Paul has been testing various Linux distributions and other Windows alternatives for months as part of a Switcher series. The zen of Linux can mostly apply to Windows, too: Install and manage software with package managers, and embrace the command line, especially. And if you're going to use a local account, at least be smart about it. Also, Vivaldi 8.0 looks awesome and appears to deliver what Firefox is promising with its Nova UI. Plus, Discord has a native app for Windows 11 on Arm now. Windows Week D arrives with a surprise: 24H2/26H1 are aligned and getting the same new features Shared audio with BT LE, multi-app camera support, many improvements - but the big deal may be the performance and reliability improvements across the board This is the next Patch Tuesday, today Friday builds - new accessibility features in Experimental and Beta, more Microsoft CMO Yusuf Mehdi to leave company after an astonishing 35-year run - started in Windows, but with IE, Bing & MSN, Interactive Entertainment (Xbox), Windows and Devices, and then a SLT position before the end. Incredible run. Paul has three milestones and one throughline to share. Lenovo revenues surge 27 percent to $21.6 billion NVIDIA revenues really surged 85 percent to $81.6 billion AI/dev Google adds Google Drive sync to NotebookLM, and moves preferred sources into AI Mode and AI Overviews Saying no to AI: DuckDuckGo usage surges in the wake of Google I/O's AI tsunami OpenAI releases ChatGPT plugin for PowerPoint .NET MAUI to get Material You support for Android in .NET 10 Follow-up on last week's vibe coding adventures: Paul talked about this last week, but a lot has happened since then. The Android app creation capability in Google AI Studio is live. A few thoughts on vibe coding with Android Studio, Claude Code, and more Xbox and gaming XBOX—and, yes, it's XBOX now—has an official merchandise store to go alongside all its other official merchandise stores The Steam Deck is back in stock! Also, it's 40 percent more expensive Tips & picks Tip of the week: Understanding the zen of Linux can help a Windows user too App pick of the week: A grab-bag of apps for Windows RunAs Radio this week: Team Productivity using Loop with Karinne Bessette Brown liquor pick of the week: John Sleeman & Sons 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: trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365 webroot.com/twit

Windows Insider Program Release Preview channel updates (including 26H1 for the first time? - A preview of the June Patch Tuesday updates - Shared audio, NPU usage in Task Manager, multi-app camera support, Magnifier improvements. Taskbar updates come to Insiders! Also in Canary, weʼre throwing them a bone this time. Enshittification remedies all around Microsoft just held a WinHEC for the first time since 2018 and thereʼs a new Windows Driver Initiative! Microsoft will soon let us remap Copilot key to Right Ctrl, which is what it was in the first place. A Linux privacy nut YouTuber confuses privacy and security and doesnʼt understand Windows 11 so... ... Paul wrote a complete guide to the local account de-Microsoft experience in Windows 11 Microsoft Edge will stop loading all passwords into clear text on startup like a big boy browser. Hardware Paul came home to an ASUS Zenbook A16 and ohmygodohmygodohmygod Surface Microsoft finally revs Surface Laptop and Surface Pro for Business, with Intel chips and VERY high prices. Snapdragon X2 variants in late 2026 because of supply issues wa-waa-waaaaa. AI MDASH is Microsoftʼs answer to Anthropic Mythos, in-house only. Elon Musk and Sam Altman are both terrible but a jury decided against Muskʼs frivolous lawsuit. OpenAI and Apple might head to court over Siri promises OpenAI Codex is on mobile via the ChatGPT app Google unleashes an AI tsunami at Google IO this week. A few relevant takeaways: Overview of the major announcements Google advances Android as a developer platform Chrome is turning into a proactive assistant Google AI subscriptions are an incredible value Related: The Gemini Intelligence feature for Googlebooks and more has steep hardware requirements - 12 GB of RAM, flagship SoC So Pixel 10 series/Galaxy S26 series and newer only etc. Just a reminder that Microsoft makes a Linux distribution ... for Azure specifically More dev WWDC schedule is up for June 8 opening day Build 2026 kicks off June 2 in SFO After another boring .NET 11 preview release, we finally get our first look at a major change: MAUI is switching from the Mono runtime to the CoreCLR runtime. And we should pause for a moment to remember S "Soma" Somasegar, who sadly passed away this week. Xbox and Gaming Next Xbox Elite controller leaks and it is glorious Related: An Xbox Cloud-Connected controller leaks too and it is less than glorious. Forza Horizon 6 is here, and itʼs on Game Pass on Day One. Be sure to read Laurentʼs detailed review. Haters gonna keep hating: Fans want Xbox exclusives because their heads are still in the sand. Sony is allegedly returning to this model for single player experiences Related: Sony raises prices on PS Plus Fortnite comes back to the Apple App Store worldwide *excluding Australia for some reason. Tips and Picks Tip of the week: Google AI Studio. Vibe-code your next app with this incredible free tool. Related: A look at Markdown editors. App pick of the week: DeskScapes 2026 Stardock DeskScapes 2026 is normally $9.99 but it will cost just $6.99 during the launch period. Also: Firefox 151 is a big update on desktop and mobile, the latter gets the AI kill switch RunAs Radio this week: UEFI Secure Boot with Richard Hicks Brown liquor pick of the week: Daftmill Winter Batch Release These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/984 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365 zscaler.com/security

