Windows Weekly Episode 950: "Coding Makes Me Cry"

Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Guest: Paul Thurrott (Richard Campbell absent)

Episode Overview

In episode 950, Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott (with Richard Campbell traveling) unpack major developments in Microsoft’s Windows ecosystem and the broader tech world. Centered on Consumer Reports’ letter to Satya Nadella asking for extended Windows 10 support, the discussion branches into Windows update cycles, device longevity, environmental concerns, enhanced security features, insider build changes, AI’s evolving role in Microsoft products, the complicated Microsoft/OpenAI relationship, and even reflections on the changing landscape of personal computing.

Main Topics & Insights

1. Consumer Reports' Plea: Extending Windows 10 Support

• Context: Consumer Reports sent an open letter to Satya Nadella, advocating for continued Windows 10 support past its scheduled EOL (October 14, 2025), citing almost half of Windows users still run Windows 10.

• Key Points:

  • Support Model Shift: Microsoft switched to a pay-extra model for extended support but is granting consumers one extra year free; business customers can pay for up to three more years.
  • PC Reliability: PCs are more reliable and longer-lived than ever; Paul contends, "You could make a case that maybe, maybe it should be supported longer." (04:23)
  • Hardware Compatibility Woes: The move to Windows 11 left many relatively new PCs behind due to higher hardware requirements (TPM2, 8th-gen CPUs); this differs from forced upgrades seen in Apple and Android ecosystems.
  • Alternatives & E-Waste: Many perfectly usable PCs aren’t upgradable. Leo and Paul discuss options like Linux, ChromeOS Flex, and donation programs, but note these aren’t practical for most consumers.
  • Environmental/Equity Concerns: Discontinuing support risks premature device retirement—affecting those least able to upgrade ("It’s the sad thing here is that the people who can least afford to upgrade are going to be stuck with these older computers…" – Paul, 13:58).

• Notable Quote:

  "The thing that I think... is just that this isn't the biggest digital platform or a personal computing platform ... This is a weird place to drive a stake into the ground."
  — Paul Thurrott (18:38)

2. Windows 10/11 Security Features – Underused Protections

• Security Improvements in 11: Modern versions are more secure, especially with new hardware enforcement. However, many enhancements are not enabled by default.
• Key Recommendations (from the end of the show, 126:45):
  • Smart App Control: Protects from unknown apps. Should be on, but often isn’t and is tricky to re-enable.
  • Ransomware Protection: Off by default; should be turned on unless you specifically need privacy.
  • Administrative Protection: Next-level UAC; more secure but potentially annoying, especially for developers.
  • Windows Hello Enhancements: Use enhanced recognition and enroll multiple scans/fingerprints for reliability.
  • Phone Link for Notifications: Lets you copy security codes straight from Windows notifications for seamless 2FA.
• Registry Hacks: Tweaks for enabling features—applies with caution!
  • "I have a bunch of those. I have one that turns off caps lock..." (Paul, 138:11)

3. Insider Builds, ISOs, and the State of Windows Development

• Insider Build Highlights:
  • 25H2 nearly ready in Release Preview; ISOs for x64 available, ARM lags behind.
  • Tools like Rufus, Tiny11, and workarounds for Microsoft account requirements still functional.
  • Continued updates to "Click to Do", Copilot, and new features for gaming handhelds (full controller navigation).
• Quick Machine Recovery: Automatic cloud-connected troubleshooting for inoperable PCs—demonstrates Microsoft's focus on manageable, uniform OS bases.
  • "The goal is that it should fix the problem for you." (Paul, 36:20)

4. The Future of the PC and Changing User Needs

• Windows No Longer at the Center:
  • Reflecting on two decades of change, Paul observes:
    • Windows' dominance has waned in favor of simpler, more streamlined computing experiences—iPads, Chromebooks, mobile devices.
    • Extended support policies for Windows are unusually generous by consumer electronics standards.
  • Quote:

    "Windows is like not the future of computing. ... These things have to just work and just be simple ... Those are not Windows PCs. I'm sorry."
    — Paul Thurrott (27:45)

• Apple's Touch MacBook Rumors:
  • Discussion around rumors of an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro.
  • The divide between "truck" computers (complex, flexible) and mainstream devices (simple, reliable) is acknowledged.
  • Microsoft’s attempts to “simplify” Windows (S Mode, Windows X) haven’t caught on, and their strategic focus has shifted to cloud, enterprise, and AI.

5. Microsoft's Business Focus: Subscription Over Platform

• Shifts in Priorities:
  • Subscription services (Microsoft 365, Copilot, Game Pass) eclipse attention to the consumer OS experience.
  • "They don't care about the Windows experience ... They're not interested in selling a version of Windows. They're interested in your money every month forever." — Paul (60:09)
  • Surface and Xbox serve more as delivery vehicles for subscription revenue than as hardware profit centers.

6. Microsoft 365, Teams, and Regulatory Antitrust

• EU and Slack v. Teams Antitrust:
  • Years-long case ends with Microsoft unbundling Teams from 365 for companies and offering APIs, but, as Paul quips:

    "All this time and it's like, okay, nothing is really changing. I mean, it's the same." (84:15)

• Copilot Integration:
  • Microsoft is adding a Copilot chat sidebar to Office apps for free. It's "grounded in the web," mimicking Clippy but as an AI side-panel.
  • Critique on changing branding (Office > Microsoft 365 > Microsoft 365 Copilot, shifting what features are available, e.g., inability to edit in the all-in-one app).

7. Microsoft & OpenAI: Divorce on the Horizon?

• Shaky Partnership:
  • Reports suggest Microsoft and OpenAI are restructuring terms; possibly lowering revenue share for Microsoft, increasing OpenAI's freedom to use non-Azure infrastructure.
  • Each company building its own models and toolchains—future "multi-model selection" in VS Code shows Microsoft moving toward AI orchestration, not exclusive partnership.
• VS Code & AI Model Selection:
  • Visual Studio Code now supports automatic/optimized model selection—choosing the best AI backend for the task.
  • Empowers future expansion across Microsoft 365 and developer tools.
  • Modern preview of Visual Studio 2026 praised for improved responsiveness.

8. Hardware Watch: A Quiet Holiday Season

• No Major PC Chip Launches at IFA; only Qualcomm’s event (next-gen Snapdragon X for PC) expected to make hardware news.
• Xbox/Windows Gaming:
  • Xbox PC app now aggregates games across PC storefronts (Steam, Epic, GOG, etc.).
  • Full controller navigation support coming to Windows handheld devices.
  • Epic v. Google antitrust fallout: Play Store must open to alternate stores/payment within 30 days unless Supreme Court intervenes.

9. Developer Life: Why Coding Makes Me Cry

• Modern Microsoft frameworks’ complexity frustrates even experienced developers.
• AI tools for coding often add confusion, not clarity ("you plug it in, that has a new error ... then it’s six hours later ... and you just want to cry. That’s what programming is." – Paul, 66:52)
• The addictive satisfaction of solving bugs—"the pot of gold at the end."

10. App Pick: Google’s Surprise Windows Search App

• Google releases a Windows desktop search tool—Google App for Windows—combining web search, Drive integration, and AI/Gemini features in a Spotlight-like overlay (Alt+Space).
  • "This came out of nowhere..." — Paul (138:36)
  • Not yet for ARM, requires a personal Google account.
  • A possible Copilot competitor as Google’s AI reputation surges.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Windows 10’s End:
  "You're taking the last version of Windows ever and putting it out of support. That doesn't ... ring true somehow..." — Leo, (22:26)

• On AI & Productivity:
  “Now you have this big thing on the top, the ribbon, you have this big thing on the side, the Copilot chat window... It is very much like the Clippy thing, except ... it’s more sophisticated.” — Paul, (91:00)

• On Coding Woes:
  "You just want someone to be like—I don't want to be applauded, I just want someone to understand it was work and ... I solved it ... I just want it to matter somehow." — Paul, (69:57)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:41–22:57 – Consumer Reports’ letter and Windows 10 support deep dive.
• 26:13–28:41 – Broader reflections: the changing face of computing.
• 44:27–51:42 – Apple’s rumored OLED touchscreen MacBook; modern device opportunities for average users.
• 56:00–63:01 – Microsoft’s shift to subscriptions, discussion on why they won't make simpler consumer OSes.
• 83:00–97:05 – Microsoft 365, Teams antitrust, and Copilot’s increasing role.
• 97:05–107:32 – OpenAI partnership speculation and developer tool AI integration.
• 109:22–117:28 – Hardware news: quiet PC fall, Xbox app cross-store support, and Play Store ruling.
• 126:45–137:20 – Secret Windows 11 security tips/settings (Smart App Control, ransomware, etc.).
• 138:36–144:22 – App Pick: Google’s new Windows desktop search app.

Tone & Style

The hosts blend sharp technical analysis with irreverent, insightful banter. Paul’s candid takes as a windows veteran (“Coding makes me cry") pair with Leo’s consumer and big-picture perspectives for a lively, occasionally nostalgic discussion. There’s a theme of realism—acknowledging legacy tech’s decay, celebrating progress, but lamenting modern frustrations from complex frameworks to evolving business models that sideline classic user/consumer priorities.

Listen Further

For those interested in deeper dives:

• Paul’s premium writing and updated Field Guide to Windows 11 on Thurrott.com
• Microsoft 365, Office, and Copilot developments on Microsoft’s official blogs
• Google’s Windows app: labs.google.com/search

Next Week:

• Paul checks in from Hawaii ahead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon event, Richard returns, and more on the evolution of Windows, AI, and the Microsoft ecosystem.