Windows Weekly Podcast - August 7, 2024

Hosts

• Paul Thot
• Richard Campbell
• Leo Laporte

Topics

Intel's Challenges

• Intel experiencing significant challenges and market share losses.
• Increased competition from AMD and Apple's custom chips.
• Intel's stock recently dropped by almost 30%, largest loss since 1982, reducing market cap below $100 billion.
• Plans to lay off 15% of the workforce (~15,000 employees).
• Focus on restructuring, reducing non-essential work, and cutting costs by $10 billion.
• Speculation on whether Pat Gelsinger will retain his CEO position.

AMD and Snapdragon Developments

• AMD's new mobile and desktop chip reviews showing positive results.
• Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips gaining traction, especially in co-pilot plus PCs.
• The competition between AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm.

Microsoft's Windows Updates and Insider Program

• Confusion and changes in the Windows update process, including the Week D updates.
• Some features shipped in 22H2 and 23H2 updates not yet present in 24H2.
• Microsoft Store app getting a major update in the Canary and Dev channels, focusing on separating updates/downloads from the main library.

Windows 11 and Features

• Various new features introduced in latest updates, like the ability to drag pinned start menu app shortcuts and duplicate tabs in File Explorer.
• Ongoing improvements and new feature tests in the Insider program.
• Windows 11's broader ecosystem and integration challenges compared to Apple's ecosystem.

Earnings Reports

• Apple continues to make significant profits, with services revenue exceeding that of iPads, Macs, and other devices combined except for iPhones.
• Amazon's robust earnings, driven by their retail and AWS businesses.
• Arm Holdings and Qualcomm both report strong financial performance with a focus on future growth.
• Intel continuing to face financial struggles and restructuring.

Gaming and Xbox News

• Microsoft's plans for Gamescom and showcasing over 50 playable games.
• Valorant arriving on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, noted as a significant new game.
• Sony and Nintendo earnings reflecting end-of-cycle trends for current-gen consoles.

Antitrust and Legal Issues

• Google found guilty of abusing its search monopoly, drawing parallels to Microsoft's antitrust case from the late '90s.
• Discussion of regulatory actions and market dominance by tech giants like Google, Apple, and Microsoft.

Security and Policy Changes

• Microsoft's ongoing emphasis on security in light of recent vulnerabilities and threats.
• Internal memos linking employee earnings to their role in security compliance.

Miscellaneous

• Nostalgic look at WordStar, including a complete archive release by an award-winning author.
• Updates to popular web browsers Firefox (new reader mode improvements) and Arc (now available on Windows 10).
• Personal reflections on browser preferences and the impact of productivity tools.

Whiskey Segment

• Richard Campbell introduces Legent, a blended whiskey collaboration between Jim Beam and Suntory.
• Highlights the unique aspects of the blend and the historical context of both companies.
• Reflects on the significance of blended whiskies and their appreciation in the market.

Conclusion

• The show delves into various aspects of technology, from hardware challenges to software updates, gaming, and legal matters, culminating in a unique cultural segment on whiskey.