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Windows Weekly is about more than Windows. Veteran Microsoft insiders Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell join Leo for a deep dive into the most valuable company in the world. From consumer to enterprise, AI to Xbox, Windows Weekly is the only Microsoft podcast you'll ever need. You can join Club TWiT for $10 per month and get ad-free audio and video feeds for all our shows plus everything else the club offers...or get just this podcast ad-free for $5 per month.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Windows Weekly (Audio)

Microsoft's AI ambitions overflowed into GitHub, sparking backlash when ads appeared in pull requests and raising new concerns about where your code is really going. GitHub is going to automatically use your data to train AI, so Paul tells how to opt-out if you don't want that. Plus, there's a new Microsoft 365 alternative in town, and this one is from a little tech company you can trust
 

Windows

 
 • Week D updates go live last Thursday - Smart App Control, many other minor changes
 
 • And here we go again: Microsoft issues emergency patch for March Week D optional update
 
 • Microsoft says it will replace web-based in-box apps and experiences with native apps ... somehow
 
 • Four builds across three channels - Canary with opt-in gets a huge Windows Console upgrade, Dev/Beta get Administrator Protection (again), more
 
 • AMD has a new flagship gaming processor
 

AI/Dev

 
 • Microsoft Research AI has a new Critique feature that uses ChatGPT and Claude together in an unholy Frankenstein's monster of orchestration
 
 • A week of Siri AI rumors/leaks - This is Apple's version of Microsoft trying to buy TikTok
 
 • Google makes it easier to switch to Gemini - This is like Mac vs. PC, but for AI
 
 • Mozilla's approach to AI in Firefox is both right and correct
 
 • The plan to the save the open web from Big Tech
 
 • The future of Firefox includes a Smart Window mode that works like Private window but for AI
 
 • SwiftUI SDK for Android is now available
 

Xbox and gaming

 
 • New Xbox chief seeks to reset Xbox brand image - reminder, that's not the same as changing anything
 
 • Xbox announces 14 Day One Game Pass titles coming soon
 
 • Xbox Games Showcase 2026 and
 Gears of War E-Day • Direct are coming in June
 
 • Sony to raise PS5 prices soon
 
 • Nintendo to raise prices for physical Switch 2 games soon
 

Tips & picks

 
 • Tip of the week: Opt-out of training AI on GitHub
 
 • App pick of the week: Proton Workspace with Meet
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: My Home Lab
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: Jeptha Creed Six Year Old Wheated Bourbon
 

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
 

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
 

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
 

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
 
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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WW 977: Moonshine University - The Push for Building 100% Native Windows Apps

In 2015, Satya Nadella said that he wanted users to love Windows. But Microsoft has only enshittified Windows more aggressively since then. Paul wrote a book. And now Microsoft says it's changed, baby, and it's serious this time. Here's what was said ... and what was not said.

A Timeline

 
 • Early signs of positive change: Rust in the Windows kernel, numerous new security features in Windows 11 - "two sides" of Windows, the engineering side and the "let's push AI at all costs/UX" side - more recently, Baseline Security Mode and User Transparency and Consent announcement
 
 • Last September, Pavan Davuluri took over Windows and reorganized the business immediately, bringing Server/Core back in-house
 
 • In December, Paul saw the first signs of positive changes in OneDrive, while not perfect, a major step back from the enshittification there. It took a few months to understand exactly what changed.
 
 • In January, there are over one billion Windows 11 users. Davuluri first mentions a push for quality in 2026 - "pain points"
 
 • In February, Nadella announced leadership changes that included people directly in charge of security and engineering quality
 
 • Now, Microsoft has announced that it will address (some of) the complaints about Windows 11, and this includes performance and reliability improvements across the board
 

Microsoft said it will

 
 • Let you move the Taskbar to other screen edges, finally
 
 • Improve File Explorer performance
 
 • Make changes to how users to skip Windows Updates (vaguely)
 
 • Make improvements to Widgets (but what about the quality problem?)
 
