Windows Weekly 899: Functional But Disturbing

Mikah, Richard, and Paul discuss the 24H2 schedule, some new review laptops, Copilot Wave 2, Office LTSC, Intel, Xbox, and much more.

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Windows 11

Microsoft comes clean on the schedule for Windows 11 version 24H2

  • It’s nothing new, but it’s the first time they’ve been explicit

Related: The first AMD Zen 5-based Copilot+ PC in here (if here means “Paul’s house”). A few observations…

A few thoughts on where we’re at with Copilot+ PCs, AI, etc.

Microsoft deprecates legacy DRM in Windows

Compete alert: Google is bringing desktop windowing capabilities to Android

Microsoft 365 + AI/Dev

Microsoft announces “Copilot Wave 2” with new Agent Builder, Pages experience, more

Office LTSC 2024 is now available for businesses – consumer versions in “the coming weeks”

Microsoft held its security summit with CrowdStrike, etc. There were no reports of a tarp on the floor.

Semi-related: Apple releases annual upgrades for all its hardware platforms and not an iota of AI in sight

  • This is the end of an era. An era we will think back on as “the good old days”

Microsoft issues .NET 9 RC1 ahead of November release

  • Clear to Paul that the WPF support in this release will never be updated again, which sucks

Hardware

Intel finally has some good news: Foundry subsidiary spin-off, AWS expanded partnership, more CHIPS money

Intel also has some bad news: It lost out on the PS6 contract to AMD, which made previous gen PS chips

And now for something completely different: A Windows 11 2-in-1 (like Surface Book) in which the detachable display is a powerful, standalone Android tablet. Discuss.

Xbox

Microsoft lays off 650 more Gaming division employees – Guys, seriously.

Microsoft realizes that some Xbox members do have friends, is bringing back Friends Requests

Microsoft concludes September with three more Game Pass titles

  • Bonus points: How many of these are Activision Blizzard titles?
  • Bonus tip: If you play Overwatch 2 on Xbox, there are now some bonus perks for Game Pass members: Six hero skins, 30 Mythic prisms to spend on Mythic unlocks, a stackable XP boost, and access to Overwatch 2 Shop cosmetics from prior seasons.

Unity: Just kidding about that runtime fee, please stop harassing us now

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: How to spend your time and your money

Time: You could watch the new Bill Gates documentary series on Netflix … if you’re a history denying fascist

Money: Amazon’s next Prime Big Deals event happens in early October

App pick of the week: ExplorerPatcher

It’s been updated for 24H2 and Windows 11 on Arm

Also, some advice about a utility in Windows you may have forgotten

RunAs Radio this week: Asymmetric Encryption with Eli Holderness

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/950

Brown liquor pick of the week: Talisker 10

https://www.malts.com/en/products/talisker-10-year-old

https://www.diageobaracademy.com/en-zz/home/our-brands/talisker

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