Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
After years of using Windows, I’ve gotten used to its quirks and limitations. While Windows 11 has brought some notable improvements, there are still many areas where I believe Microsoft can improve significantly in 2025.
1
More Windows on Arm Laptops
Windows laptops powered by Snapdragon processors based on the ARM architecture reach the markets in 2024, moving away from the usual AMD and Intel chips. These devices now feel on par with Apple Silicon-powered MacBooks, which are considered some of the best laptops around.
The primary advantage of Snapdragon chips lies in their energy efficiency. As someone who works primarily on the go, battery life is one of the biggest factors I consider when choosing a new device, so I might try one this year. While many devices are already running these processors, most of the price of about $ 1,000 to $ 1,600. I would like to see more mid-range options.
That said, app compatibility is also still a concern. Developers need to specifically compile their apps for Windows on ARM. While most major applications already work fine, you can also use Prism, a translation layer that allows unsupported applications to run. However, there are still occasional apps and games that simply don’t work.
Despite this, I am optimistic. As more laptops with these processors hit the market this year, I’m sure developers will adopt more and more ARM processors. This could bring some much-needed competition to the thin and light laptop space in 2025.
2
Better support for portable gaming PCs
Another area I’d like to see Microsoft improve is providing better software support for portable gaming PCs. In 2024, I chose the ASUS ROG Ally over the Steam Deckand while it delivers impressive frame rates for most games, it doesn’t lack when it comes to ease of use.
Navigating between different game launchers on a 7-inch touchscreen is a major problem, and the unfortunate reality is that, even in 2025, Windows is still not optimized well enough for touch input. With more portable gaming PCs expected to launch this year, I’d like to see Microsoft introduce a dedicated mode for Windows – something like that. Steam Big Picture Modebut with integration in many game launchers.
In the meantime, I settled down Bazzite on my ROG Ally. It’s a Linux distribution similar to SteamOS, which offers an almost identical experience to using a Steam Deck. In addition to pushing the market were the new models of portable games launched at CES 2025including the huge Acer Nitro 11 11-inch, which took one of our coveted. Best of CES 2025 Awards.
3
Remember Finally Launch Safely
In 2024, Microsoft launched a feature called Recall, which faced a backlash due to concerns about user data. Recall takes regular screenshots of your screen, allowing you to later ask to find specific tasks, such as retrieving a document you received a week ago.
Despite Microsoft’s assurances that all screenshot data would be encrypted, it was actually stored in plain text in a local database on users’ computers. Unsurprisingly, this drew heavy criticism, forcing Microsoft to “recall” the feature (pun intended).
After some changes, Recall is back for Windows Insiders as a completely opt-in feature. This time, you will have better control over which screenshots are saved. However, I would like an option to manually capture screenshots and create a custom database for specific projects.
Recall is expected to officially launch in 2025, but I didn’t activate it right away. I would recommend waiting a few months to see how secure the final version is before finally trying it.
4
Copilot gets some useful features
I’m not completely sold on Copilot, but I think Microsoft is moving in the right direction Copilot + PCespecially when it comes to AI features. I like that they are prioritizing processing in the device for AI tasks and making sure that these functions are not locked in a single platform – the latest AMD and Intel devices get the same treatment as the Snapdragon ones.
The process of the device seems to me the right approach. It is faster and does not rely on constant Internet access, unlike Google’s direction of downloading most of the tasks in the cloud. I’d also like to see Microsoft finally release a full small language model that fully utilizes the NPU on the device.
That said, I wish Microsoft would tone down the invasiveness. They push Copilot into every corner of Windows –also dedicate a key on the keyboard– which feels a bit excessive.
5
Better trackpads
It’s exciting to see more laptops finally adopting tactile trackpads, similar to those found on MacBooks, and I really hope this trend doesn’t fade away. Having the ability to touch anywhere on the trackpad and also control the amount of force you want to press is a game changer once you get used to it.
Tactile trackpads are more accurate, don’t suffer from mechanical wear, and have customizable feedback. I’m excited to see more manufacturers embrace this technology at all price points.
6
Windows 10 Support extending beyond 2025
In what might seem like a surprising insight into future trends, I’m really disappointed that Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 in October 2025. I upgraded to Windows 10 on my secondary laptop for several reasonsand ending security updates for an OS with more market share than Windows 11 feels like a desperate push to force updates.
There are still tons of fully capable devices out there that can’t run Windows 11, and your only option would be to pay for extended security updates if you want to continue with your device without being at risk.
