Windows Weekly 971: Texas English

Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell
Theme: Microsoft & Windows news, UI and privacy debates, AI in software and dev, Xbox’s quiet pivot, and a historical rye whiskey review.

Episode Overview

This episode revolves around Microsoft’s evolving approach to Windows UI features and privacy, updates on Windows, AI’s impact on software development and user workflow, PC industry trends, the future of Xbox, and a deep-dive into Canadian rye whiskey history. The hosts share personal anecdotes and sharp opinions, and as ever, the show’s tone is humorous, insightful, and a bit irreverent.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Windows News & UI Updates

• Taskbar Mobility Rumor ([02:12]–[09:54])

  • Microsoft may restore the ability to move the Windows taskbar to all screen sides, a feature dropped in Windows 11 (2021).
  • Paul reflects on the rewrite of Start Menu and Taskbar for Windows 11, resulting in functional regressions – lost context menus, fewer configuration options.
  • Paul: “...when Windows 11 debuted, if you right clicked the taskbar, you only got one item in the context menu...in Windows 10 you had about 117 items...” ([04:24])
  • Richard and Paul joke about power users and the importance of adaptable setups, especially for developers and multi-monitor users.

• UI Consistency Troubles ([09:54]–[13:23])

  • Ongoing frustrations with inconsistent Start menu and UI across machines.
  • “I could have...multiple computers lined up side by side. Start menu one, Start menu two...pick any feature. It's going to be different on every computer.” – Paul ([13:09])

• Start Menu Critiques ([10:27]–[12:02])

  • Discontent over the lack of resizability, inefficiency of the new grid/list view, and limited customization.

2. Windows Feature & Patch Updates

• Insider Build Updates ([13:31]–[17:01])
  • Beta builds bring minor enhancements: Emoji 16.0, quick machine recovery, network speed test (actually a browser link), camera pan-tilt, widgets.
  • No new big UI changes; focus is on “product improvements.”
  • Sysmon to become a default part of Windows next month.
  • New 365 subscription upsells in account settings: “I feel like I haven't been upsold enough in Windows 11. So that's kind of a refreshing change. This is ridiculous.” – Paul ([17:03])

3. PC Market Trends

• Lenovo's Blockbuster Quarter ([17:12]–[21:00])

  • Lenovo posts record revenues, benefiting from RAM stockpiling fears and business PC upgrades, especially for Windows 11 adoption.

• Business vs Consumer Market ([19:50]–[21:20])

  • Richard and Paul estimate business’s PC share is now greater than historic 66%.
  • Discussion of the incentive for businesses to refresh PCs to avoid Windows 10 ESU (Extended Security Updates) costs.
  • Paul: “Windows 10, by the time it's said and done, will have been supported longer than any version of Windows ever made, without a doubt.” ([21:00])

4. AI in Software, Gaming, and Productivity

• Google’s AI Announcements ([24:29]–[26:25])

  • Google: 30-second music/audio generation in Gemini, Project Genie for game asset creation. Industry reacts with hype and concern.

• Discussion of Generative AI in App Dev ([26:32]–[32:34])

  • AI is expected to “open up what we think of as app development to a wider audience.”
  • Paul muses about a future where prompts initiate projects, but affirms, “For a professional developer...that’s just the first step.”
  • Richard: “Even before the LLMs stormed on the scene...the no code, low code movement was doing the same thing...for 20 years.” ([28:10])
  • Workflow-focused apps like SAP may be disrupted by AI-generated workflows as “a set of prompts.”

• AI & User Experience ([32:04]–[41:43])

  • Microsoft’s failed “document-centric interface” in Windows 95, current irrelevance of “app” concepts with AI and tools like Notion.
  • Advances in speech recognition (from Texas-accent-only to near-human), and hazards of old UIs for voice, eg. Siri's lost edge.

• Anecdote: Scottish Alexa/Elevator [39:05] and “Texas English” voice recognition's early limitations.

