Windows Weekly 914

We heard you missed us. We’re back.

Windows

• Microsoft declares 2025 the “year of the Windows 11 PC refresh."
• As likely as “year of the Linux desktop”
• The theory: Windows 10 EOL, AI PCs, lingering security fears from CrowdStrike
• The issue: Windows 10 has 63 usage share right now. At this point in time, Windows 7 had only 25 percent usage share (and was in second place, not first)
• Intel joins in on this fever dream but we’ve stopped listening
• More interesting: AMD is kicking ass and taking names. And we thought the existing chips were good (they are). Related to this, PC makers are embracing AMD like never before. Check out HP’s workstations (including laptops)
• Microsoft is blocking the 24H2 update on PCs with Auto HDR enabled
• New Canary and Beta builds ring in the New Year
• Not that it matters, but Windows 11 almost had Vista Ultimate Extras-like dynamic wallpapers
• Dell kills XPS and all its other PC brands because Dell is stupid and doesn’t know what it had

Arm & PCs

• Qualcomm defeated Arm Holdings in licensing dispute court case. And, yes, it won big time, contrary to Arm’s nonsense
• Qualcomm announces an even lower-end Snapdragon X chip for $600 PCs, so ASUS announces an $1100 laptop that uses it
• Snapdragon Dev Kit update
• Part 2 of Paul’s history of Windows on Arm is up
• New Arm PCs announced, including desktops. Ahead of CES, Geekom jumped the gun and said it was coming out with a Snapdragon X-based NUC. Lenovo has a NUC/SFF
• NVIDIA and MediaTek confirm partnership on Arm chips for PCs

Microsoft 365

• First, GitHub Copilot, but now Microsoft 365 Copilot will allegedly stop using OpenAI exclusively
• Microsoft reveals (confirms) it will spend $80 billion on AI infrastructure in FY 2025 as it suckles up to Trump like the rest of the tech industry
• Microsoft and OpenAI allegedly tied AGI milestone to profits, not intelligence

Xbox & Gaming

• Microsoft discusses a console-like experience for Windows handheld gaming. Tied to that, a new generation of handheld gaming PCs is on the way
• Xbox Game Pass says Happy New Year with a full slate of Activision Blizzard titles. Just kidding
• NVIDIA announces new graphics cards for PCs
• No one wants this, but Xbox is coming to LG smart TVs
• Xbox Rewards shuffles the deck chairs, hopes no one notices it’s worse now

Tips & Picks

• Tip of the week: Spend a little, upgrade to Windows 11
• App pick of the week: Microsoft PowerToys
• RunAs Radio this week: Least Privilege in 2025 with Bailey Bercik
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

• Transcripts: Windows Weekly 914 Transcript

Links

• Microsoft is Blocking 24H2 Update on Windows 11 PCs With Auto HDR Enabled
• Microsoft Calls 2025 “The Year of The Windows 11 PC Refresh”
• Intel Dramatically Expands it Core Ultra Series 2 Processor Family
• Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (AMD) Review
• AMD Dramatically Expands Zen 5 Processor Family
• HP Unleashes New AI PCs for Consumers, Gamers, and Businesses
• Windows Insider Program Rings in the New Year with New Canary and Beta Builds
• Microsoft Considered Shipping Dynamic Wallpapers with Windows 11
• Dell Kills Iconic XPS Brand in PC Purge
• Qualcomm Defeats Arm in Court (Updated)
• Arm Was All Bark, No Bite in Battle with Qualcomm (Premium)
• Qualcomm Announces Entry-Level Snapdragon X PC Chip
• Snapped: Adventures in Snapdragon Dev Kit Recovery (Premium)
• Hands-On: Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows
• Then and Now, Part 2: Feeling Blue (Premium)
• GEEKOM Confirms Snapdragon X NUC
• Lenovo Announces New PCs for Consumers, Gamers, and Businesses
• MediaTek, Nvidia Confirm Partnership on Arm Chips
• Microsoft 365 Copilot Will Reportedly Stop Using OpenAI Models Exclusively
• Report: Microsoft, OpenAI Tied AGI Metric to Profits, Not Intelligence
• Microsoft is Working on Console-Like Experience For Windows-Based Gaming Handhelds
• Acer Announces New Copilot+ PCs, Handheld Gaming PCs, and Laptops
• Lenovo’s Legion Go S Will Let Gamers Choose Between Windows 11 and SteamOS
• Diablo and EA Sports UFC 5 Are Coming To Game Pass in January
• Nvidia Unveils its GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs
• Xbox is Coming to LG TVs
• Rewards with Xbox Program Expands With New PC Game Pass Quests and More
• Crazy Eddie is Coming for Windows 11 (Premium)
• Modernizing .NETpad: It’s a Wrap (Premium)
• Modernizing .NETpad: Late Breaking Structural Changes (Premium)
• PowerToys
• .NETpad 2025: What Comes Next (Premium)
• Least Privilege in 2025 with Bailey Bercik
• Kilbeggan