Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden are back for the last Windows Central Podcast of the year. This episode, we talk about the death of Surface Studio 2+, what's next for Surface in the year 2025, Windows Recall and Click To Do impressions, and Intel's CEO stepping down.
The podcast will return to a weekly schedule in January 2025. Episodes will release every Friday starting January 17!
On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the new Microsoft Copilot that's designed to be more human, what might be next for operating systems with AI, 24H2 availability, new Copilot+ PC features for Windows 11, the death of HoloLens and why Windows Phone mattered.
On this week's Windows Central Podcast, Zac is joined by Windows Central tech editor Ben Wilson to discuss the week's biggest news. We talk Intel's 13th/14th Gen issues, Intel's layoffs, and Intel being sued. We also discuss AMDs new Ryzen chips and how they compare to Intel/Qualcomm, plus the rumor that Microsoft is working on a new VR headset!
Zac and Dan are back to chat about the latest news in the Microsoft and Windows world. This week's episode tackles the recent Windows BSOD carnage thanks to CrowdStrike, our thoughts on Windows 11 version 24H2 so far, new features coming soon, and our continued experiences with Copilot+ PCs such as the Surface Pro 11!
As we try to get back on schedule, Daniel and Zac recap Microsoft's big May 20 event, including the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, Windows on Arm, and Copilot+ PCs!
Microsoft appears to have delivered the goods in a big way at their recent Surface event. Zac and Daniel check out everything that was announced, including Surface Duo 2, Surface Pro 8, Surface Laptop Studio, and more!
Links:
We've got the latest happenings with Windows 11, a unification of OneNote apps, initial reports on Windows 365, and more.
Links:
Sponsors:
Microsoft is making more cuts to Cortana as its functionality is removed from Android, iOS, Invoke, and more. All signs point to the week of August 24 for the release of Surface Duo.
Windows 10 preview build 20175 is available in the Insider Dev Channel. Daniel and Zac also discuss how 2020 has been AMD's time to shine vs. Intel, and they wrap up this week's show with a brief chat about Microsoft's efforts to purchase the US portion of TikTok. Note: This episode was recorded on Friday July 31 before the additional crazy TikTok news over the weekend.
Links:
Daniel and Zac cover all the week's news, including Microsoft's Q4 financials and Surface Duo headed to the FCC for device approval. Mary Jo Foley also chats with Zac about the cloud, Windows 10X, and the future of operating systems at Microsoft.
Links:
Daniel and Zac chat about the recent Twitter hack and Daniel's inability to access his account in the fallout. Surface Duo has been pushed back but is still supposed to ship earlier than expected.
They also catch up on development of Windows 10X, the launch of Project xCloud, and some changes to Windows 10 build 20170 for Insiders in the Dev Channel.
Links:
Riding the wave of new hardware products, Dan and Zac continue to evaluate Surface Earbuds, Surface Go 2, and Surface Book 3. They also discuss Zac's scoop about Surface Duo's specs. It's not just about what it has, but what it doesn't have as well. They wrap up the episode by pointing out some interesting sessions scheduled for Microsoft Build.
Links:
New Surface products are real and available soon! Zac and Daniel cover the announcements and share their favorite features from the devices. They also chat about the future of Windows 10X, the recent and upcoming Xbox Series X events, and the Surface Duo emulator for software developers.
Links:
Daniel reviews the Dell XPS 13 (9300) and explains why it's the perfect 13-inch Ultrabook. There are some leaks to support rumors a re-designed XPS 15 will follow suit.
Zac provides details on a new Windows 10 build for Slow ring insiders. In one of this week's major stories, Windows 10X and Surface Neo may be delayed beyond 2020. However, Surface Duo may still come earlier than anticipated, and the fellows speculate on what could be announced at an upcoming hardware event.
Links:
There's a ton of news for Microsoft users this week as Daniel and Zac talk about features in Microsoft 365 and Edge. In a world of Zoom security nightmares, Skype Meet Now can be a safer alternative.
Daniel reviews the HP Spectre x360 and ASUS ROG Zepyrus G14 laptops. While Zac reports on the finished but as-of-yet unreleased Windows 10 version 2004. They finish out the episode with some info about Minecraft Dungeons and new processors from AMD and Intel.