It's not just Recall: Security vulnerabilities that require you to sign into an account on your PC are not necessarily vulnerabilities. Also, Windows 11 gets its first big feature updates in this week's Patch Tuesday releases. Snapseed 4.0 comes to Android/iOS, and Claude FM is great for relaxing or getting coding/work done. Plus, the Helium browser has emerged as a favorite with 2 notable caveats: No online settings sync and no mobile client. Windows 25H2/24H2: Xbox Mode, Agents on the Taskbar, more 26H1: Smart App Control improvements, other things we saw previously (26H1 is like the stable version of Canary, it seems) Microsoft used a new Mythos-like model called MDASH to find vulnerabilities this month, so expect the numbers of fixed bugs to jump in coming months A low-latency profile for Windows will let it optimize for app/UI launch performance just like mobile platforms already do New builds across most channels with two major changes: Touchpad improvements in Experimental and free upgrade path to Pro for education users in Experimental Beta. A new threat emerges Google announces Googlebook, an Android-based laptop platform with Google Intelligence Some morning-after thoughts, including Microsoft promising AI and that Copilot will be the new Start, while Google delivers AI and is remaking the laptop as an intelligent device AI Microsoft Edge gets big AI and productivity updates on desktop and mobile An Anthropic engineer argues that AI should use HTML for output, not Markdown. He's right. About that 4 GB Gemini Nano model that Chrome secretly downloads OpenAI brings Codex to Google Chrome Security A Bitlocker concern emerges Microsoft Edge loads all saved passwords into plain text when it launches, Microsoft says this is as intended Mozilla patched 423 vulnerabilities in Firefox during April, most courtesy of Anthropic Mythos 465 million Amazon customers have enrolled in passkeys Xbox & gaming Xbox Insider Program: New build for console with previously announced new boot animation, tiered Gamerscore badges, new filters in Game Library Forza Horizon 6 leaks on Steam, those who play it early will be banned until the sun swallows the earth Discord Nitro now has an Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition perk Mojang will host a special MINECRAFT LIVE event on May 30 Sony sold just 1.5 million PS5s in most recent quarter, its lowest number yet Nintendo sold just 2.49 million Switch 2s in quarter, lowers annual estimates Supreme Court gives Apple the 🖕 so Epic v. Apple will head to remedy phase Tips & picks Tip of the week: A web browser is the 1st step for anyone looking to escape Big Tech App pick of the week: Helium RunAs Radio this week: Production LLMs with Vaishnavi Gudur Brown liquor pick of the week: Gouden Carolus Port Oak 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: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365 threatlocker.com/twit

