Windows Weekly 915: Magic Tricks for Cats

The first Patch Tuesday of 2025 brings temporary but sweet relief. There were no preview updates last month, so this month is just security/bug fixes. Plus, will Microsoft back down from its Windows 10 EOL line in the sand? It appears not. Finally, got New Year's resolutions? Paul's got a better idea. Maybe...

Windows

• New Canary build with nothing in it • Microsoft will not support Office on Windows 10 after October EOL date • Microsoft is auto-installing the new Outlook in Windows 10 too - Don't let the door hit you on the way out • Parallels Desktop for Mac now supports running x86 Windows VMs. Very slowly

AI, Microsoft 365

• New business models for AI emerge in 2025. Pay as you go vs. pay or no pay • Microsoft has shifted its business model strategy over two years • 15 months of Copilot in Windows: Madness • Microsoft announces pay-as-you-go AI agents • Google has a different (better) take with "the best of Google AI" in Workspace • What to expect: Price hikes on subscription services to pay for this AI • Massive reorg of Microsoft's engineering groups is all about AI - There are PM-level layoffs happening now all over Microsoft • OpenAI adds tasks in beta to ChatGPT • Microsoft Excel in Windows will soon support dark mode. Wait, what?

Hardware

• Surface teases a big announcement on January 30 • AMD surges on incredible new x86 chips and Intel's epic fail • Former Surface design lead Ralf Groene joins Panos at Amazon. Why? • Arm Holdings plans massive licensing price hikes. Everyone needs to settle the F down • There's a 16 GB Raspberry Pi 5 now. But at this price, a low-end NUC is the better choice for most

Dev

• .NET 9.0.1 arrives - and with it, the fix for the app-crashing WPF/Windows 11 theming bug • Paul tried GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio. It is MAGIC

Xbox

• Microsoft is clearly planning something big for gaming handhelds. Windows or Xbox? Or both? • Happy New Year, Xbox fans! Microsoft to bring more Xbox exclusives to PS, Switch • Xbox to host a Developer Direct event next week • Microsoft introduces new Xbox repair options • The Nintendo Switch 2 is leaking all over the place, and there were prototypes at CES

Tips and Picks

• Tip of the week: Think about making micro changes each month or quarter instead of huge, sweeping changes once a year • App pick of the week: Start11 v2.5 • RunAs Radio this week: DevOpsDocs with Mattias Karlsson • Brown liquor pick of the week: Buchanan's Deluxe 12

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Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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