Windows Weekly 971: Texas English – Where Does Xbox Go Next?

Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell

Episode Overview

This episode explores the unique moment Microsoft finds itself in across Windows, AI, and especially Xbox, with deep dives into user interface tweaks, telemetry, privacy, AI advancements, and a forward-looking, candid discussion about the next act for Xbox. The hosts, true Microsoft insiders, share personal workflow choices, industry context, and tech history, while maintaining their usual humor and candor. The episode is a mix of hands-on tips, speculation about Microsoft’s console future, and a healthy skepticism about the current trajectory of Windows and Xbox.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Windows 11 User Interface: Return of Taskbar Flexibility

Topic: Rumors that Microsoft may bring back the ability to move the Windows taskbar

• [02:11] Paul Thurrott reports rumors (from Zach at Windows Central) that Microsoft is working on restoring Windows 11 features removed since Windows 10, such as moving the taskbar to different sides of the screen.
• Windows 11 had a complete rewrite of the taskbar and Start menu code, which led to lost functionality and a sense of regression for power users.
  • Quote: “...when Windows 11 debuted, if you right-clicked the taskbar, you only got one item in the context menu for taskbar settings—in Windows 10 you had about 117 items” — Paul ([04:21])
• User habits differ: Richard prefers putting the taskbar on the left for coding productivity, while Paul finds himself reverting to defaults after trying alternatives.
  • Quote: “The habit of putting the taskbar on the left for me came from coding. Just that all vertical space to me is important for lines of code.” — Richard ([06:30])
• Ongoing dissatisfaction about the lack of Start menu resizability and other seemingly obvious omissions:
  • Quote: “...you get the feeling sometimes with the UI stuff that the people who made this don’t actually use Windows” — Paul ([10:49])

2. Windows Insiders, Patch Updates, and PC Market Context

Topic: Beta and preview builds; industry reactions

• [14:00] Updates in the Windows Insider channels are iterative and lack major UI features—mostly low-level fixes.
  • Quote: “None of these are...superfluous UI changes...they’re all kind of low level, product improvements.” — Paul ([16:17])
• New features like Emoji 16, camera controls, network speed test (which just opens a website), and auto machine recovery, along with the inclusion of Sysmon.
• PC industry insight: Lenovo posts record revenue, now holding ~25% market share, indicating strong demand driven by PC refresh cycles and anticipation of Windows 11 migrations.

3. Telemetry, Privacy, and Customization in Windows

Topic: Philosophical and practical battles over privacy and Windows update behavior

• Paul discusses the evolution toward intrusive telemetry, upselling, and advertising IDs within Windows.
  • Recalls “privacy theater” screens, where opting out is difficult by design ([78:12]).
• Both Paul and Richard are looking for reliable ways to keep customized or “de-inshitified” (Paul’s term) installations consistent, instead of constantly chasing moving targets after updates or reinstalls.
  • Tools discussed: Win11Debloat and Tiny11Builder for deep configuration and debloating ([75:09]).

4. AI & Software Development: New Era, Same Old Questions

Topic: The real impact and hype cycles of AI, especially in development and content creation

• Google launches 30-second music generation in Gemini and continues with game asset generation experiments ([24:33]); similar advances noted in Anthropic’s tools.
• Paul and Richard agree that truly transformative use cases will emerge from the intersection of AI and user intent—not necessarily in app replacements but in more flexible, intent-driven workflows.
  • Conversation about “document-centric” computing and shifting away from rigid app paradigms.
  • Quote: “...the goal wasn’t to use a tool, the goal was to get something done.” — Richard ([32:09])
• Reflections on decades of “no code/low code” dreams, with current LLMs possibly being the breakthrough.

5. Voice Recognition, Linguistics, and AI Milestones

Topic: From Texas English to Scottish elevators—the journey of speech recognition

• Amusing discussion about how, for decades, speech engines were sensitive to accents (“Texas English”), and how far we've come even if some problems remain ([38:12]).
  • Quote: “It only understood Texas English.” — Paul ([39:10])

6. Xbox: Pivoting Toward the Future

Topic: What’s next for Xbox as hardware revenues plummet?

