Welp, Azure crashed on Microsoft's earnings day, the cloud's weakest link exposed just as AI investments hit mind-boggling numbers. And 2.5 years into the AI era, things are still moving quickly, and there are extreme opinions on both ends of the spectrum. But Paul finally found a source for a good way to evaluate AI and figure out where it works and where it does not. It came from an unexpected place.

Windows 11

• Week D arrives with a massive Preview Update for 24H2 and 25H2 - including the new Start menu, finally
• Copy & Search, Voice typing improvements, Proactive Memory Diagnostics, more in Dev and Beta
• Copilot Vision in Copilot app updated with text input and output across all Insider channels
• Intel earnings are great unless you understand how numbers work

Microsoft 365

• Australia regulator sues Microsoft over misleading Microsoft 365 consumer pricing
• Copilot is being integrated into the People, Files, and Calendar companion apps for Microsoft 365 commercial
• On the day Microsoft will report earnings, Microsoft 365 and Azure went down. Hilarious!

AI

• OpenAI completes its transition to a for-profit owned by a non-profit
• Microsoft's stake is 27 percent. A lot has changed in the Microsoft/OpenAI partnership agreement
• WSJ finally calls out Microsoft for its lack of financial reporting transparency. Paul's been complaining about that for over a decade - Big Tech has became a shell game. These companies are managing money they don't even have and actual products and services and "real" value be damned
• Big Copilot feature dump for consumers with a human touch: Mico, Copilot Groups, memory improvements, connectors, Proactive Actions in preview, Copilot for Health, Copilot in Edge improvements, and Copilot in Windows updates from last week
• Microsoft 365 Copilot is getting App Builder and Workflow agents
• GitHub Copilot to support third-party AI agents
• Grammarly rebrands as Superhuman

Xbox and gaming

• Credible report claims Microsoft requires Xbox/Microsoft Gaming to deliver 30 percent profit margin
• That is impossible and this is clearly coming from Amy Hood and has led to the ensh*ttification of Xbox as a platform
• As Microsoft launches first gaming handhelds, all anyone wants to talk about is the next-generation Xbox console. It started with Sarah Bond last week - "very premium" console with "curated" experience
• Phil Spencer discusses it this week, who implied Windows at the heart of console
• The rumor mill churns up - Will be Windows, as we've said, will drop multiplayer paywall that debuted in 2002
• Now Satya Nadella is commenting on the next console, confirms publisher focus for this business
• Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming in 2026, new features, new Unreal Engine graphics, new PS5 compatibility
• Also, The Outer Worlds 2 is now available. Yes, on PS5 too
• Amazon relaunches Luna, and the new Amazon layoffs point to a new focus on casual gaming

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Understand where AI works and where AI is just a marketing term used to hype something that doesn't work
• App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder
• RunAs Radio this week: AI for DBAs with Grant Fritchey
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Redbreast Dream Casks

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/956

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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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.

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Windows 11 version 25H2 is here, but blink and you might miss the difference from last year! Also, Microsoft just hiked Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $30/month and is leaving gamers everywhere weighing their subscriptions—and their loyalty.

25H2 is here?!

• Microsoft announced that 25H2 is GA! But where is it?
• And what is it? Microsoft has a list of "new" features

More Windows 11

• Microsoft delivers the 24H2 Week D update in Week E
• No, it's not the preview version of 25H2 for some reason
• But it is a massive update. And it is essentially 25H2
• Pavan Davuluri was promoted to president and his first change was to bring Windows engineering back in-house and out of Azure
• Dev and Beta: Minor changes to File Explorer, Quick settings, Get Started
• Photos app is getting AI-based categories
• Windows 10 Extended Security Updates to be free-free in the EU

Snapdragon X2

• It's real and it's really better than almost anything out there. The bad news: Not until next year
• Hardware prototypes point the way for device makers
• Arm is the epiphany we need for everything to just work
• Also, apparently Qualcomm still makes phone chips
• Qualcomm declares "total litigation victory" against Arm Holdings. More like Harm Holdings, ammmi right?