 • Remove unnecessary Copilot entry points
 
 • Make the Windows Insider Program more transparent
 
 • More relevant recommendations in Start - ??
 
 • Reduce resource usage across the board, give more resources to what you're doing (good for gaming, especially)
 
 • Reduce interaction latency - WInUI3
 
 • Reduce search latency throughout - also context menus and navigation (which is WinUI3, I guess)
 
 • Make improvements to Windows Subsystem for Linux
 
 • OS, drive, and in-box app reliability improvements
 
 • Windows Hello improvements - Wonders if this is tied to the complaint about speed here
 

What Microsoft didn't discuss

 
 • Of the several items in the Windows 11 Enshittification Checklist, only one was addressed by Davuluri's post, Windows Update chaos, and then only partially. Not mentioned: Forced telemetry, bundled crapware, forced Microsoft account sign-ins, forced Microsoft Edge usage and configuration harassment, hardware requirements (less relevant today), OneDrive behaviors (partially addressed already).
 
 • Recall is rare in that it's opt-in, but most of the AI and unwanted features are opt-out or worse
 
 • Controlled Feature Releases are not controlled, but they do suck
 
 • Microsoft has monthly Security Updates that include new features. Security and Feature updates should be separate and have different pausing rules
 
 • Microsoft is not removing Copilot from Windows, nor is it doing less AI; it is just removing Copilot icons from most places and trying to be more thoughtful about how it deploys AI in Windows 11
 
 • The Windows Insider Program makes 0 sense right now, and this was only partially addressed; it's not clear what's changing yet
 
 • Davuluri says that WinUI3 UIs are the solution to many performance problems, but just using an old
 

Mor

 

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/976
 
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

WW 976: Full Thurrottle - Microsoft's Plan To Save Windows in 2026

There's an ongoing narrative that Windows is worse than ever today and people are leaving in droves. Paul does not see that, and will simply point to Windows 8 and remind folks that it can be (and was) worse. Also, PowerToys 0.98 adds a major new feature to Command Palette, big changes to Keyboard Manager and CursorWrap, and about 100 other updates. This is a big one. Plus, Mozilla Firefox is staging a comeback and may be worth another look. 
 

Windows

 
 • Rajesh Jha is retiring and Microsoft is reorging its Experiences + Devices team
 
 • Release Preview: A peek at next week's Week D update (and April's Patch Tuesday) shows we're getting improvements to Narrator, Settings, Smart App Control, Pen settings, Display, File Explorer, and the Windows Recovery Environment (WRE). The trend continues!
 
 • New Canary, Dev, and Beta builds - Nothing new in Canary. Dev/Beta: Drag Tray is being renamed to Drop Tray, you can change the user folder name during Setup, Restore points are getting a modern update finally
 
 • Intel goes nuts with new "Arrow Lake refresh" processors; these are not Copilot+ PC capable and it's unclear what the Panther Lake comparison looks like
 
 • IDC now expects 11.3 percent decline in PC market in 2026, 7.6 percent decline for tablets
 

AI

 
 • Microsoft may sue OpenAI for contract breach - the best Microsoft divorce since IBM 
 
 • Major reorg in Microsoft's AI businesses
 
 • Former Snap exec in charge of consolidated Copilot offerings across consumer and commercial
 
 • Mustafa Suleyman to focus on Microsoft's foundational models
 
 • There has been a lot of retiring and a lot of outside hires for top-level executive positions in Microsoft over the past year or more. Curious.
 
 • Rumors vs. reality in Microsoft scaling back AI ambitions in Windows
 
 • Rumor: Microsoft is backtracking on some Copilot features
 
 • Reality: Microsoft is not backtracking on its AI ambitions, it's just going to try to do a better job with branding and positioning
 
 • Microsoft launches Copilot Health in the U.S.
 
 • Google Personal Intelligence ships in the U.S.
 
