Windows Weekly 953: "The Casting of Frank Stallone"

Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Paul Thurrott (Mexico City), Richard Campbell (Orlando)

Episode Overview

This episode of Windows Weekly dives into the latest chaos and drama in the Windows and Microsoft ecosystems, including confusion around Windows 11 25H2 rollout, OneDrive client changes, the escalating price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and reflections on tech’s AI bubble. The hosts mix in characteristic banter, practical tips, browser and search talk, and a surprisingly deep bourbon history lesson.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Windows 11 25H2—Where Is It?

• Overview:
  The crew discusses confusion around the availability of the Windows 11 25H2 update, with reports that hardly anyone has received it via normal channels (Windows Update).

• Key Points:

  • Despite Microsoft’s official announcement, 25H2 largely isn’t showing up for users through traditional update mechanisms.
  • Workarounds, such as downloading the ISO or using the Media Creation Tool, do make it possible to upgrade manually.
  • Microsoft’s communications are (once again) unclear, leading to frustration.

  “It's out, sort of. I don't know. This is like a game of where's Waldo? Like where's 25H2? I'm sure it's out there somewhere.” —Paul Thurrott [09:39]

• Build Number Talk:

  • Paul, Richard, and Leo swap stories and build numbers, highlighting the complexity and confusion around tracking which version they’re on.

• Should Users Care?

  • There’s “no real compelling reason” to chase the update:

  “There is one huge reason. Five is a bigger number than four, Leo... Functionally, they're identical.” —Paul Thurrott [09:58]

2. Upcoming Windows Features & Annoyances

• Windows Hello Support:

  • New support for external fingerprint readers coming, hinting at “desktop class Copilot Plus PCs.”

• Out-of-Box Improvements:

  • Now possible, via a command (Shift+F10 and a script) during setup, to choose your own user folder name—a big win for power users and businesses.

• Local Accounts Squeeze:

  • Microsoft is moving closer to eliminating the option for local-only accounts during setup, pushing users toward Microsoft Accounts for security and services.
  • The panel debates the rationale, user resistance, and workarounds, with Paul emphatically recommending using a Microsoft account:

  “If you're concerned about this and Windows is your thing, you're going to be retired before you have to worry about this. Don't worry about it.” —Paul Thurrott [25:10]

• Full Disk Encryption:

  • Automatic disk encryption now comes standard, regardless of Home or Pro version, but only manageable via certain front-ends (BitLocker UI reserved for Pro). The hosts agree this is now a must for security.

3. OneDrive Client & Copilot News

• New OneDrive Desktop Client:

  • Leaked updates hint at integrated photo gallery features, but these are slated for next year. The event focused on upcoming Copilot integration and AI summarization for business documents.

  “Using Copilot with your file history, with your OneDrive, that's what I'm waiting for most.” —Paul Thurrott [37:59]

• File Summaries & Agents:

  • Anticipated ability to get audio summaries and use Copilot to answer questions over decades of file archives—a personal knowledge base vision.

4. Search, Browsers & AI Churn

• Browser Landscape:

  • Brave reached 100M users; Firefox finally rolling out proper profile support. Paul and Richard weigh the pros/cons of Brave, Arc, and Firefox, referencing company takeovers and future uncertainties.

  “At some point we're going to settle into a pattern where we know which [AI or browser] we want and... instead of eight, there’ll be three or whatever.” —Paul Thurrott [134:43]

• Search Preferences:

  • Leo and Richard discuss switching to Kagi search for less AI/noise and more user control—though even with new engines, most come back to Google for reliability at times.

• Agentic/A.I. Browsers:

  • Perplexity and Opera Neon discussed as top contenders for AI-integrated web browsing.
  • New ways to orchestrate models (use ChatGPT/Claude etc.) within one tool—potentially “the future of search.”

5. Big Picture Reflections: AI Bubble & Tech Consolidation

• AI Arms Race:

  • Discuss OpenAI’s massive deals with Nvidia and AMD (potential for 10% AMD stock placement), and how much of these investments are practical vs. speculative bubble.

• Is It a Bubble or Societal Leap?

  “OpenAI may or may not survive... but there’ll be real benefits that will survive OpenAI and survive the AI bubble.” —Leo Laporte [59:04]

• Tech Industry Consolidation:

  • Parallels between big tech acquisitions and “big cookie,” “big potato,” and “big egg” aggregating industries.

• Do Little Things Locally:

  • Leo reflects on acting locally and choosing alternative products (“choose Kagi search or Firefox, be thoughtful”) as a way of resisting the tide of consolidation and “surveillance capitalism.”