Microsoft's earnings report went out last week, and the company spent a lot on AI in the quarter. Microsoft updates its customers on what it's done to address Windows 11 problems. And Xbox kills Copilot plans for the console. Microsoft Earnings Microsoft announced that it earned a net income of $31.8 billion on revenues of $82.9 billion in the previous quarter. Windows: 1.6 billion monthly active devices, a focus on quality after years of enshittification - but revenues from PC makers were down 2 percent YOY. Microsoft Edge "has taken share for 20 consecutive quarters," which isn't supported by the evidence. Bing "monthly active users reached one billion for the first time," raising questions about how Microsoft defines the term "user." Xbox: "The team is recommitting to our core fans and players, and shaping the future of play," new records for monthly active Xbox users and game streaming hours. AI: Capex spending in the quarter was $32 billion, down from previous quarter as previously described, but up 49 percent YOY. More earnings Apple, Google/Alphabet, and Amazon. AMD - Up because of AI datacenter. Qualcomm - Plus, Intel just hired away a key Qualcomm exec. Windows Microsoft shares an update about what it's done to address Windows 11 pain points so far. Marcus Ash is one of the good guys. Some of this is happening in Insider, some is rolling out to retail. Windows Insider Program and Windows Update improvements we discussed last week - two primary channels in WIP now. Simplifying AI experiences - fewer Copilot icons (Notepad, etc.). File Explorer improvements - performance, fewer hangs, better polish and consistency. Widgets - Feed will be off by default, fewer interruptions, no hover activate. System performance - Smaller memory footprint, more aggressive RAM restoration, and more. Soon: Taskbar updates, Start updates, and more to share at Build in June. Week D update arrives with a peek at May's Patch Tuesday. Major: Xbox Mode, AI agents on the Taskbar are the first two big features of 2026. Minor: Also adds File Explorer improvements, new haptic feedback effects, touch keyboard improvements, and more. Shocking new report that Microsoft Edge is incredibly insecure should surprise no one. AI Microsoft Agent 365 Platform is out of preview, supports local AI agents and Copilot Cowork Agent arrives on mobile with plugin support. Microsoft launches a Legal AI Agent in Word. Apple's plan to open up to multiple third-party AIs is a good one. Canonical's plan to add AI to Ubuntu is also good, but you're never going to believe what happened next. Xbox and Gaming Asha Sharma reorgs Xbox, kills Copilot on the console. Forza Horizon 6, more coming to Game Pass in May. Xbox April Update is out with updates for all platforms. Next Call of Duty will not ship on Xbox One, PS4. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is coming to the Mac for some reason. And finally, with the Supreme Court refusing to block the implementation of the ruling in Epic v. Apple, Microsoft's Xbox game store for mobile is one step closer to happening. Tips and picks Tip of the week: Embrace inconvenience. App pick of the week: Windows Defender. RunAs Radio this week: Securing Active Directory with Spencer Alessi. Brown liquor pick of the week: Stalk & Barrel Whisky. These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/982 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT helixsleep.com/windows cachefly.com/twit

This episode dives into early MS-DOS/PC-DOS source code, Snapdragon X2 gaming, and the "We are Xbox" messaging. Plus, Paul details 2 big changes in the Windows Insider Program. The latest PowerToys adds 2 useful new utilities and many improvements. And a TWiT listener asked about buying Windows 11 on Arm to virtualize it on a Mac. You're not going to believe what happened next. Windows Microsoft announces big changes to Windows Update Microsoft announces Windows Insider Program changes, with Experimental channel Hands-on with both predictably shows some nice improvements Hands-on with Snapdragon X2 gaming - more wins, but still some losses Microsoft open sources some of the earliest MS-DOS source code and related materials Intel loses $3.7 billion and Wall Street could not be happier. WTF is happening - Paul has a theory and its called collusion AI Microsoft and OpenAI revise partnership again and wait for it... OpenAI immediately signs on with AWS Microsoft 365 Copilot subscribers get Word, Excel, and PowerPoint agentic AI features Copilot in Outlook can manage your inbox and calendar, but seriously stop using Outloook GitHub Copilot's switch to usage-based billing starts June 1 OpenAI is reportedly working on a phone because of course it is Adobe Firefly AI Assistant is now available in preview And then Anthropic goes deeper into the creator market Xbox and gaming Microsoft Gaming is being (re)rebranded to Xbox! New Xbox leadership can't stop explaining its plans and it's glorious Microsoft still plans a mobile game store, waiting on Apple to stop being so f'ing terrible Valve's Steam Controller will cost $99 and launches next week Tips and picks Tip of the week: Windows licenses, $, and you App pick of the week: PowerToys 0.99 RunAs Radio this week: M365 Copilot vs Claude Cowork with Sharon Weaver Brown liquor pick of the week: Reifel 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 Sponsors: webroot.com/twit zscaler.com/security