 • OpenAI releases GPT-5.4 mini and nano models
 
 • GPT-5 mini is available as a reasoning model on Duck.ai
 

Xbox and gaming

 
 • Rumor vs. reality in Xbox strategy
 
 • Rumor: Microsoft removed "This is an Xbox" messaging from website so it must be focusing on consoles again
 
 • Reality: Literally nothing has changed
 
 • Xbox Insiders is testing per-game Quick Resume toggle
 
 • Also more groups on Home, custom colors, profile badges in guide
 
 • Big half month for Game Pass, with 
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard • , more coming
 
Starfield • is coming to PS5 on April 7
 
 • NVIDIA launches DLSS 5, changes existing games, people are freaking out
 

Tips and picks

 
 • Tip of the week: The grass is always greener
 
 • App pick of the week: PowerToys 0.98
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: Sustainable AI with Darshna Shah
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: Teeling Small Batch Whiskey
 

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
 

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
 

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
 

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
 
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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WW 975: A Bubble of Knowledge - Microsoft Reorgs, OpenAI Drama, & Xbox's Next Move

From bug-busting AI that's transforming Firefox to personal coding breakthroughs, the team breaks down how practical applications are cutting through skepticism and reshaping developer workflows. Plus, hear why lighter Patch Tuesdays are refreshing from time to time!
 

Windows 11

 
 • Patch Tuesday's familiar list of updates: Network speed test, Camera tilt and pan controls, sysmon, RSAT improvements, Quick Machine Recovery improvements, WEBP support for desktop wallpaper, Emoji 16.0, etc.
 
 • It's been a light year so far for Patch Tuesday features - that's a good thing
 
 • New builds for Canary, Dev, and Beta late last week. Canary is nothing, Dev/Beta get Administrator Protection, Drag Tray refinements, File Explorer improvements, and fixes
 
 • Android 16 QPR3 brings Desktop Mode to Android devices - and a hands-on with Pixel phones and tablets shows the way forward for Android-based laptops later this year
 
 • Intel has new gaming processors for creators and gamers and they look excellent and are inexpensive
 

AI and dev

 
 • Copilot Cowork is literally Claude Cowork in Microsoft 365 - "Wave 3" for Microsoft 365 Copilot begins with a lot of agentic features, in private preview at first
 
 • Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive get big Gemini updates for consumers and Workspace customers
 
 • Mozilla partners with Anthropic to use AI to find bugs, and it's paying off nicely
 
 • Visual Studio Code moves to a weekly update schedule 
 
 • The .NET 11 Preview 2 is here
 

Xbox and gaming

 
 • Microsoft starts talking up next Xbox console! It's called Project Helix and, yes, it will run Windows games
 
 • New Xbox Mode is on the way
 
 • Project Helix dev kits to game makers in 2027
 
 • Satya Nadella explains why he/Microsoft are "long" on gaming
 
 • Gaming is a core identity for Microsoft alongside platforms, developers, and knowledge workers
 

Tips and picks

 
 • Tip of the week: Nostalgia with a purpose
 
 • App pick of the week: Stardock Clairvoyance
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: SQL Server in 2026 with Bob Ward
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: Canadian Centennial Rye Whisky
 

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
 

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
 

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
 

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
 
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

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WW 974: DIY Crocs - Project Helix Details From GDC 2026

Can Microsoft's push for cloud PCs and AI-powered agents redefine where and how we work? If you keep to the defaults, Windows 11 is secure. Copilot+ PC is even more secure. But you can take additional steps to secure it either way, and you should. Plus, Paul's been trying to play different types of games, and Resident Evil Requiem is better (in his opinion) than Silent Hill f and Silent Hill 2 remake... if you want a horror game. Also, there's a cheaper new Audible plan thanks to Spotify!
 

Windows 11

 
 • Shenanigans? If you use a third-party AI client in Edge Canary... you will not be amused.
 
 • Bitwarden (TWiT sponsor) is (possibly the 1st?) third-party password manager to support passkey sign-ins on Windows 11
 
 • New Canary, Dev, and Beta builds last Friday- Canary is more of the same, Dev/Beta get shared audio improvements, narrator improvements, new IT policies
 
 • ASUS and Dell will soon sell Windows 365 Cloud PCs
 
 • Google is moving Chrome to a two-week dev schedule. Should we assume Microsoft will follow suit with Edge?
 