5. Anthropic & AI Tools Outpacing Microsoft

• Rapid progress by non-huge AI outfits ([42:33]–[44:01])
  • Anthropic and Google highlighted for shipping useful AI tools faster than Microsoft.
  • Richard: “Anthropic and Google seem to be the ones who are actually getting the benefit from their own tools.” ([43:10])

6. Xbox: The “Quiet” Pivot

• Phil Spencer’s Absence ([45:48]–[52:02])

  • Noted that Spencer, usually vocal in Xbox’s turbulence, has been notably absent from public eye since October.
  • “If he doesn’t show up [at GDC], then...my heart kind of drops a little bit because that’s our last...” – Paul ([52:02])

• GDC Anticipation & the Future of Xbox ([48:01]–[61:18])

  • Speculation: Next Xbox hardware may be a literal Windows PC.
  • The challenge: backward compatibility for console games on PC, thorny licensing issues, and maintaining series continuity.
  • Xbox’s core value now lies in the service (Game Pass, software platform), not hardware.
  • Update problems plague PC gaming, but Xbox's “quiet self-update” is praised.

7. Personal Tech Preferences, Productivity, and Windows Privacy

• AI “assist admins” and troubleshooting ([124:03]–[124:50])

  • Leo relays using an AI assistant (Claude) to help optimize his ThinkPad’s wake/sleep reliability.

• Paul’s Ongoing Book: Deinsify Windows ([75:31]–[92:03])

  • Extensive discussion of Windows privacy and de-bloating:
    • History: Windows increases “telemetry” and “advertising IDs” since Windows 8; privacy settings called “privacy theater.”
    • Today’s Settings are complex, scattered, and designed for opt-in by default; “most people will never go and look.”
    • Paul: “There’s a giant button in the corner that says ‘Use Express Settings’...just opens up everything to Microsoft. If you do that, there’s a tiny text-based link...one hue of blue lighter than the...background. You almost can’t see it...” ([76:19])
  • Tools recommended:
    • Win11 Debloat for privacy and system cleanup ([75:31])
    • Registry hacks, DNS blocking methods, “desired state configurator” as a way of keeping settings locked down.

8. Back of the Book: Whiskey, Security, and Recap

“Back of the Book” Timestamps: ([101:39]–[121:22])

a) Whiskey of the Week: Lot 40 Canadian Rye

([101:39]–[119:33])

• Richard narrates a rich history of Canadian rye whiskey and Lot 40/JP Wiser’s origins.
• Details on Canadian whiskey regulation, mashbills, and the current production of Lot 40 (now by Pernod Ricard).
• Richard: “...at $47...make an old Fashioned out of it...you’re not going to hurt anybody. That’s fine. You can throw it on ice. You can drink it neat. It drinks very, very well...” ([115:27])
• Rye flavor profile: more spicy than sweet, “cinnamon, not so dark, nutty.”

b) Security Tooling: Red Teaming with LLMs

([97:21]–[99:39])

• Richard’s recommended episode: RunAsRadio 1024 with Erica Burgess on using LLMs for adversarial security testing, multi-agent models finding software flaws much faster.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul (on losing Start Menu features): “...one of the little mini potential controversies that we’ll have in Windows someday...is the task, the old taskbar...I think the old Start menu code is actually still in there.” ([03:46])
• Richard (on privacy settings): “Why is that Search box pill shaped and this one is square?” ([13:23])
• Paul (on being a “canary in the coal mine”): “I’m a canary in the coal mine with anger management problems, basically.” ([13:31])
• Leo (Texas English anecdote): “And he spoke at a Texan accent to it and it worked fine. And it was because the guy who made it was from Texas...it only understood Texas English.” ([39:05])
• Paul (on Microsoft privacy settings): “Privacy in Windows is horrible, like it’s almost non-existent. You can get it to a point where it’s acceptable. Security in Windows is actually very good.” ([85:31])

Highlight Timestamps (Selected)

• [02:12] Taskbar mobility rumor
• [10:27] Start menu/grid list inefficiency critique
• [13:31] Insider beta updates; Sysmon addition
• [19:50] Business vs consumer PC sales discussion
• [24:29] Google’s new AI music tool and GenAI game asset concerns
• [28:10] AI and no code / low code history
• [39:05] “Texas English” and voice recognition origin story
• [45:48] “Silent” Xbox and anticipated GDC news
• [75:31] Paul’s Windows 11 privacy/de-bloat book section
• [101:39] Whiskey segment – Lot 40 Canadian Rye

Conclusion

The hosts navigate a wide-ranging conversation peppered with humor and nostalgia, voicing frustrations with Windows “feature churn,” privacy dark patterns, and the constant upsell. Behind the asides is a persistent optimism—especially for AI’s promise to make software more accessible, even as it complicates industry business models. The future of Xbox, the ongoing struggle for coherent privacy controls in Windows, and even the surprise pleasures of Canadian rye whiskey all play a part in an episode rich with both critique and affectionate techie camaraderie.