Windows Weekly 957: "Selectively Transparent" – Episode Summary

Podcast: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio) – Windows Weekly
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell
Recording Date: November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the state of Microsoft and Windows, focusing on:

• Updates and future releases (specifically 26H1 tied to ARM/X2 chips)
• Microsoft’s financial reporting and transparency—or lack thereof
• The tech industry’s financial shenanigans, selective transparency, and "enshittification"
• Detailed comparisons with Apple, Google, Spotify, and others
• The future of Windows PC hardware and ARM’s impact
• Password management and passkeys
• Updates on gaming (Xbox, Call of Duty), .NET Conf, and a unique whisky pick

The discussion is lively, candid, and critical, with the hosts injecting their personalities and some sharp critiques of the big tech landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the Hosts

• Richard Campbell is joining the show live from New Zealand, on vacation with family.
• Light travel banter opens the episode, leading into Windows/tech news.

2. Windows 26H1: The Next Big Release

ARM/X2-Focused Update

• 26H1 will be an early 2026 Windows release focused on supporting ARM hardware, specifically the Snapdragon X2 chip.
• Paul: “If you think about what they did with 24H2, there was really a 24H1 as well. They called it 24H2, but then they didn’t deliver it to everyone else until the end of the year.” (05:04)
• ARM team within Microsoft is focusing on supporting new chipsets, with speculation on product timing (likely June 2026).
• The X2 chip benchmarks “much better across the board” vs. X1: improved graphics, CPU, and especially MPU (AI/NPUs).
  • “Even on the lowest end version, which by the way, I’m running on this thing here right now. You know, three monitors, external webcam, Thunderbolt 4 dock, no problem.” – Paul (08:00)

Buying Advice

• Leo: “Should I…wait for the X2?” (09:29)
• Both Paul and Richard recommend waiting for Snapdragon X2 devices for their performance, unified memory, and ARM-based longevity.

Software/Hardware Integration

• Memory is moving on-die (unified memory) like Apple’s approach.
• Windows is catching up with Apple’s ARM/M-series innovations, both in hardware and system integration.

3. Windows Versions, Feature Rollouts, and Updates

Confusion Over Naming Conventions

• Microsoft’s recent move to “simplify” update/preview names angered sysadmins by removing dates from update names.
  • “They oversimplified it…I appreciate the direction they were going in, but… you need to have the date and the name. That’s how we know what it is… less than a week later, they said, yeah, you’re right, we’re gonna… also add the date.” – Paul (16:01)

Update Infrastructure

• Under-the-hood changes in how builds move across channels (Dev, Beta, etc.).
• Persistent bugs in preview updates (like duplicate process displays in Task Manager).
• “It’s a preview update. That’s fine. This is an okay place to make that kind of mistake, frankly. Except that it’s going out to the public.” – Paul (19:05)

AI and Copilot Integration

• Ongoing tweaks to Copilot* branding and AI features, especially around what is/will be “AI PC” vs. Copilot+ PC branding.
• New Dev/Beta build offers “Ask Copilot” directly in Windows' search box.

4. PC Hardware and Industry Trends

ARM vs. x86

• ARM’s improvements (like with Apple M series) are influencing the Windows ecosystem.
• Unified RAM, improved NPUs, and focus on battery, performance, and AI.
• “They’re finally catching up to what Apple figured out years ago.” – Richard (08:35)

Portability and Upgrades

• On-chip RAM and unified memory mean no more upgrades—“every machine will be faster, but never upgradable.”

Practical User Advice

• General advice to average users: most don’t need bleeding-edge machines, and even entry-level Macs/PCs now ship with more headroom than what most people require, but 8GB RAM on new machines is “ridiculous.”

5. Password Management and Passkeys

Microsoft Edge Password Manager

• Strongly advised against storing passwords/passkeys in browsers like Edge.
  • “I strongly recommend never using anything built into a browser…” – Paul (30:24)
• Complexity as new passkey managers, OS support, and browser competition create confusion about which manager is handling credentials.
• “Binding your passwords to a product… is never a good idea.” – Richard (38:44)

Transition to Passkeys

• The transition presents security and usability challenges: need to phase out old passwords, deal with single sign-on/SSO perils, and have robust account recovery.
• “If you are going to go to the new thing… you gotta get rid of the old one. And that’s the one people… don’t think about…” – Paul (34:25)
• Single sign-on: beware getting locked out of your account; recovery may be possible, but don’t rely on being able to talk to big tech support.
• “There’s a bunch of ways to do this… but if you need to talk to someone to get this fixed, you are in a world of hurt…” – Richard (37:18)

6. Microsoft and Big Tech Earnings: Selective Transparency

Insertification, Selective Transparency, and Financial Shell Games

• Discussion of Cory Doctorow’s “Enshittification” theory applied to Microsoft and big tech: platforms and finance optimized for corporate value extraction over service/user interests.
• Microsoft’s earnings are increasingly impenetrable, with “selective transparency” about key business units, AI spending, and losses (esp. OpenAI investment write-downs).
  • “At a very high level… what Microsoft is doing is essentially saying, look, our business is great, our stock price is through the roof… that’s all you need to know. You don’t need to worry about where it’s coming from or where it’s going…” – Paul (64:15)
• Growing “losses” attributed to OpenAI are reported vaguely ($4.1B loss this quarter), with the CFO dodging specifics during the earnings call.
  • “[She said] there is not anything there that is not the increased losses from OpenAI. Right. That’s what he asked.” – Paul (56:51)
• Foundational critiques on whether public companies are disclosing what they are supposed to legally (“I believe it’s illegal”) and whether anyone is enforcing it.