 • Dell is up 39 percent, but because of AI servers not PCs
 
 • NVIDIA revenues up 73 percent to $68.1 billion
 

AI/dev

 
 • OpenAI closes $110 billion funding round as the AI circle jerk continues
 
 • Microsoft brings Copilot Tasks to consumer Copilot
 
 • Google introduces AppFunctions for Android, it's way to make mobile apps work like MCP (be semantic), similar to what Microsoft is doing in Windows
 
 • Windows App Development CLI updated to 0.02 with Store CLI integration and .NET project support
 
 • Build 2026 is in San Francisco, as expected, but in June - overlap with WWDC?
 

Xbox and gaming

 
 • Here come the first Game Pass titles of March
 
 • Microsoft highlights some indie games to consider
 
 • Xbox ROG Ally gets AI-based game recaps
 
 • Legion Go Fold is the star of the new PCs at MWC
 
 • Sony might be backtracking on its PC games plans
 
 • Developing: Epic/Google settlement was approved
 

Tips & picks

 
 • App pick of the week: 
Resident Evil Requiem 
 • Tip of the week: Secure your Windows 11 PC
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: Hiring in 2026 with Suzi Edwards-Alexander
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon
 

Hosts: Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Mikah Sargent
 

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
 

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
 

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
 

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
 
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsor:

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WW 973: Bob's Rumor Store - ASUS & Dell Unveil Windows 365 Cloud PC Devices

Just last week, we asked about Phil Spencer and why he's been so quiet lately. Now we know why! Also, OneDrive for the Mac is finally going to look like it belongs on the Mac. And Google Chrome finally picks up a split view like the rest of the planet, plus a few other new features.
 

PHIL SPENCER OUT AT XBOX

 
 • Phil Spencer has retired from Microsoft and his heir-apparent, Sarah Bond, left Microsoft as well
 
 • Report details the Xbox reorg
 
 • Ex-Xbox executive issues an old guy shouting at sky assessment
 
 • New Microsoft Gaming CEO discusses "return to Xbox"
 
 • Hot-take: This person seems unqualified to run Xbox/MS Gaming, but let's give her a chance
 
 • Alternative hot-take: She is literally here to wind down this business, which makes no sense... unless there's a spin-off
 

Windows

 
 • WSJ report sheds some light, and adds a lot of confusion, to Nvidia's Windows PC plans
 
 • Week D arrived on time this month
 
 • Preview of March Patch Tuesday updates
 
 • Network speed test, pan and tilt in Camera settings, sysmon, RSAT improvements, Quick Machine Recovery improvements, WEBP background image support, Emoji 16.0
 
 • And you thought the Canary channel was weird already
 
 • New builds for Canary, Dev, and Beta. Canary gets features we already saw elsewhere, Dev and Beta get context menu, settings, and Taskbar improvements 
 
 • Paul has published (an incomplete version of) De-Enshittify Windows 11
 
 • De-enshittifying Copilot and AI is doable but not yet automated
 
 • What about the alternatives?
 
 • Next step: Security and Apps chapters
 
 • HP revenues up 6.9 percent to $14.4 billion but RAM warning is more dire than expected
 
 • Apple to add multitouch to MacBook Pro lineup in late 2026. Oh the irony
 

AI

 
 • Xbox February update brings 1440p streaming to Xbox consoles, updates for Xbox ROG Ally, more
 
 • Xbox app is delivering post-game recaps on Windows 11 for Insiders
 
 • EA had the most game downloads on PC and console in 2025, thanks to having the three most popular AAA games of the year (
BF6, EA Sports FC 25, and EA Sports FC 26 • ). Microsoft was number two, followed by Take-Two, Ubisoft, and Sony. 
Fortnite • is somehow still the biggest game overall on console, and 
Counter-Strike 2 • (!!!!) is the biggest on PC. 20 million 
Fortnite • players on PS, 15 million on Xbox
 

Tips and picks

 
 • Tip of the week: OneDrive for the Mac
 
 • App pick of the week: Google Chrome
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: SaaS on Multiple Clouds with Steve Buchanan
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: Sons of Vancouver Wheated Rye Whisky
 

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
 

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
 

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
 

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
 
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

bitwarden.com/twit
zscaler.com/security

WW 972: I'm A Tolkien Scholar - Phil Spencer & Sarah Bond Depart Xbox

Microsoft might finally give power users what they've been demanding: the ability to move the Windows 11 taskbar wherever they want. Plus, 3 major new chapters in Paul's next book, and a strange pick that solves his big issue with Windows Spotlight.
 

 
Windows 11

 
 • Potentially good news for the 13 people who want to move the Taskbar to a different screen side
 
 • Beta (but not Dev) with one new "feature"
 
 • Release Preview for 24H2/25H2 with emoji 16.0, QMR improvements, network speed test, pan and tilt controls for compatible cameras, widgets improvements, more
 
 • Lenovo revenues up 18% to $22.2 billion
 

AI/Dev

 
 • Google announces 30-second audio generation
 
 • Google sets a date for I/O 2026, but where in the Carmen Diego is Build 2026?
 
 • Android 17 Beta is here with an even shorter runway
 
 • With '26.3 out, Apple releases '26.4 Beta 1s
 

Xbox and gaming

 
 • Phil Spencer is always in the spotlight, but he's been on the down-low for months
 
 • Some hints for the future coming GDC 2026
 
Kingdom Come Deliverance II, Witcher 3 • , more coming to Xbox Game Pass
 
Avowed • comes to the PlayStation 5 along with the Anniversary Update
 
 • Microsoft is retiring user-created Xbox social clubs
 
 • NVIDIA GeForce Now comes to Amazon Fire TV 4K Sticks
 

Tips & picks

 
 • Tip of the week: Major progress on De-Enshittify Windows 11, the book
 
 • App pick of the week: Bing Wallpaper
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: Hacking using AI with Erica Burgess
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: Lot 40 100% Pot Still Rye
 

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
 

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
 

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
 

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
 
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

WW 971: Texas English - Where Does Xbox Go Next?

After years of ignoring and maligning Windows, Microsoft has finally woken up and is making some happy noises. Last week, we discussed how Microsoft plans to improve the quality of Windows and that there are already many signs of that work in various security features and new OneDrive Folder Backup changes - plus those two new direct reports to Nadella. Then, Microsoft announced its Windows Baseline Security Mode and User Transparency and Consent initiatives with questions about the timing. And now, Microsoft just explained Windows 11 version 26H1, and it's not like 24H2 at all despite being tied to Snapdragon X2 silicon.

Something happened ... and that something is tied to 26H1

 
 • 26H1: Only for Snapdragon X2, a "scoped release," based on a "different core" from 24H2 and 25H2
 
 • You cannot upgrade 24H2 or 25H2 to 26H1
 
 • You cannot upgrade 26H1 to 26H2 (!) - instead, those on 26H1 "will have a path to update in a future Windows release." - Is that future Windows release Windows 12? Probably
 
 • 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1 will all have the same user-facing features, this has been the case with all support Windows (11) versions for 2+ years
 
 • (Remember, this is not what happened with 24H2. Shipped early on Snapdragon X1, but was made available to all Windows 11 PCs later that year)
 
 • So why is this happening now? Fortune 500/corporate customer pushback on AI is one guess
 
 • This is GOOD news, however it all unfolds
 

More Windows 11

 
 • Yesterday was Patch Tuesday, so get to work. Updates this month include: Agent in Settings (Copilot+ PCs only) improvements. Settings improvements, cross-device Resume improvements, Windows MIDI Services improvements, Narrator improvements, Smart App Control improvements, Windows Hello New ESS improvements, and File Explorer improvements
 
 • Somewhat related to the quality/security push noted above, Microsoft is rolling out new Secure Boot certificates this year for older (pre-2024/25) PCs
 
