Windows Weekly 1003: Another Story Ruined By Keith

Why does Microsoft keep stumbling with new devices and software design... and what happens when enthusiasts start favoring AI over old-school Office? Paul, Richard, and Leo dig into shifting loyalties and what that means for the future of the desktop. And with the release of 26H2, it's time to update your install and recovery media. The build number is 26300.9457

Windows

• Windows 11, version 26H2 is here
• New features, none unique: Start, Taskbar, Search, etc
• New defaults for some features: Windows settings backup for commercial customers, etc.
• The time a UX legend interviewed for a job at Microsoft running Windows UX
• WSL Containers are generally available in Windows 11
• Four new Insider builds, but only Experimental gets anything interesting: Phone companion improvements and Energy recommendations directly in Quick Settings

Software

• Microsoft retires the Microsoft 365 Companion apps for Windows 11 that never made sense in the first place
• Mozilla ships the new Nova UI in Firefox 157

Hardware

• Copilot+ PC brand could be on the way out, but it was all over IFA, including on RTX Spark-based PCs
• Microsoft launches new base Surface Pro and Laptop models with Snapdragon X2 - And a new mouse, for some reason
• Qualcomm brought (first-gen) Snapdragon X to Googlebook, but it's also bringing X2 to Linux
• Google quietly reveals that, yes, Chromebooks are on the way out

AI

• Microsoft unveils the Copilot "super app" and the notion that this is basically an OS
• Open releases about 1000 new updates for ChatGPT
• Claude Sonnet 5.5 joins Opus 5.5
• The AI money pit, part 127: Report details Anthropic losses, spending, and revenues. Report also does a bad job at visualizing that information

XBOX and gaming

• Disc to digital program is live
• Minecraft Dungeons is here with a new dimension, and it's coming to Minecraft next year too
• Microsoft has a new casual mobile game for some reason
• XBOX now has mythic achievements

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Get the Windows 11 version 26H2 ISO
• App pick of the week: Opera on desktop and on mobile
• RunAs Radio this week: AI and Penetration Testing with Paula Januszkiewicz
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Kilchoman Loch Gorm

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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