  “You can do little things and those little things aggregate to big things.” —Leo Laporte [47:29]

6. Xbox, Gaming & Game Pass Price Hike

• Game Pass Ultimate 50% Price Increase:

  • The price for top-tier Game Pass jumps to $29.99/mo; the reaction is overwhelmingly negative.
  • Microsoft is removing the “day one” game benefit from cheaper tiers.

  “The most desirable Game Pass subscription is now 50% more expensive.” —Paul Thurrott [84:25]

  • Speculation that this is to force most users down to lower-margin, more profitable plans.

• Hardware Woes:

  • Xbox hardware prices are up twice this year in the US; Paul suggests Microsoft wants to de-emphasize consoles as a business.
  • Next-gen "Xbox Ally"-style handhelds are in the works; Paul reviews the Lenovo Legion Go, but notes performance, noise, and battery limitations.

• Game Streaming:

  • Rumors that a new, standalone cloud gaming tier might be free (ad-supported).

• Epic vs Google Court Win:

  • Epic defeats Google, forcing Play Store changes (allowing developers to use their own payment systems).

7. Practical Tips & Picks

• Windows Upgrade Hack:

  • Paul’s tip for bypassing hardware requirements when installing Windows 11 from an ISO: run setup.exe from the command line with product server argument.

• Opera Neon Review:

  • Paul declares it may be the most powerful agentic web browser yet, with deep AI integration (“cards” for third-party services, “tasks” for workspace management), but notes the premium pricing.

8. Whiskey Corner: The Weller/Pappy Van Winkle Story

A detailed bourbon history masterclass, courtesy of Richard Campbell:

• Traces the Weller family from 1740s Maryland to Kentucky.
• Explains the connections between Weller, Van Winkle, Old Fitzgerald, Blanton’s, Buffalo Trace, and more.
• Sazerac (Buffalo Trace) now produces all these famed brands, using three core mash bills to create family resemblances but clear distinctions.
• TL;DR: “If you want the closest thing to Pappy Van Winkle, get Weller 12. Great sipping bourbon at a fraction of the price, same wheat-forward mash bill.” ([152:09])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Microsoft’s update chaos:
  “One thing that Windows should communicate in Windows Update is... if 25H2 is available, but you can't get it, here's why. Because you know they have this information!” —Paul Thurrott [06:19]

• On local accounts in Windows:
  “Why would you want anything tied to one piece of hardware? It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. But people want to do it.” —Paul Thurrott [17:25]

• On searching the past:
  "From day one with Copilot, the thing I've been looking forward to the most is that integration [with my] file system... show me the things I’ve written about this topic." —Paul Thurrott [37:59]

• On browser fatigue:
  “If it works for you and it puts you in a pretty rarefied atmosphere... you really loathe to give it up too.” —Richard Campbell [41:21]

• On acting locally:
  “Little things at every step of the way, in aggregate... if a lot of us do them, can make a big difference.” —Leo Laporte [47:41]

Topic Timestamps (approximate)

• Windows 25H2 status and confusion: [05:30–13:40]
• User accounts, local vs Microsoft: [16:10–28:55]
• OneDrive client/Copilot features: [34:35–39:59]
• AI browser landscape / search talk / Kagi: [39:59–46:12]
• AI bubble & tech consolidation: [54:46–61:25]
• Xbox / Game Pass price hike / hardware: [79:50–95:38]
• Epic v. Google Play Store win: [104:10–108:29]
• Practical upgrade and browser tips: [126:43–134:43]
• Whiskey (Weller, Van Winkle) deep-dive: [138:37–154:01]

Tone & Style

The episode is quintessential Windows Weekly: critical, irreverent, thoughtful, and deeply knowledgeable. Leo’s moderator role keeps the show moving, while Paul and Richard provide sharp insight, nerdy asides, and friendly teasing. The show is rich with historical context (especially on bourbon!), technical how-tos, and candid perspective from decades of experience. Their outlook balances old-school skepticism with practical optimism.

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to understand what's (not) happening with the latest Windows updates, get a sense of the AI and cloud wave reshaping the industry, reconsider your choice of search engine or browser, or actually find a bourbon almost as special as Pappy Van Winkle, this week’s episode delivers. It’s a mosaic of the current Windows and tech state, full of news, wisdom, and plenty of laughs for anyone who cares about (or grumbles about) Microsoft, consumer tech, privacy, and the ever more agentic digital future.