• [45:52ff] Core segment: Noting the conspicuous absence of Phil Spencer recently and speculating on big changes for Xbox.
  • Xbox hardware revenue has fallen double-digits for several years, fueling speculation about the future.
  • Phil Spencer’s previous openness is contrasted with recent silence—suggesting a major internal shift.
  • GDC (Game Developers Conference) will feature Microsoft discussing the “future of Xbox game development” ([48:02]).
• Paul’s thesis: Xbox’s future may be as a Windows PC, with full integration and a focus on backward compatibility, but with significant licensing hurdles.
  • Quote: “I feel like the next Xbox console will in fact be a Windows PC. And for that to happen...backward compatibility of Xbox console games has to occur on the PC.” — Paul ([48:54])
• Discussion about tiers of Xbox-PC hybrid hardware (“maybe there are three or something”) and technical/user-experience implications.
• The group also highlights the importance of seamless automatic game updates—an Xbox feature that’s woefully missing on Windows PCs ([61:23]).
• Brief on cloud gaming: hosts remain skeptical about its widespread viability, citing latency and experience issues ([69:36]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Taskbar nostalgia:
  “A lot of power users especially relied on [taskbar customizations]...they lost the ability to move the thing around.”—Paul ([04:10])

• On Microsoft’s privacy approach:
  “The reason [Microsoft doesn’t enable some security settings by default]? Wait for it. Is privacy reasons, which is like what?”—Paul ([85:09])

• Document vs. App debate in the AI era:
  “We’ve got to stop thinking about these apps. You’re doing something...and you want to share elements of it...as a project.” — Paul ([31:48])

• Xbox’s silence:
  “Phil Spencer...has disappeared. I have not heard from Phil Spencer possibly in months.”—Paul ([47:13])

• Xbox and the PC merge:
  “...for the three of you who care about this one, the GeForce Now, the Nvidia cloud game streaming service is available on newer Fire TV streaming sticks…” — Paul ([68:14])

• Pauls’ signature turn of phrase:
  “...deinshitifying Windows...” ([75:09])

Segment Timestamps

• Taskbar and UI: [02:11]–[10:58]
• Windows Update/Patch/Beta: [14:00]–[17:01]
• PC Industry (Lenovo, Windows 11 rollout): [17:01]–[23:12]
• AI, Music Generation, and Developer Experience: [24:33]–[34:48]
• Voice Recognition/Language Anecdotes: [38:12]–[41:47]
• Xbox: Future and Hardware/Software Discussion: [45:52]–[61:00]
• Xbox/PC Integration and Cloud Gaming: [61:00]–[70:40]
• Tips: Windows 11 Debloating/Privacy: [75:09]–[91:19]
• Back of the Book: Whiskey Segment: [97:07]–[118:18]

Back of the Book

Paul’s Windows Tips

Topic: Debloating Windows 11 & Managing Privacy

• Win11DeBloat PowerShell script now has a GUI! ([75:09])
• Use to remove bloatware, control telemetry, AI features, and stop forced reboots.
• Rich discussion on the broken privacy ecosystem in Windows with “privacy theater” and scattered toggles ([78:12], [85:09]).
• Recommends disabling Windows Spotlight on the desktop and using the Bing Wallpaper app for tasteful, minimal daily backgrounds ([92:52]).
  • Quote: “I’m recommending something with the word Bing in it...just mull over that one.” — Paul ([95:33])

Richard’s RunAs Radio Rec

Show: RunAs Radio #1024
Topic: Using LLMs for Red Team Hacking

• Guest: Erica Burgess on applying agents and LLMs for advanced vulnerability testing. Improved automation and security analysis ([97:07]).

Whiskey Pick: Lot 40 Canadian Rye

• Deep historical journey through 19th-century Canadian whiskey, Prohibition, and the science of distillation.
• “Apologetic” and approachable 100% rye—available for $47 in the US ([113:10]).
• “It’s super drinkable for a reasonable price...it happens to be 100% rye, and it has this microbiology bent to it...but ultimately it’s just...a good whiskey.” — Richard ([115:54])

Closing Thoughts

• Candid advice to listeners on waiting for second-gen Panther Lake laptops due to reliability ([121:39]).
• The trio’s signature banter, tales of malfunctioning laptops, life with AI-as-admin, and tech nostalgia round out the episode.

For More:

• Thurrott.com for Paul’s writing
• RunAsRadio.com for Richard’s podcast
• Show archives and club info at twit.tv/ww

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a snapshot of Microsoft at a crossroads—Windows re-learning old UI lessons, Xbox potentially morphing into a PC-based platform, and AI pushing both workflow and developer boundaries. The hosts deliver a blend of tech critique, humor, and practical wisdom for both Windows tinkerers and anyone watching the evolution of consumer and enterprise computing.