Comparison With Other Big Tech Companies

• Apple: More transparent than Microsoft, but still dodges tough financial questions (“At least when they don’t tell you, they tell you they’re not telling you.”).
• Google/Alphabet: Bragging about “taking share” in search and browser markets, but actual numbers reveal marginal or misleading gains.
• Spotify: Obfuscates with creative accounting, showing profit if you don’t count, say, the costs.
  • “If you just pretend we didn’t have a cost of doing business, we made a lot of money.” – Paul (83:53)

Earnings Reality Check

• Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple all making massive profits, but there is a “circle of money” where little real value is delivered, and much is based on speculation/promises (esp. in AI).

7. Tech Policy and Antitrust

Epic v. Google Settlement

• Google settles its antitrust case with Epic, agreeing to worldwide changes (not just US), lowering fees, and permitting third-party app stores/payment systems—potentially a bellwether for Apple.
  • “If you go back five years, the advice I had for these companies was just lower the fee structure… You’re still going to take billions of dollars for doing nothing, and no one’s going to sue you, ever.” – Paul (98:36)
• Apple is expected to be forced into similar concessions soon.

8. Other Notable Topics & Products

.NET Conf Announcement

• Virtual developer conference for .NET 10 coming up (Nov 11-13). Community-focused, fun sessions (e.g., Commodore 64, Altair), and technical deep-dives.

Gaming

• Xbox: New Call of Duty (Black Ops 7) and several day-one Game Pass games arriving, but Game Pass Ultimate is now so expensive it may serve as a deterrent.
  • “I still believe they price this so no one would do it.” – Paul (114:38)
• Nintendo: 10 million Switch 2 units sold; conservative, exclusive, and still raking in sales on the “old model.”
  • "They are the Apple of the [console] space." – Paul (120:38)
• PlayStation: Now supports cloud streaming (with caveats).

9. Practical Picks & Recommendations

Book Pick

• “Enshittification” by Cory Doctorow:
  • “I did not enter this year intending to be radicalized against big tech, but… I can’t take it anymore... the book is fantastic.” – Paul (133:01)

Little Tech Pick

• Affinity Suite (now FREE!):
  • All-in-one alternative to Photoshop, Illustrator, Publisher, now offered as a free suite (Mac, Windows), with paid AI features for Canva subscribers.
  • “This is like… you’re kidding me. It just went free. Like, sometime in the past year…” – Paul (142:21)

Podcast Pick

• RunAsRadio #1009:
  • Interview with Aria Hanson, Microsoft’s update infrastructure PM, about Windows update modernization, Autopatch, and transition challenges for sysadmins.

Whisky Pick

• Glen Cadam 1999 "Rather Unique" 22-Year Bourbon Cask
  • “It’s the most honest representation of whiskey you could imagine… only 238 bottles in existence.” – Richard (158:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I’m not good at default yet. I’m not even going to tell you.” – Tim Cook, quoted by Leo on Apple’s transparency (69:56)
• “You need to have the date and the name. That’s how we know what it is.” – Paul, on Windows updates (17:04)
• “We’re all stuck. What are you gonna do? I’m not gonna bite my nose off to spite my face.” – Paul, on escaping big tech (135:53)
• “Don’t use the Edge password manager. It is better now. But don’t use it.” – Paul (38:26)

Important Timestamps

• 05:04 – Windows 26H1/ARM/X2 discussion
• 16:01, 17:04, 19:05 – Windows update naming changes and update issues
• 34:25–39:44 – Passkey transition, account recovery, password manager warnings
• 49:39–55:48 – Microsoft’s earnings, OpenAI, and selective financial transparency
• 98:36–103:58 – Epic v. Google settlement and Apple’s App Store situation
• 142:21 – Affinity free suite announcement
• 158:18 – Whisky pick: Glen Cadam 1999 22yr Bourbon Cask

Conclusion

This episode is a whirlwind tour of the current state of Windows, Microsoft, and the big tech industry. The hosts are at their candid best, highlighting the challenges of deciphering both Microsoft's product plans and their financial reporting, urging caution about passkeys and browser-based password management, and celebrating small tech victories like Affinity.

With a blend of sharp analysis, humor, and a dash of whisky knowledge, episode 957 is a must-listen for those who want to understand what’s really happening—beyond the marketing gloss—in the world of Windows and big tech.

Listen to the full episode for more practical advice, in-depth rants, a whiskey journey, and more Windows news.