Links:
Microsoft Build 2020 has been canceled and reborn as a digital event due to coronavirus, but Microsoft still has plenty of announcements planned for the year. An online Surface event could possibly happen in April.
Daniel and Zac chat about new features found in the latest build of Windows 10X and emphasize that Windows 10X is a completely separate product from traditional Windows 10. Daniel reviews the Samsung Galaxy Book S — Awesome battery. Meh keyboard. But there's a lot more to say about it than that.
Links:
We know significantly more about Windows 10X now thanks to a presentation by Microsoft for developers this week. In addition to the Galaxy Book S, The foldable Z Flip has caught the eye of both Daniel and Zac.
MWC 2020 has been cancelled, but Microsoft has promised to deliver news from their planned presentation at some point in the future. Sony's PS5 may have a hard time competing with pricing on Xbox Series X because of DRAM pricing.
Links:
Sponsors:
Zac Bowden delivers a solo episode while Daniel suns himself in parts unknown! It was a big week for Microsoft as their Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, will now head a combined Windows UX and Surface team. With hardware and software initiatives becoming more closely aligned, there's potential for renewed excitement about the future of Windows.
There's also more to be said about last week's late breaking news regarding the possible non-future of Surface Hub 2X. Additionally, Windows Search was broken temporarily, even for local searches, due to a server issue on Microsoft's end.
Surface Duo has been spotted in the wild and looks to possibly have a front-facing flash. Plus, Zac's hearing that the Duo might be ready sooner than you think!
Links:
Sponsors:
Developers can start writing apps for Surface Duo thanks to a newly released SDK, and the Windows 10X SDK isn't far behind. Enthusiasts can even check out a Surface Duo emulator on Windows 10 to get a feel for what the device will be like.
Some people are very concerned about the potential camera quality, but Daniel isn't worried and he explains why.
Zac and Daniel also talk briefly about the ports on a leaked Xbox Series X prototype, and the dock from Kensington for Surface Go. They close the episode with build 19551 and its lack of new features as the next version of Windows inches ever closer to release...
Links:
Sponsors:
Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino check out the most recent build of Windows 10 20H1 before discussing Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 7c and 8c processors and other announcements from the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit.
They also report on rumors about a release of MS 365 for Consumers, and Daniel gives a quick roundup of some recent hardware reviews. Tune in!
Links:
Sponsors:
Windows 10 20H1 inches closer to reality with a new build in the Fast ring. Cortana mobile apps are going away for users in most markets, except for the United States. The release of Surface Earbuds has been delayed until Spring 2020, possibly to address their value compared to other Bluetooth earbuds?
Zac also reviews Google Stadia as he and Daniel discuss the company's image problem. And speaking of image problems, Apple is attempting to address their own issues with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. They're also actively hiring developers to work on Windows UWP apps.
The guys close out the episode with speculation about Surface Book 3 — or maybe Microsoft will shift strategies to release a 'Surface Laptop Pro'.
Links:
Sponsors:
Daniel Rubino is back as he and Zac Bowden look at a 20H1 Fast ring build that includes the new Cortana experience. They also examine an unintentionally leaked build that revealed a new Start menu for Windows Lite.
There's also a new dashboard coming for Xbox, and Zac gives the lowdown on his time with the unreleased HP Pro x3 Windows Phone.
Links:
Sponsors:
Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino explore reasons why Windows 10 19H2 is behind schedule. They also look at Xbox rumors regarding 'Anaconda' and 'Lockhart'.
There's a new experience for using Cortana in the latest Windows 10 preview build, and Daniel talks about why iPadOS might pose a legitimate threat to Surface Pro.
Links:
Sponsors:
Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino talk about big changes potentially coming to Windows shell. They also have more details (and rumors) about the Xbox news from E3. Finally, Daniel reviews the Lenovo IdeaPad S940 and crowns it King of the Ultrabooks. Windows Central has merch — You can get yours by visiting the link in our show notes!
Links:
Sponsors:
Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino are home safe and sound from Microsoft Build 2019, and they have a ton of insight into the various announcements from the conference. Cortana lives as Microsoft continues its deep investment of research into contextual AI. UWP is changing slightly, but it remains an important tool for developers. Likewise, Fluent Design System has gone cross platform.
There's also plenty of Edge news, and Zac shares his first hands-on experience with HoloLens 2!
Links:
Sponsors: