Windows Weekly 958: "Personal Turkey"

Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell

Episode Overview

This lively episode focuses on Microsoft's latest updates, developer news from .NET Conf, controversy over Microsoft's OpenAI disclosures, and the reveal of Valve's new Steam Machine console. The hosts navigate from discussing Patch Tuesday's biggest Start menu makeover in a while to larger questions about AI fatigue in the tech industry, strategy shifts in PC and console gaming, and a behind-the-scenes look at modern Windows customizations. There's also a deep-dive into Japanese whiskey, Thanksgiving traditions, and the culture of software development tools.

Main Topics & Timestamps

• Dairy Farm Chitchat & Start of Show [00:00–04:52]
• Patch Tuesday & Major Start Menu Changes [04:52–12:16]
• Ignite Conference, AI Fatigue & Microsoft Strategy [12:16–18:52]
• Secure Future Initiative & Windows Security Changes [19:30–22:41]
• .NET Conf, Visual Studio 2026, and Developer Productivity [58:14–72:29]
• Valve's New Steam Machine & Gaming Industry Analysis [82:26–94:06]
• Halo, Fallout, and Grand Theft Auto 6 Delays [95:57–102:34]
• Back of the Book: Windows De-bloating, RunAs Radio, and Whiskey [119:09–141:53]
• Thanksgiving Prep & Show Wrap [142:09–148:09]

Key Discussion Points

Patch Tuesday and Windows 11 Updates

[04:52–12:16]

• Major UI Update:
  The Windows 11 Start menu received its most notable change in years, now offering a new third section ("apps" categorized akin to Apple's App Library) and improved scaling on large monitors.

  • Paul Thurrott: "This might be the biggest UI change to Windows 11 in a long time that people actually notice." [05:12]
  • Customization of recommendations (apps/documents) is still available.
  • Battery icon now color-coded for status (charging, low, etc.), with percentage display option.
  • "Administrative protection" for local admin accounts – off by default but very intrusive if enabled.
  • New features for Copilot+ PCs, click-to-do enhancements, and File Explorer submenu improvements.
  • Semantic search now more widely available.

• Productivity Features:
  Features like on-screen translation and unit conversion are added, which Thurrott suggests are "fine, but not for me." [11:51]

Microsoft Ignite, In-Person Events, and AI Show Fatigue

[12:16–19:22]

• Mixed enthusiasm about the upcoming Ignite conference; not sold out, perhaps due to "AI fatigue" in the industry.
• Richard Campbell: "I'm talking to several other AI-related shows that are getting a lot of lash back. People are pretty burned out." [16:37]
• Satya Nadella will not deliver the Ignite keynote this year, possibly signaling a change in focus or tone.
• Discussion of Microsoft's communication: inventing new buzzwords, complicating public messaging.
• Strong feeling among the team, and even Microsoft employees, that 2025 has been exhausting: "Ready for this year to be done." [12:44]

Security, Passkeys, and Surface Firmware Innovations

[19:30–22:41]

• Microsoft is positioning Windows 11 security advances ahead of Ignite, part of its "Secure Future Initiative."
• Emphasizes passkeys, passwordless sign-in, and new admin protections.
  • "The Password manager built into Edge ... supports third-party password managers like 1Password and, I think, Bitwarden or Dashlane." [20:39]
• Paul Thurrott notes Surface devices now use Rust-based UEFI firmware for enhanced security, and this work has been open-sourced.

Windows Insider, Build Channels, and Versioning Mysteries

[24:46–26:47]

• 26H1 build released to the "Canary Channel," but with no new features — adding to confusion about Insider release cycles.
  • "Are you trying to use Canary like it’s a canary?" [24:59]
• The clarity of Windows release naming is still lacking.

Qualcomm Earnings, Apple Dependencies, and Diversification

[26:47–30:18]

• Discussion of Qualcomm's recent financials (one-time multi-billion dollar write-down), and the company’s framing of revenue to downplay Apple’s percentage.
  • Paul Thurrott: "They want to show that the business is healthy without [Apple], because at some point Apple’s going to drop them like the bad habit that Apple believes they are." [27:21]
• The importance of Android in Qualcomm’s revenue, future bets on AI/data-center chips.

Microsoft’s Lack of OpenAI Transparency

[40:05–44:12]

• Wall Street Journal criticizes Microsoft for not fully disclosing the financial impact or details of their OpenAI stake — possibly in violation of legal requirements for public companies.
  • "This investment has a material impact on your revenues and you have to disclose that... It's the law, and they're not doing it." [40:27]
• OpenAI's internal projections: possibly $74 billion in yearly losses by 2028. Hosts question when the bubble bursts and compare to historical tech bubbles.
  • Richard Campbell: "People are pretty burned out... and we know this is a bubble and it’s ending." [16:47]

Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI, & Humanist Superintelligence

[44:12–52:46]

• Mustafa Suleyman, now head of "Microsoft AI," is praised for his thoughtful perspective on AGI (artificial general intelligence) and the direction of Microsoft’s AI work.
  • He’s advocating for "superintelligence that works for human goals, not replaces humanity" [49:14]
• The hosts observe that AI product news is slowing, and the industry is questioning the utility and hype around ever-larger LLM models.
  • Richard Campbell: "What you really want is an orchestrator across an array of smaller models." [50:32]
• Microsoft’s internal alignment on what constitutes AGI and how the company wants to frame its AI ambitions.

.NET Conf, Visual Studio 2026, and Uno Platform News

[58:14–73:16]

• .NET 10 and Visual Studio 2026 launched at .NET Conf.
  • Visual Studio 2026 much more performant: "They made some real nice foundational changes... Everything was running on the same UI thread basically — now it doesn’t." [58:37–58:59]
  • Monthly update cadence, following VSCode’s model.
• Uno Platform demo: using AI to modernize old apps and build cross-platform UIs automatically ("My whole life is a waste of time... It took three minutes to make this.") [66:04]
• Lively discussion about the history and challenges of visual designers vs. hand-coding UI (XAML, Windows Forms, WPF, etc.)

Valve’s New Steam Machine Announcement (GabeCube!)

[82:26–94:06]

• Valve announces a new "Steam Machine" gaming console (cube-shaped, with AMD hardware), billed as six times faster than the Steam Deck.
  • Runs SteamOS (Linux) but users can install Windows if they prefer.
• Discussion about the strategic implications: Could this be a step away from Windows entirely?
• Hosts joke about the "GabeCube" label (after Gabe Newell), the VR play, and capability for users to install other OSes and apps.
  • Richard Campbell: "Anything that drives more business into Steam itself... Who’s got a better collection of emails of gamers than Steam?" [86:02]
• Hardware specs (16 GB RAM, Zen 4, upgradable SSD); price and availability still unknown.
• Console wars analysis: have consoles hit their plateau?

Classic Franchises & Game Industry Trends

[95:57–102:34]

• Fallout 4 anniversary edition now supports Xbox Play Anywhere (cross-buy on PC/Xbox).
• Halo franchise transitions to Unreal Engine for future releases; original bespoke engine seen as a bottleneck for hiring and innovation.
• Grand Theft Auto 6 delayed again to end of 2026 ("the most eagerly awaited game maybe of all time"), bringing up memories of Duke Nukem Forever and the dangers of over-long development cycles.

Debloating Windows & Anti-Enshittification

[119:09–124:29]

• Paul discusses "Anti-Enshittification" — removing Windows bloat ("Tiny 11 Builder" PowerShell script to remove OneDrive, Edge, nags, telemetry, etc.).
  • "With anything after the fact... will Microsoft silently flip a switch and turn this stuff back on? That’s a concern because they update this thing all the time. So far, so good." [122:46]
• Users are increasingly interested in "making Windows not stink anymore" via these customizations.

RunAs Radio Pick: Azure Resiliency

[124:41–127:19]

• Richard interviews Chris Ayers (Microsoft) on Azure’s resiliency; balancing cost of reliability vs. downtime.
  • Real-world admin advice, disaster recovery best practices, Azure Well-Architected Framework.

Whiskey and International Flavors

[127:34–141:53]

• Richard reviews the Kyoto Kura Obi Japanese whiskey (complete with a fancy "obi" wrap), detours into the complexities and marketing tricks of Japanese whiskey.
  • "This is a company that’s diminishing the quality of Japanese whiskey... in Japan, they don’t buy this stuff because they know it's a lie." [140:07]
• Culture/history of Kyoto and the evolution of Japanese distilling.

Thanksgiving Talk & Show Wrap

[142:09–148:09]

• The hosts swap Thanksgiving food plans, brining secrets, and family hunting stories.
• Leo reminds listeners that supporting Club TWiT helps keep the show ad-free and running, with after-show community events and AMAs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Microsoft and AI Fatigue:
  "There's also this whole era of we know this is a bubble and it’s ending. Why are you still pretending it’s not?" — Richard Campbell [16:51]

• On Product Announcements:
  "If TWiT announcers are gonna cover it live, you know it's gonna be something good." — Paul Thurrott [19:11]

• On Valve’s New Console:
  "Anything that drives more business into Steam itself, right? Who’s got a better collection of emails of gamers than Steam?" — Richard Campbell [86:02]

• On Making Windows Livable:
  "Most of the tip type stuff that we have today is like: how do we just make Windows not stink anymore?" — Paul Thurrott [119:20]

• On Thanksgiving Secrets:
  "I think everyone should have a personal turkey." — Paul Thurrott [145:08]

Episode Tone & Style

Warmly irreverent, full of good-natured teasing and deep tech commentary. The hosts do not shy away from diving into the nuances of industry trends, product design, and developer experience — yet relate these issues to everyday computer user frustrations, aging tech, and even holiday cooking. Tech savviness meets real-life candor.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a quintessential Windows Weekly: a blend of hard news (Windows 11 updates, Ignite, AI, .NET), industry analysis (gaming, OpenAI, security), and personal stories that make even deep technical topics accessible and occasionally hilarious.
A must-listen for anyone invested in the Microsoft world, enterprise software, or just trying to keep up with the rapidly morphing landscape of computing, security, and tech culture.

For more, subscribe and join live Wednesdays at twit.tv/ww.