Microsoft is promising a bold AI-infused future for Windows 11, as the company aims to turn the OS into an AI-powered "agentic" hub. Amid all the Copilot hype, the hosts ask the tough questions: Are these AI features solving real problems, or is Big Tech just chasing a revenue gold rush? Tune in for sharp takes on AI skepticism, notable buzzwords, and the practical impact of Microsoft's ambitious new direction.

Windows 11... Windows.ai??

• Microsoft announces several new Copilot and AI features in Windows while redefining the term "AI PC" out from under Intel
• New features: Hey Copilot wake phrase (and goodbye), Copilot Vision is GA, new features coming soon include Copilot replacing Search in the Taskbar, Copilot Actions for local files, Manus AI agent and Filmora integration with File Explorer AI Actions, Zoom integration with Click to Do
• This is about Windows transforming into an "AI native" agentic OS
• Which ties into Paul's AI is the End of Apps editorial, where apps became programmable so that they can be controlled by AI - You can see baby steps in Windows 11 in-box apps now
• Microsoft explains how it will secure agents in Windows because Recall what happened last time
• Microsoft releases so-called emergency update for Windows 11 after the October Patch Tuesday updates killed USB mouse and keyboard supports in the Windows Recovery Environment (WRE).
• Windows Insider Program: Mobile devices settings improvements, File Explorer improvements, Drag Tray improvements, and other changes head to Dev (25H2) and Beta (24H2) channels
• New Start menu, battery icons, Copilot Vision integration in Taskbar, File Explorer improvements, Voice access improvements, and Click to Do improvements (Copilot+ PC only) head to Release Preview, indicating they will be a Week D preview and then Patch Tuesday release in November
• Restyle rolling out in Paint across most Insider channels
• Open AI finally launches long-expected web browser, but only on the Mac because FU, Microsoft
• Facebook Messenger for Windows is retiring, will chase rabbits on a farm upstate

Microsoft

• What does Microsoft's annual report say about its relationship with consumers?
• Three core consumer businesses: Windows, Microsoft 365 Consumer, Xbox/gaming
• Xbox/gaming smallest (500m) but also the most engaged - and also the most discussed in the report
• Not clear what % of users/revenues is consumer based, but it's not a small number (guessing its at least one-third of each)

AI

• Copilot for Education is coming in December, $18 per student per month
• Anthropic Claude is coming for Copilot in Microsoft 365 commercial
• Copilot has AI competition on Samsung smart TVs now
• Opera Neon is getting an AI research agent

Xbox and gaming

• Xbox president says next console will be "very premium". You know, like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
• ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are now available for purchase
• New wave of games coming to Game Pass across PC, console, and cloud, including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, The Outer Worlds 2, and more
• Following console price hikes, Xbox Development Kit gets a 33 percent price increase thanks to insane U.S. tariffs

Tips & Picks

• Tip of the week: Laptops are upgradeable again and life is good
• App pick of the week: A grab bag of apps for Windows users
• RunAs Radio this

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/955

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Forget the doomsday headlines about Windows 10's end of life. Paul, Richard, and Leo break down why most users can relax, what Microsoft really has planned, and why the supposed landfill crisis around old PCs is mostly exaggeration. Also, Microsoft said OneDrive's new app was coming next year, but your file system says otherwise.

Windows 11

• October Patch Tuesday arrives, 1st for 25H2
• Copilot+ PCs: Click to Do improvements, AI agent in Settings, File Explorer improvements
• 24H2/25H2: Desktop improvements, File Explorer improvements, Keyboard shortcuts for en and em dashes, Administrator Protection (off by default), Passkey improvements, Game Bar improvements
• Windows 10 (didn't) reach EOL and the world didn't end
• Zorin OS and ChromeOS Flex seize the moment
• Windows Insider: Copilot on Windows gets Connectors, Document creation and export. Copilot on Windows gets Settings support. Dev and Beta get AI agent in Settings improvements (Copilot+ PC), Setting search improvements (ditto), Drag Tray, Click to Do improvements, Dark mode improvements
• Dashlane partners with Yubico to make security keys primary vault access
• Lenovo ThinkCentre neo 50q QC is a Snapdragon X-based SFF PC
• HP OmniBook 5 16-inch shows why even the cheapest Snapdragon X chip is a winner
• Hope springs eternal: Intel Panther Lake is the efficiency of Lunar Lake plus the performance of Arrow Lake. Hopefully, it's not the reliability of either
• IDC: PC sales jumped 9.4 percent in Q3, just not where you live

AI

• AI is the end of apps
• Microsoft reveals its first image generation model
• Opera Neon adds Nano Banana (image gen) and Sora (video gen) capabilities

Xbox and gaming

• Target and Walmart will keep selling Xbox consoles unlike those losers at Costco
• A veteran of Halo Studios leaves, warns everyone
• Sorry, but there will be a sequel to the Minecraft movie
• Game Pass member? Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is free to play for one more day
• Sony and AMD trickle out some PS6 news in a bizarre way - oh, and we're just getting started

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Yes, Virginia, you can still sign in to Windows 11 25H2 with a local account
• App pick of the week: The new OneDrive app
• RunAs Radio this week: The End of NTML with Steve Syfuhs
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Holladay Soft Red Wheat 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.

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The Windows 25H2 update is shrouded in mystery, but does it actually bring anything new to the table... or just more headaches for upgraders? Paul has been updating the Field Guide for 25H2, which will be an all-new addition. This is a chance to re-evaluate workarounds on unsupported hardware. This one still works: You can easily upgrade any Windows 10 or 11 PC, supported or not, using the 25H2 ISO and the D:\setup.exe /product server command line.

Windows 11

• 25H2 is out. Or is it? (New segment: This week in no one has 25H2 yet)
• New Dev and Beta builds enforce MSA at first sign-in
• This is the right choice for everybody, and enthusiasts can still use a local account sign-in
• After a leak, Microsoft announces new OneDrive client with Copilot integration and agents are on the way (of course they are), with new mobile clients etc.
• Mozilla Firefox finally supports profiles, PWAs
• Also, Brave has over 100 million users now

AI

• OpenAI inks a major deal with AMD too
• ChatGPT is now a platform with support for third-party apps
• Perplexity Comet now free to all with usage limits

Xbox and gaming

• Hand-wringing over Xbox reaches all-time high with Game Pass Ultimate price hike
• How bad is it and what can Xbox do to reassure fans?
• Microsoft: Just kidding on Game Pass Ultimate price hike, but only in certain countries
• Microsoft: No, we have not cancelled the next-gen Xbox console
• Hands-on with the Legion Go 2! Windows can work as a mobile gaming platform. Just not right now
• New Game Pass titles across PC, console, and cloud for early October a bit later than usual
• Free, ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming tier is on the way
• Total victory for Epic Games in Epic v. Google, Google must open up Play Store this month

Tips & picks

• Tip of the week: Upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware
• App pick of the week: Opera Neon
• RunAs Radio this week: Managing for Failure with Amy Norris
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Weller 12

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!
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