AI

• Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella steps aside to focus on engineering
• Microsoft enters a new era for Copilot/AI
• "More Copilot" is the new "more cowbell"
• Microsoft 365 Premium is the AI-powered subscription you were looking for, Copilot Pro is out
• This maps neatly to the three app structure model and to Paul's "I will not pay for AI" thing
• Tied to this, Microsoft also announced inside app vibe working updates across Office apps
• Is this also tied to low uptick on paid AI? Report claims just 8 million seats for Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Stevie Bathiche came to Hawaii to talk about the importance of NPUs and on-device AI
• "Directive AI, 80 TOPS NPUs enable concurrent AI, AI agents are the "outside app" structure, Orchestration is evolving
• Copilot users can talk to a cartoon now

Xbox and gaming

• Major revamp to Xbox Game Pass with some good and some bad
• Xbox Cloud Gaming is out of beta after what feels like 17 years, now on all Game Pass tiers
• Game Pass Ultimate gets big price hike but also some improvements
• Game Pass Premium replaces Standard
• Game Pass Essential replaces Core
• Amazon Luna got a big update too
• You can preorder a ROG Xbox Ally Gaming handheld now
• And Microsoft announces how it will handle compatibility
• Costco drops Xbox consoles
• Flight Simulator 2024 is coming to P5 in 2025
• EA goes private for $55 billion

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Videogames are getting expensive
• App pick of the week: Proton Mail
• RunAs Radio this week: HaveIBeenPwned with Troy Hunt
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Compass Box Vellichor
  

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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Paul Thurrott reports live from Maui with exciting details on Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite chip and how it could shake up the PC world, while behind the scenes, Microsoft quietly drifts further from OpenAI just as an NVIDIA mega-deal makes headlines. Is Windows about to get its biggest reboot in years, and can ARM finally topple Intel?

Windows

• 25H2 is imminent: The real ISOs and eKBs are here!
• Paul's Arm-based trip to Mexico and Arm-based Apple-tastic experience at Snapdragon Summit
• And yet. It's Week D. And we didn't get any preview updates (for 24H2)
• Windows AI Labs is a thing
• If you're migrating from Windows 10 get a Windows 11 on Arm PC, Microsoft suggests
• New AI features coming to Notepad, Paint, and Snipping Tool
• New Dev and Beta (and Canary) builds: Click to Do translation, Share with Copilot, Accounts management improvements

AI

• The Microsoft/OpenAI rift widens yet again
• NVIDIA invests $100 billion in OpenAI, days after "investing" $5 billion in Intel
• Intel will keep making its own GPUs because who gives a crap
• Microsoft is bringing Anthropic Claude to Microsoft 365 Copilot - "Model choice"
• Microsoft reportedly trying to pay publishers for content used by AI
• Microsoft Teams is getting more agents
• Google Chrome is getting a major AI update

Snapdragon Summit 2025

• 6G, AI as the new UI, glasses as the next wave, Android PCs out of nowhere
• X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme (with up to 18 cores for ultra-premium PCs)
• 3rd Gen Oryon CPU (X2 was 1st gen, last year's phone chip was G2)
• 75 percent faster CPU perf than competition at ISO power
• First Arm chip to hit 5+ GHz
• New Adreno GPU architecture with 2.3x perf per watt and power efficiency over previous gen
• Hexagon NPU with 80 TOPS for "concurrent AI experiences" on Copilot+ PCs
• Supports latest 5G SD X75 modem, Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4
• 75 percent faster CPU perf than competition at ISO power
• Bad news: First half of 2026 availability
• Not in the press release: The secret of why X2 Elite Extreme is so fast

Xbox

• Microsoft raises Xbox console prices for the second time in 2025
• Here comes the Gaming Copilot on Windows 11
• Google is copying it on Android and bringing Android and native games to Windows now

Tips and Picks

• Tip of the week: Think of 1 story for everyone you care about
• App pick of the week: Notion 3.0
• RunAs Radio this week: Managing Vendor Incidents with Mandi Walls
• Brown liquor pick of the week: High Coast Whisky Quercus IV Mongolica

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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With Windows 10's end-of-life looming, Paul and Leo dissect the real risks, questionable hardware requirements, and whether dumping old PCs in landfills is an acceptable trade-off for modern security. Plus, why is Apple finally buying up touchscreen displays for MacBooks after years of resistance, and what could that mean for the future of both Mac and Windows hardware?

