Windows Weekly 954: "We're Just Getting Started"

Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell
Theme: Navigating the End of Windows 10, AI's Transformative Role in Windows, Hardware News, and the Dawning Age of App-less Workflows

Overview

This episode of Windows Weekly arrives just after Windows 10’s official end-of-life. Leo, Paul, and Richard unpack what this really means for users, the Microsoft ecosystem, and the broader tech landscape. They discuss updates for Windows 11, Copilot, and the accelerating march of AI in shaping computing—potentially marking the beginning of the end for traditional app-centric workflows. The show also features in-depth dives into accessibility, device evaluation, changes in hardware, and a forward-looking debate about whether we’ll ever actually "talk" to computers.

Key Discussion Points

1. The End of Windows 10: Fact vs. Hype

Timestamps: 03:33 – 11:00

• Main Insight:
  Microsoft’s end-of-support for Windows 10 is overstated as apocalyptic, when in practice, “life goes on.” Microsoft offers continuing paths for essential security updates via Extended Security Updates (ESU), and most users can move to Windows 11 even if their hardware is technically unsupported.

• Ecosystem Impact:
  Rumors about 400 million Windows 10 PCs heading for landfill are dismissed. Many will continue running, get ESU, install Linux or ChromeOS, or use workarounds for Windows 11.

• Notable Quotes:

  • Paul: “If you follow the Windows 11 hardware requirements and think back, like how old would this computer be … you're talking about 2017 or older.” (05:38)
  • Richard: “If there is some horrible event… there’s no way Microsoft doesn't push out a patch. They don’t want the coin either.” (06:45)

• Consumer Advocacy:
  Microsoft’s generous support practices stand out amid criticism, especially compared to Apple and Google:

  • Paul: “Please point me to the Apple product that got that many years of support, or the Google product or Amazon product. … It just kind of doesn’t exist.” (08:22)

• Emotional Tone:
  There’s a mixture of tongue-in-cheek mourning (hanging crepe in the studio) and pragmatic reassurance.

2. Windows 11, Updates & Copilot Plus

Timestamps: 12:00 – 19:37

• Feature Rundown:

  • AI in Windows 11:
    Copilot plus PCs get new “summarize” actions, and settings now have inline AI-driven suggestions.
  • Context Menus:
    Continued tweaks (and growing complexity) to right-click menus—icons, submenus, and new AI options.
  • Small Touches:
    Volume/brightness overlays are now user-placeable; subtle cosmetic consistency (dark mode icons) is improved.

• Evolving Interactions:

  • Emojis & special character input discussed, with new keyboard shortcuts for em- and en-dashes, plus a look at the Win+Period picker:
    • Paul: “Most people ... look at it and they're like, yeah, I'm never using this. But actually give it a second because there's some stuff in there that I think most people would find useful.” (17:37)

• Security Improvements:
  “Administrative protection” guards against running with admin rights all the time, but is intentionally “friction-creating.” (19:00 – 20:18)

3. Windows Insiders & Preview Features

Timestamps: 27:55 – 44:23

• Insider Channels:
  New Copilot app updates bring “connectors” for OneDrive, Outlook, Google Drive/Calendar/Contacts. Natural language can access/access data across silos.

• AI Actions & App-Agnostic Features:
  Contextual file actions (like “remove background”) are steps toward “the end of apps” as direct user experiences.

  • Richard on automation: “You’re basically creating a GPT, essentially—a prompt-and-response workflow.” (32:51)

  • Paul’s Vision: “Apps are becoming programmatic, meaning they can be controlled or orchestrated from the outside ... in the future ... you won't care about which program does it.” (30:04)

• Other Updates:

  • Snap layouts and “drag tray” suggestion boxes are getting smarter (and maybe more intrusive).
  • Dark mode consistency is (finally) being addressed for more system dialogs.

4. Hardware: Copilot Plus PCs, New ARM Desktops, & Intel’s US Chip Leaps

Timestamps: 49:08 – 67:10

• Lenovo Snapdragon X SFF:
  A tiny desktop, but with some I/O limitations (notably, only one USB-C, and no display-out from it). Runs fast and reliably—a rare $600 “great” Windows PC.

  • Paul: “It is better than 95% of laptops I review. … This is the lowest-end chip you can get.” (54:53)

• Biometric Security:
  External fingerprint readers coming for Windows Hello ESS on ARM boxes, facial recognition lagging.

• Intel’s 2nm ‘Panther Lake’ Announcement:
  Made in Arizona, promising both efficiency and performance, with the hope of restored reliability.

• Global Manufacturing Shift:
  Discussion of how new chip fabrication in the US (especially Arizona), China, and soon Vietnam, could impact supply chains and global competition.

5. AI as the Next Platform / The End of the Desktop App?

Timestamps: 86:11 – 110:00

Big Ideas

• AI Workflows:
  Copilot is being framed as “the new Start menu”—the orchestrator, or the interface, for most user computing.

  • Paul: “You just say it out loud, ‘remove the background’. … You won’t care about which program does it. … The whole workflow will occur as part one.” (30:05)

• App-Less App Future:
  AI agents can manage, transform, and route data across cloud services and devices—users will increasingly prompt systems instead of manually operating software.

