Windows Weekly 886: The Old Banana in the Tailpipe

Leo, Richard, and Paul discuss the long-awaited Copilot+ PC launch, Windows 11, AI, Xbox, and so much more.

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Copilot+ PC launches: Hot or not?

Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC launch was undermined by unnecessary controversy, but here we are. A lot has happened since last week:

• Behind the scenes, Microsoft asked/demanded that PC makers NOT ship review units to reviewers until Recall was fixed
• On Thursday, Microsoft announced it would delay Recall, and test it with the crack team of testers in Insiders first – It was easier to remove it than fix it, as it turns out – Still coming in preview to stable this year, not clear when
• On Saturday, Microsoft delivered the 24H2 Patch Tuesday update we didn’t get last week – if you’re on 24H2 per Paul’s tip, you will get it in WU
• PC makers alerted reviewers they would ship PCs on Tuesday, Copilot+ PC launch day
• Here’s what happens when you turn it on the first time: An update to this new version of 24H2 before you can do anything else, probably a firmware update (model dependent) – The Xbox game-ification of laptop releases

Microsoft, like Apple (and Google), would love to see an AI hardware upgrade cycle

• The irony: The AI features in Copilot+ PC are not compelling. Come for the AI, but stay for the efficiency, uptime, and reliability
• A quick MacBook Air demo

Paul expects to review three Copilot+ PCs soon:

• Surface Laptop 7, which is sitting at home in PA waiting for him
• HP OmniBook X or EliteBook Ultra, could be in Mexico as soon as today
• Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x

Related: Opera One is Arm-native in stable

Key takeaway: We need Arm. Two bits on unintended dark comedy:

• An x86 PC error message
• A tale of stickers. Laptop stickers

Windows 11

Hey, remember us? We’re still a thing

Windows Insider – In addition to the latest 24H2 build resuming in Release Preview …

• New Beta and Dev builds (last week) – changes to the Start Menu, Windows Spotlight, and Phone Link in Beta, bug fixes and no new features in Dev – Your phone will soon be added to Share, jump lists in Start
• Beta and Release Preview (today) – Copilot as an app, again.
• And speaking of pausing builds, Microsoft has paused last week’s Canary build … but hasn’t said why. We know why.

Let’s talk about 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2 and the rest of the year

• Right now, 22H2 and 23H2 are identical – win/win: Microsoft wants the same features everywhere, some users don’t want to install a Feature Update
• The initial release of 24H2 is in stable, so now we have three supported Win11 versions
• This is temporary: 22H2 EOL on October 8, a Patch Tuesday
• 22H2 and 23H2 will get all 24H2 features this summer – so three versions, all identical (this excludes Copilot+ features, obviously)
• “Final” release of 24H2 to ship in same October time frame as ever
• So we will have two supported Win11 versions again, 23H2 and 24H2. And they will have the same features. Again.

The Achilles Heel of Windows remains: Could we get an adult to steer this shift and get rid of the enshittification?

• One example that’s common throughout Windows 11: Make a UX change, remove a feature by mistake
• Related: Three different power management problems in Mexico this week with three different laptops, two Intel-based (both different gens) and AMD. Again, we need Arm. But the fear is that Windows is the issue, could undermine the hardware. Or maybe it’s the PC makers. there are many theories.

AI

Apple will roll out its Apple Intelligence features through 2025. Can we get a “Slow COOKed” joke, anyone? But seriously, smart.

Related: Apple reveals how it trained its AI

Related: Apple isn’t paying OpenAI for AI, Google deal on Gemini is incoming

Just after Paul signs up for an Adobe subscription plan, the US government sues Adobe for its subscription plans. You’re never going to believe what happened next

Related: Adobe is adding Firefly AI to Acrobat because of course it is

Brave Leo now integrates Brave Search results when it makes sense for up-to-date info

Xbox

Here are some more Game Pass titles for the second half of June – Right, nothing from Activision

Nintendo announces a metric ton of new Switch games … including a new Metroid Prime title

• Metroid might be tied to Switch 2 launch

Boosteroid announces a 4K Ultra subscription plan in Europe

Tips and picks

Dev pick of the week: MAUI extension for VS Code is GA

And other acronyms you’ll love

App pick of the week: Artifact lives!

Unfortunately, it’s called Yahoo News now. But seriously.

RunAs Radio this week: Microsoft Defender in the Cloud with Yuri Diogenes

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/937

Brown liquor pick of the week: Elsburn the Journey 2023

https://www.hercynian-distilling.de/english-1/the-whisky/