AI is democratizing the making of things, from bespoke/custom apps to websites, designs of all kinds, and everything else you might imagine. It's a new world, and it's time to create. Plus, Helium is a new Chromium-based web browser that's completely open source, lightweight, secure, and private. There's a native version for Windows 11 on Arm, too. Also, Firefox 150 arrives with over 270 security fixes! Windows 11 Reports of a Recall security vulnerability are, once again, bogus, Microsoft says New builds on all channels, still on the old system Xbox Mode is now available in all channels Release Preview shows us the May Patch Tuesday updates: Xbox Mode, File Explorer improvements, Haptic improvements, Drop Tray renaming, Agents on the Taskbar Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x - Snapdragon X2 Elite, 14-inch display impressions Lenovo IdeaPad 5x - Snapdragon X2 Plus, 15.3-inch display impressions Microsoft 365, Surface, more OneDrive now supports Markdown natively New Surface PCs with Intel chips coming soon Microsoft is making changes to its Rewards program AI GitHub Copilot moves to token-based billing in a sign of the true cost of AI Claude Design democratizes visual design on the heels of Claude Opus 4.7 OpenAI Codex moves into productivity OpenAI releases ChatGPT Images 2.0 Chrome AI Mode gets a big update Mozilla announces Thunderbolt, sovereign AI for businesses Google brings vibe coding to Android apps with Android CLI Xbox and gaming Microsoft drops Xbox Game Pass prices (!), but also drops Call of Duty from Day One Plus, Xbox teases a Game Pass Discord perk More Game Pass titles for April: Kiln, Vampire Crawlers, more Xbox April Update is here with that Quick Resume feature we all want There's an ID@Xbox event on April 23 to highlight indie games Xbox is selling Forza Horizon 6 limited edition controller and headsets Starfield is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 A Call of Duty movie will finally arrive in 2028 Try out the Modern Warfare remake on Game Pass, it's a reminder of COD's gritty past PS5 Digital is down to its $399 launch price temporarily Tips and picks Tip of the week: Just make it App pick of the week: Helium RunAs Radio this week: The Life and Death of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit with Michael Niehaus Brown liquor pick of the week: Ned Australian 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: webroot.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