  • Richard: “Somebody who works in accounts receivable, their job isn’t to run an ERP piece of software, it’s to collect receivable … and the tool is supposed to serve for doing the thing.” (92:26)

• Natural Language, Voice, and Multimodal Interfaces:
  Can people adapt to voice-based workflows on desktops? Possibly, especially as AI gets more reliable.

  • Leo: “Do you want a voice interface? ... people don’t really want to talk to their computers.”
  • Paul: “I’m not sure about that, honestly. There are people walking around just talking to their phones ... as it works more reliably, people are more likely to use it.” (96:45-97:28)

• Platform Competition:
  OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple—each fighting to own “the interface” in a future where software is invisible and “apps” are replaced by automated workflows and AI models.

• Browsers as ‘Meta-Apps’:
  New players (Opera Neon, Comet, Kagi, Perplexity, etc.) rush to integrate AI, hinting at a coming explosion of “agentic” web platforms.

  • Paul: "Browsers are suddenly changing a lot. ... I think they're going to fall to AI." (117:39)

6. Security, Passwords, and User Automation

Timestamps: 45:44 – 48:47; 79:31 – 86:11

• Password Managers:
  Dashlane partners with Yubico for primary hardware authentication—Bitwarden discussed as an open source, industry-leading alternative.

  • The challenges and tradeoffs of hardware security keys vs. passkeys vs. authenticator apps are dissected.

• User Automation:
  Tools like Zapier and open-source N8N are praised for integrating AI summarization, workflow automation, and integration across services without coding.

7. PC Market, Tariffs & Business Realities

Timestamps: 69:01 – 76:48

• Sales Jump, but Not in US:
  Global PC sales are up 9.4% YoY, but essentially flat in the US, with tariffs and shifting markets cited as major causes.

  • Paul: “We're getting used to our new role in the world … We just drag the rest of you guys down.” (71:05).

• Tariff Chaos:
  Unpredictable import fees hinder forward planning and price stability for vendors and buyers.

8. Xbox & Gaming Industry Malaise

Timestamps: 120:03 – 130:19

• Xbox Retail Moves:
  Microsoft isn't being dropped by Target/Walmart; only Costco is pulling Xbox (likely due to return policies).

• Games Industry Upheaval:
  Game studio layoffs and creative woes, artists leaving Halo, and complaints about stagnancy in “Call of Duty.”

  • Paul: “The industry is going to be completely revamped with AI … And when you don’t use AI, you get Black Ops 7.” (123:30)

• Humor:
  Recurring jokes about “we’re just getting started” as a tired industry phrase.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Paul Thurrott: “We are never, ever, ever, ever, EVER going to have consistency in Windows, but this is a step in that direction.” (43:53)
• Leo Laporte: “Do people in the office want to talk to their computer? Because there is a definite …” (100:45)
• Richard Campbell: “The better educated you are in utilizing these technologies, the less you trust them. The least knowledgeable trust them the most.” (107:14)
• Paul Thurrott: “If apps go away … then the App Store that Apple has and the Google Play Store don’t matter anymore—that is those companies … They're going to fight that.” (104:13)

Timestamps to Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|:----------:| | Windows 10 End-of-Life & Real Impact | 03:33–11:00| | Windows 11 Insider & Copilot Innovations | 12:00–22:49| | File Explorer, Context Menus, UI Tweaks | 12:44–17:57| | Keyboard Shortcuts and Emoji/Symbol Picker | 15:42–17:57| | Security, Admin Protection in 25H2 | 18:59–20:18| | Insider Channel Copilot Updates & AI Actions | 27:55–41:47| | Future of Apps & AI Agents Discussion | 86:11–110:00| | Intel/ARM Chips and Hardware Landscape | 49:08–67:10| | Tariffs and the Global PC Market | 69:01–76:48| | Xbox, Halo Departures, Gaming Industry Woes | 120:03–130:19|

Tone & Style

• Relaxed, humorous, and candid, with the hosts frequently poking fun at both industry practices and themselves.
• Simultaneously skeptical and optimistic about technological progress, especially around AI and hardware.
• The show alternates between technical depth (registry keys, insider builds) and “big think” speculation on how AI will upend the status quo.

Summary for Listeners

In this post–Windows 10 world, the Windows Weekly crew sees “more of the same” rather than abrupt change: continued support for old hardware, a push to updated platforms, and a tech media landscape prone to exaggeration. They emphasize how AI and Copilot are subtly—and soon, not so subtly—shifting how we interact with Windows and our devices. The big story is less about software updates and more about an impending paradigm shift: away from launching discrete apps and toward orchestrated, agent-driven, natural language workflows often powered by AI. Meanwhile, hardware shifts, security best practices, and the volatility of the global supply chain keep the classic Windows-watcher on their toes. Whether you’re sticking with an old PC, hopping onto Copilot Plus, or just wondering whether we’ll all end up talking aloud to our computers, there’s plenty here—along with Richard’s legendary whiskey pick—to keep every technophile engaged.