Windows Weekly 974: "DIY Crocs"
Recorded: March 11, 2026
Participants: Leo Laporte (host), Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell
Episode Overview
In this episode, Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell share tales from their early days with computers, give their verdict on a light Patch Tuesday, dive into Windows 11's incremental updates, discuss the evolution and value (and pitfalls) of AI in development, preview the future of Xbox and Windows-powered gaming, and indulge in nostalgia for the DIY computing culture of the past. Throughout, the hosts display their signature humor and camaraderie, delivering technical insight and historical perspective for fans of Microsoft and the evolution of technology.
Key Segments & Timestamps
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Opening Banter and Zero Trust World Recap
- [00:30–05:26]
- Reminiscing about recent travel, conference fun (spacesuits, Kennedy Space Center), and meeting in person.
- Leo shares his TripIt saga (and move away from it for scheduling).
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Patch Tuesday Rundown & Windows 11 Updates
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[05:49–16:09]
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Paul welcomes a “light” Patch Tuesday, contrasting with previous chaotic rollouts.
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Highlights:
- New network speed test in Settings.
- Camera controls in Settings for compatible hardware.
- Quick machine recovery, webp images as wallpaper, Emoji 16.0, Sysmon integration.
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Minimal surprise—Paul’s happy:
"I'm kind of happy with the way this year is going for Windows." (Paul, 05:57)
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Discussion of how update terminology has shifted from “cumulative updates” to “security updates”—and how “feature” changes still sneak in.
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Insider build updates:
- Administrative protection returns (dev/beta), tweaks to drag tray, File Explorer fixes.
- Paul: "I don't actually think we have to get new features every month, but whatever in the system we have...not horrible, I guess." (19:39)
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AI Integration & Development Landscape
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[40:07–62:38]
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Quick history lesson—Microsoft Surface Table nostalgia.
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Rise of cloud-based development tools and “cloud Co-Work” (AI for Excel, etc.).
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How Microsoft is orchestrating best-of-breed AI models.
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Comparison with Google's Gemini integration in Workspace apps:
- Gemini's record-breaking spreadsheet performance (45:00).
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Quote:
"I will not pay for AI. I would pay for something that's a productivity suite that has these features that use AI to make my life better." (Paul, 49:24)
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Anthropic and Mozilla’s partnership to automate code review in Firefox:
"This is an excellent use of AI, right? ... using AI to scan a software code base and to find [issues] is excellent. This is how AI should be used." (Paul, 54:44)
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Paul and Leo share personal/family use-cases for AI (e.g., tax advice and research assistance).
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Advice for AI skeptics: “You have to learn how to use it as much as anything.” (Leo, 66:31)
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Android “Desktop Mode” and Device Convergence
- [25:03–30:38]
- Paul demonstrates Android's new desktop/windowing mode and speculates about future tablets and hybrid devices.
- App quality & mandatory support for windowing/reactive layouts coming in Android 17.
- Hosts tinker with touchscreens and external displays on mobile devices.
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PC Hardware & Intel Announcements
- [30:48–34:41]
- Intel Arrow Lake desktop processors for creators and gamers:
- "They claim [it is] the fastest ever gaming processor they've made." (48:00)
- Highlights: Up to 24 cores, new fast RAM types (CUDIMM), clock speed improvements, price vs. previous generations.
- DDR5/CUDIMM, overclocking, and backwards compatibility issues discussed.
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Xbox: Project Helix and Xbox Mode for Windows
- [87:47–106:07]
- Microsoft confirms Project Helix (next-gen Xbox) will run both Xbox and PC games, powered by a custom AMD SoC, with developer kits coming in 2027.
- "The biggest strength of the Xbox ecosystem is this backward compatibility stuff that they've done." (Paul, 102:06)
- Xbox Mode (formerly Game Mode/Full Screen Experience) will come to all Windows 11 PCs starting April.
- Explores the idea of modular/PC-like consoles and convergence with gaming PCs and Steam Machines.
- Satya Nadella’s Q&A highlighting “four core identities”: platform, developer, knowledge worker, and gaming company.
- “I don't know that Wall Street or anyone from outside the company would have picked those four." (Paul, 90:03)
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Nostalgia & The DIY (“Maker”) Spirit
- [115:32–129:01]
- Paul laments the loss of the enthusiast, tinker-friendly, DIY spirit in home computing ("I wish there was something like those home computers...the actual magic of what this world was like in the very late 70s, early 80s." 115:53).
- Discussion turns to 3D printing, robotics, user groups, and modern maker culture.
- Reflections on the democratization—and siloing—of creativity via the internet.
- Quote:
“I do wish there was that sense of wonder to technology, because some of it is really wonderful. But the companies that are providing this to us, by and large are terrible.” (Paul, 125:48)
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Back of the Book: Recommendations & Whiskey of the Week
- [134:42–149:31]
- Paul’s App/Dev Pick: Stardock’s “Clairvoyance” – an AI-driven app agent workspace and development aide, especially effective in assisting with code review, state management, and feature implementation.