 • Microsoft announces a Store CLI that does (almost) nothing new compared to winget
 
 • New Dev and Beta builds with minor changes: Emoji 16.0, camera improvements, various fixes
 

More earnings

 
 • Amazon hits $213.4 billion in revenues, will spend $200 billion CAPEX/AI infrastructure this fiscal year, more than Google ($175/$185 billion) or Microsoft (estimated $150+ billion)
 
 • Qualcomm $12.25 billion in revenues, up 5 percent
 
 • Alphabet/Google - Up 18 percent (!) to $113.8 billion - 750 million MAUs on Gemini, 74 percent of revenues come from advertising
 
 • Spotify - somehow has over 750 million MAUs now
 

AI and dev

 
 • OpenAI and Anthropic release dueling agentic AI coding models that do more than agentic AI coding within minutes of each other
 
 • Ads appear in ChatGPT Free and Go as threatened
 
 • Duck.ai adds private, anonymous real-time AI voice chat
 
 • NET 11 Preview 1 arrives, but there's nothing major here
 

Xbox & games

 
 • Microsoft announces the 2025 Xbox Excellence Awards
 
 • Celebrate 35 years of Id Software - 
Castle Wolfenstein 3D • was a wake-up call for PC gaming, but 
DOOM • was a miracle, and 
Quake • was a real WTF moment
 
 • Sony sold 8 million PlayStation 5s (down 16 percent YOY) in the holiday quarter, 92 million (!) overall
 
 • Valve predictably delays the vaporware Steam Machine
 
 • Epic Games is having a winter sale - for example, 
Silent Hill 2, GTA V Enhanced • are 50 percent
R 

 

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/970
 
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Sponsors:

threatlocker.com/twit
helixsleep.com/windows
trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365
cachefly.com/twit

WW 970: Token Kill! - What Version 26H1's Scoped Release Implies

Microsoft is burning through billions on AI, but Wall Street is finally demanding to see where the payoff is. The earnings announcement triggered a $357 billion valuation wipe-out, the largest in Microsoft's history and the second-largest in history overall (Nvidia managed to lose $593 billion in value in the wake of DeepSeek in early 2025).

Windows

 
 • Windows 11 has over one billion users - and, surprise, it got their faster than Windows 10 without any of the shenanigans
 
 • Microsoft to address the quality issues in Windows 11 in 2026
 
 • There is already evidence that Microsoft is trying to make Windows 11 suck less: Recent OneDrive changes that address a key ensh*ttification, and let's not forget all those security advances
 
 • What did Microsoft really promise? Not much
 
 • Microsoft has new EVPs for Security and Quality
 
 • Microsoft belatedly delivered the January Week D update last Thursday, a preview of this month's Patch Tuesday
 
 • Dev and Beta builds both deliver Mark Russinovich's sysmon tool
 

Microsoft earnings deep dive

 
 • Microsoft reported a net income of $38.5 billion on revenues of $81.3 billion in the quarter ending December 31. Those figures represent gains of 60 percent and 17 percent, respectively, year-over-year
 
 • Earnings analysis: All eyes are on AI and no one is happy
 
 • Microsoft spent $37.5 billion on AI infrastructure (capex) in the quarter, up 66 percent YOY, and it's on track to spend $150+ billion in the fiscal year
 
 • Every single question was about this and how it will ever recoup the costs
 
 • There are now 15 million paid Microsoft 365 Copilot seats out of 450+ million Microsoft 365 seats
 
 • OpenAI is Microsoft's biggest Azure customer, but it's unclear if there is any real money there because of accounting tricks
 
 • Windows, Edge, and Bing all "gained share," PC maker revenues were up just 1 percent, the Windows 10 upgrade cycle was mostly a bust (it's likely that most of it was tied to RAM pricing fears, too)
 
 • Xbox fell off a cliff with content and services revenues down 5 percent in a holiday quarter somehow and Xbox hardware revenue declined an astonishing 32 percent YOY
 