With Microsoft finally doing right by Windows 11 and the Windows Insider Program, it's time to start testing and provide some feedback. And then we'll see if we can really trust these people. Also, Stardock's Connection Explorer 1.0 is here! And if you want one of macOS's dumbest features on Windows 11, you can get it now. Windows Yesterday was Patch Tuesday - Another month in paradise 26H1 - Eh, 24H2/25H2 - Narrator, File Explorer, display, Pen settings, WRE, Remote Desktop improvements Microsoft reveals how it will simplify the Windows Insider Program Two top-level channels, but really three A way to enable all features in new builds, finally, and easy channel switching. But there are complexities, of course New builds for Canary, Beta, and Dev - Two for Canary, but nothing new, Beta and Dev get Storage, networking, Windows Security, and Feedback Hub improvements The first Snapdragon X2-based PC is out, and Paul has that waiting in PA, and two more PCs are coming to Mexico PC sales were somehow up 2.5 percent in Q1, but the rest of 2026 will be a bloodbath Also, smartphone sales are doing even worse NVIDIA reportedly wants to buy Dell or HP ahead of a big PC chipset push. Interesting Surface/Microsoft 365 Microsoft is forced to hike Surface prices dramatically Microsoft reportedly kills Surface Hub Microsoft College Offer: 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium, 12 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a custom Xbox controller when students in the U.S. purchase a PC AI/Dev Microsoft AI releases a faster and more efficient image model Amazon CEO tries to explain the AI spending Google app for Windows rolls out worldwide, but the Mac gets a Gemini app Claude for Microsoft Word arrives in Beta Claude for Desktop gets a major redesign for multiple AI agents Microsoft's reported plans to charge for AI agents .NET 11 Preview 3 arrives right on schedule, but there's nothing to see here Build session catalog is up - joking, but the new Windows native app strategy should just be vibe coding Google I/O registration is open, and you are never going to believe what the main topics will be - number five will shock you Xbox & gaming New Xbox CEO says Game Pass is too expensive, also that the sky is blue Xbox will show off the next Metro game soon Starfield for PS5 is getting a fix Amazon Luna is stripping down to the basics e.g. "pulling a Stadia" Tips & picks Tip of the week: It's time to get involved App pick of the week: Stardock Connection Explorer RunAs Radio this week: Internal Corporate Communications in 2026 with Emily Mancini Brown liquor pick of the week: ScapeGrace Vanguard 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: cyberhoot.com/windows threatlocker.com/twit

Julia Liuson is leaving Microsoft. Liuson joined Microsoft in 1992, the same year as CEO Satya Nadella (she worked on Access at first). She helped build the first version of Visual Studio and was the first female corporate vice president at Microsoft. Liuson has been president of Microsoft's Developer Division since 2021. Also, curious about life on the other side of the fence? Paul has a tip for finding games that are optimized for Linux. Plus, Chrome joins the 21st century with vertical tabs and a real reading view. Just be sure to install those anti-tracking extensions. Windows Microsoft promises more native apps for Windows 11, but... which apps? New apps? Replacements for existing apps? Thanks for making us revisit the web app vs. native app thing yet again, Microsoft Windows 11 version 25H2 is now being pushed to all compatible PCs Compatibility milestone, not a big deal because 24H2/25H2 features are identical, same underlying codebase - but some will complain that Microsoft is "forcing" 25H2 on them Secure Boot certificate notifications are now available so you can see where your PC is at Another month, another emergency Windows Update patch New Dev/Beta builds add Xbox Mode, new haptic effects, etc., plus a new Canary build with features we've seen before Microsoft is taking the Insider Program on the road Component shortages trigger another Raspberry Pi price hike, but also a promise for the future The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition processor will be available from leading retailers starting Apr. 22 with a retail price of $899 AI Microsoft's terms of service for Copilot say it's for entertainment purposes only. Yes, really. Microsoft AI releases new foundational models for transcription, voice, and images Word on iPhone gets Copilot co-create capabilities - used to be AI Mode, you need a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription Anthropic has hired away a key AI executive from Microsoft, and what he has to say about the opportunity is interesting Anthropic brings Computer Use to Windows Google: Seriously, we are not training AI with your Gmail Google AI Pro plans now offer 5 TB of cloud storage, yikes Xbox & gaming Xbox is refreshing the look of achievements on the console Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, more coming to Game Pass this month Was this the best COD ever? In search of greatness Also: Forza Horizon 6 launches May 19 and will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Xbox Cloud as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, and playable day one with Xbox Game Pass Xbox will hold FanFest events around the world Tips & picks Tip of the week: So you want to try gaming on Linux App pick of the week: Google Chrome RunAs Radio this week: Securing AI Agents with Niall Merrigan Brown liquor pick of the week: Corowa Peated Single Barrel 521 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: zscaler.com/security helixsleep.com/windows cachefly.com/twit

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 Sponsors: threatlocker.com/twit joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

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