- “If I was a developer, I would pay 200 bucks a month for AI. There's no doubt about it. It’s the greatest gift. The productivity is astonishing.” (Paul, 142:19)
- Richard's Whiskey Pick: Highwood Centennial 10-year Canadian Whiskey (40% ABV):
- “It's a $25 bottle ... very drinkable, wins awards for a reason. It's almost so cheap you can't believe it’s true.” (Richard, 163:46)
Notable Quotes, Moments, & Interactions
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Paul (on incremental Windows updates):
“Too many updates is chaos. And this month and last month ... we've gotten 1/10th the number of feature updates we got last year at this time. ... Patch Tuesday didn't deliver anything unexpected ... uneventful is how I would describe it.” [06:21–07:31]
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Richard’s optimism counterpoint:
"Maybe I'm the forever optimist... New set of senior eyes who wants to make a difference whose first move was to reunify the teams. Like, I'm excited. And this lull speaks to a reorg." [18:09]
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On Gemini’s approach vs Copilot’s branding (Paul):
“Microsoft is still stuck in this branding hell, where they finally found a branding hell to create every time. Everything's called Azure, everything's called ActiveX.” [49:33]
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On AI usefulness (Paul):
"On an individual basis ... you're a skeptic ... and then you have this 'aha' moment and it's going to be different for everybody." [55:18] Discusses his own moment using AI for code analysis.
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On code agents & AI productivity (Paul):
"Clairvoyance is magical. ... It has never screwed me over, not one time. It has never created code that did not compile, which has been a huge problem with the GitHub copilot stuff." [135:18]
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DIY/Maker/Computing nostalgia:
“There was kind of an enthusiast, DIY kind of quality to that early market that I really feel like we don't have today. The closest we've gotten in the modern era, I think, is the Raspberry Pi.” (Paul, 115:47)
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On creativity and “makers”:
“Creators on TikTok … I think there's a huge explosion of creativity among young people. But ... it’s not necessarily electronics…” (Leo, 127:21)
Episode Highlights — Section-by-Section
Patch Tuesday & Windows 11: Calm and Predictable
- Minimal feature additions this month—main discussion point is appreciation for less chaotic change.
- Paul runs down recent Windows Insider builds; administrative protection gets a second chance, File Explorer tweaks.
- Group discusses how the operating system’s development and update cadence is shifting towards incremental, stability-focused improvements.
- Nostalgia for when updates and features felt magical or disruptive—in both a good and bad way.
AI’s Role in Productivity and Development
- Cloud Copilot (cloud Co-Work) and integration in Excel, Microsoft’s “best of breed” orchestration strategy.
- Paul notes Microsoft’s agility in dropping their own efforts for superior third-party approaches, as in cloud Co-Work’s Excel add-on.
- Gemini (Google’s AI) sets new records in spreadsheet benchmarks.
- Gemini/AI features for Google Docs/Sheets focused on style-matching, summarization, consistency—Google avoids cramming “Gemini” into every feature’s branding.
- The best AI integrations are invisible, doing grunt work like bug detection, summarization, and code review—e.g., AI-driven bug discovery for Firefox via Anthropic.
- Personal AI use-cases include research, code generation/analysis, and even financial planning/spreadsheets.
- "The process is as important as the output"—Great results come from working with AI iteratively and knowing what to ask.
The Ongoing Tension: Too Much vs. Too Little Progress
- Windows users want stability; too many features, too fast, creates chaos for IT and end users.
- Paul and Richard debate if Microsoft and Google’s shift to fundamentals-focus is a sign of managerial turnover (lull equals re-org) or meaningful change.
The Nostalgia Segment: Then vs. Now
- Early home computers offered a sense of wonder (Commodore, Atari, Amiga); today’s world is more fragmented.
- Raspberry Pi, 3D printing, and the modern “maker” culture are the closest analogues—but the “general purpose computer” ecosystem has faded.
- Internet and social media allow for niche micro-communities instead of broad, unifying tech movements.
Xbox, Project Helix, and Gaming Convergence
- New Xbox will support both Xbox/PC games, hinting at a hardware/software convergence long anticipated in the Windows/console ecosystem.
- Microsoft aims to leverage the Windows/PC market’s depth and compatibility, perhaps making Xbox more like a "curated PC."
- "This is the smartest thing in the world. This is the strength that Microsoft can leverage if they're going to make hardware." (Paul on Xbox/Windows convergence)
Closing: The Human Side of Computing and the Road Ahead
- Deep discussions on how people relate to their tech; how AI can awaken creativity—or simply automate drudgery.
- The team encourages listeners to experiment, tinker, and find their “aha” moment with AI or whatever technology sparks their curiosity.
Links, Recommendations, and Picks
- Stardock Clairvoyance: AI-powered programming assistant/agent workspace, integrates with top models like Anthropic/Claude and Google Gemini.
- Highwood Centennial 10-Year Canadian Whiskey: Richard’s affordable (and award-winning) whiskey pick.
- Recommended reading: Paul's series on early home computers, and nostalgia-leaning reflections.
Tone & Takeaways
- Relaxed, witty, and occasionally self-deprecating. The hosts are candid about industry cycles, personal mistakes, and the unpredictable (sometimes magical, sometimes maddening) role of technology in daily life.
- Emphasis on incremental improvement and skepticism of hype. Plenty of jokes about branding missteps and how Microsoft, Google, and others "beat names to death."
- Continual encouragement to try new tools (especially AI), with the caveat: Know their limits and be curious but critical.
- A call to rediscover the spirit of tinkering and making, whether through coding, 3D printing, or finding new uses for technology in everyday life.
For Further Exploration
- Listen to the segment on Stardock Clairvoyance and AI-for-developers from [134:42] onward for a firsthand, contemporary “aha!” developer moment with AI.
- For the full flavor of the hosts' nostalgia, go to [115:32–129:01]: "DIY Crocs," user groups, 80s computing, and why 3D printing is today's Croc.
Episode Title Explained: The title "DIY Crocs" appears during a segment where Leo mentions a listener who 3D-prints his own shoes, serving as a metaphor for the inventive, hands-on, “maker” ethos that runs throughout the episode.
🏆 This is a must-listen for Windows/tech history buffs, current IT pros, and anyone curious about AI’s practical impacts beyond the hype.