in about 2012-13. I'm still using the same VM.

I've been Linux on the desktop since about 1998 and I actually paid for my first version of Star Office (which became OpenOffice which became LibreOffice). I still need Windows for AutoCAD, Revit and Office so keep the VM around. Best part of a VM is I can snapshot it, install whatever the latest crapware I need to perform a single task then roll back to before it was installed. Makes things like proprietary firmware updates on hardware that only comes with a windows updater doable without permanently polluting the windows install.

[JDNSW]

I found that LibreCalc doesn't handle imported Excel files very well. It completely corrupts graphs to the point that they are useless. I've had to stay with Excel for that file. I've used LibreCalc elsewhere OK.

I hardly use LibreCalc, so I can't comment - my comments applied really just to Writer, which I use a lot. However, I have found Calc OK for where I do use it.