 • Standalone Office 2025 suite was a surprise hit, Hood is curious if that continues
 
 • Microsoft 365 "cost of business" up 10 percent YOY because of AI costs
 
 • AMD revenues up 34 percent to $10.3 billion
 
 • Apple delivers record revenues of $143.8 billion; iPhone made more revenues by itself than all of Microsoft
 

AI

 
 • Microsoft is going to basically make an app store for content makers who wish to be paid for use by AI
 
 • Anthropic advertises that Claude will be advertising-free, unlike ChatGPT
 
 • The next Firefox will include the promised AI kill switch and Vivaldi "extends the middle fingerˮ to AI
 

Xbox and games

 
 • AMD reveals next Xbox console in 2027
 
 • We're getting a solid collection of Xbox Game Pass titles for the beginning of February
 
Battlefield • 6 was the best-selling shooter of 2025 and EA made $1.9 billion in Q4
 
 • Epic Games has big plans for its PC launcher/store
 
 • Nintendo has now sold 17 million Switch 2s as OG Switch hits 155 million units
 

Tips and picks

 
 • Tip of the week: Make OneDrive Folder Backup work for you
 
 • App pick of the week: Bitwarden (TWiT sponsor)
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: Getting Started using Purview with Erica Toelle
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: Glendronach Ode to

 

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/969
 
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Sponsor:

zscaler.com/security

WW 969: The Hidden Sweatshop - Windows 11 Reaches 1 Billion Users!

Microsoft's Patch Tuesday blunder triggers emergency fixes, surprise layoffs ripple through Amazon, and the crew debates whether rapid AI advances spell the end of traditional apps. Also, password managers do a lot more than manage passwords, so there's one thing everyone needs to get right.
 

Windows 11

 
 • Dev splits from Beta, tests what will surely be 26H1 - After last week's show, Microsoft did issue that same Beta build in the Dev channel for some reason
 
 • Dev and Beta get same fixes in different builds, but no new features
 
 • 24H2 and 25H2 Release Preview update(s) are a peek at the next Patch Tuesday, lots of changes
 
 • January Patch Tuesday update was so terrible it required two emergency fixes, the second of which went out late Sunday
 

Earnings/industry

 
 • Intel falls flat in Q4, full year 2025 despite U.S. "investment"
 
 • Amazon lays off 16,000 employees
 
 • Microsoft, Apple, earnings this week, Alphabet, Amazon are next week
 

AI

 
 • Microsoft announces Maia 200 AI datacenter processor
 
 • Like Baldric in Black Adder, Apple has a cunning plan for an AI Siri
 
 • With AI costs soaring, cheaper new AI plans appear somehow
 
 • OpenAI was last week with big expansion of ChatGPT Go
 
 • Google does the same this week with AI Plus plan
 
 • OpenAI, Anthropic (this week), others are adding "apps" to their chatbots
 
 • Microsoft is exposing app features as AI Actions in Windows 11
 
 • Paul opined that this semantic/programmatic capability was the end of apps
 
 • But we can now essentially vibe-code our own custom apps - this is vaguely reminiscent of the home computer/DIY era, but without the technical knowledge requirements
 
 • The age of native apps is over, at least on desktop. Will mobile fall next?
 

Dev

 
 • Microsoft introduces the Windows App Development (winapp) CLI. For some reason
 

Xbox and gaming

 
 • Microsoft refreshes the Xbox Cloud Gaming web experience — bigger changes coming?
 
Fable • is coming to Xbox, PC, PS5 in late 2026
 

Tips and picks

 
 • Tip of the week: Choose a single password manager, make your life easier
 
 • App pick of the week: Proton Pass
 
 • RunAs Radio this week: Business Process Automation in 2026 with Ian Cooper
 
 • Brown liquor pick of the week: Tullibardine 18

 • 
 

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
 

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
 

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
 

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
 

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
 
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

trustedtech.team/windowsweeklyCSS
joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT
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WW 971: Texas English - Where Does Xbox Go Next?

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