Windows Weekly 848: The Era of a Grinning Paul

Mikah Sargent, Richard, and Paul discuss Microsoft’s special event, Windows 11 23H2, last week’s other blockbuster news, Xbox, and more.

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Microsoft Special Event: Blockbuster … or blockluster?

Paul went to his first in-person Microsoft event in almost four years. You’re not going to believe what happened next.

• Ahead of the event, a level-set. Everyone was calling this a “Surface event,” and some still are. But it was an AI event, period. Were our expectations met?
• Copilot “rebrand” was in many ways the biggest news – but also questions about this – not as much new as expected
• The “next Windows 11 update” is coming soon (and has now arrived, more below) – lots of new stuff (from 23H2) with some app updates too – like this one that landed today
• There are some new security features that didn’t get enough attention
• Microsoft 365 Commercial arrives November 1 – And Microsoft 365 consumer is a thing. We have a lot of questions here, mostly around the price.
• Microsoft announced two Surface PCs at event, one with an NPU. And then two other Surface PCs/devices. Most of these do not matter. RELATED: With Panay out, MSFT nixes non-essential Surface PCs. This is the right decision. But is this Windows Phone all over again?

WTF is happening with Windows 11 23H2?

We had a confusing several days, the perfect end-cap to a confusing year when it comes to Windows updating. But now we have the answers. Here’s how it went down.

• At special event, Microsoft reveals it will ship “next major Windows 11 update” September 26. It’s 23H2! It’s not 23H2!
• Paul tries to figure out what’s going on
• One day after the event, Release Preview gets Fall Update
• Paul attempted to achieve some clarity ahead of John Cable’s post
• Microsoft releases the Fall Update (in preview form, with GA on Patch Tuesday in October … And John Cable’s post provided some context
• And now we know WHY this horror. Why the Fall Update. Why 23H2. Why why why. And we might know what: what’s new in 23H2 (compared to Fall Update)
• And a follow-up … Windows Insider Release Preview Channel was the Fall Update but is now moving to 23H2

So. Is Windows 11 finally where it needed to be when Microsoft shipped v1 two years ago?

Follow-ups to last week’s blockbuster news

It’s true: Panos Panay will succeed Dave Limp at Amazon.com

Further examination of the leaked Xbox documents

• Microsoft’s reaction to the PS5 specs reveal is sort of clueless in retrospect
• Microsoft wanted to buy Nintendo. No, really. And it considered lots of companies

Antitrust

UK CMA provisionally approves of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard … of course they did

So of course the FTC revives its lost battle against Microsoft/AB. You can’t make this stuff up

FTC sues Amazon for monopoly abuse — Paul has questions. Lots of questions

Dev and AI

Intel announced its Meteor Lake chipset BEFORE Microsoft event. And it was off-schedule. WAY off-schedule. And not what we thought it was.

Amazon buys Anthropic for $4 billion

Amazon announces generative AI features for Alexa at its hardware event

Google Studio Bot expands worldwide in preview – Their GitHub Copilot, basically

Microsoft is moving Windows device driver development to Rust

Unity: JUST KIDDING GUYS SERIOUSLY

GitHub Passkeys are GA

Xbox

Cuphead anniversary update is on the way, Xbox only

Microsoft tweaks how Xbox/OneDrive integration works in a “bonus Xbox update for September”

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: Install the update, check the store

Windows 11 user? You have a lot to do.

Then consider getting in RP for 23H2

App pick of the week: Amazon adBlocker

This browser extension removes sponsored content from Amazon.com.

RunAs Radio this week: SharePoint Online Features On-Prem with Sandy Ussia

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/899

Brown liquor pick of the week: Pokeno Whisky

https://pokenowhisky.com/