Windows

• Consumer Reports asks Microsoft to continue Windows 10 support
• Reminder: Windows 11 25H2 ISOs are available... x64 only, in Insider Preview. Arm version is from Dev channel and is a VHDX
• Dev (25H2) and Beta (24H2) - Copilot prompt in Click to Do, Prompt recommendations in Start, controller navigation for gaming handhelds, SCOOBE, agents in the Store, more
• Release Preview (24H2 AND 25H2) - Click to Do table detection, action tags, and Summarize improvements; agent in Settings improvements, Hardware indicator improvements, more
• Quick Machine Recovery is a solid addition to your recovery toolbox
• Microsoft releases Windows 365 Cloud Apps in Preview
• A MacBook with a touch screen? Oh the irony

Microsoft 365

• Microsoft finally settles Teams antitrust case with EU and you're not going to believe what happens next
• Microsoft 365 desktop apps (i.e. "Office") gets Copilot chat even for free - Web grounded? That's ungrounded, right?
• Microsoft 365 commercial pulls in previously separate sales, service, and financial services
• Outlook Lite is heading off to a farm to chase rabbits
• No more Office file editing in Microsoft 365 Copilot app for iPhone and iPad

AI

• OpenAI and Microsoft hint at another major restructuring of their partnership
• Auto AI model selection comes to Visual Studio Code. Your orchestration is showing
• Visual Studio 2026 on .NET Rocks and the recent news about configuring GitHub Copilot in VS 20xx.

Hardware

• October is going to be a big month for new hardware
• Apple rumored for October
• Google Home on October 1 with Gemini
• Amazon devices (September 30, close enough)
• Where are the next-gen PC chips?

Xbox & games

• Third-party store integration comes to Xbox app on Windows
• Microsoft kicks off another big half month for Xbox Game Pass
• Epic Games can't stop beating Google in court

Tips & Picks

• Tip of the week: Improve Windows 11 security
• App pick of the week: Google app for Windows

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott

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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Windows 11 just dropped one of its biggest updates yet, but new features and relentless AI integrations are making right-click menus bigger—and more confusing—than ever. Is Windows getting better, or just busier?

Windows 11
• Patch Tuesday arrives with several new features for all Windows 11 users
• A few new features added for Copilot+ PCs
• This may be the last cumulative update before 25H2

Windows Insider
• New Canary build includes features we've seen before
• Copilot+ PCs bring Windows Studio Effects to secondary cameras in Dev and Beta channels

Hardware
• 40-year Intel veteran now leads PC chips business
• Paul's continued criticism of Lunar Lake problems
• Lenovo's three IFA concept devices should become shipping products

Apps
• Atlassian acquires The Browser Company, potentially threatening the Dia browser

Microsoft
• Microsoft mandates employees return to office three days per week
• Microsoft accused of "gross cybersecurity negligence"

Dev
• Microsoft open sources 6502 BASIC
• First Visual Studio 2026 preview now available
• Individual developers can register for Microsoft Store for free

Mobile
• Google ships Android 16 QPR1 with Material 3 Expressive on Pixel devices plus September Pixel Drop
• Apple announces iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3, and new Apple Watches
• Comparison of OS updating styles between Apple, Google, and Microsoft and their impact on hardware upgrades

AI
• Microsoft to pay almost $20 billion for third-party AI infrastructure
• Microsoft may turn to Anthropic for Office apps
• Anthropic settles with book authors, then judge rejects the settlement (Apple faces similar lawsuit)
• Google details all Gemini tier offerings
• Firefox will use Apple Intelligence on iPhones with iOS 26

Xbox and Games
• Lenovo Legion Go 2 coming in October with new Xbox Ally OS in early 2026
• Xbox to announce games at Tokyo Game Show on September 25
• Xbox Cloud Gaming coming to select cars
• PlayStation 6 will be modular

Tips and Picks
• Something to read: iWar by Tim Higgins
• Something to watch: New Dave Plumber interview on YouTube
• Something to get for free: Microsoft 365 free for US students for one year
• Something to plan for: Proton offers emergency access on accounts
• RunAs Radio this week: Training for AI with Stephanie Donahue
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Boplaas 8 Single Grain 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

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