Sep 30, 2026 · 2h 59m
Windows 26H2 exposes Microsoft’s larger platform dilemma
WW 1003: Another Story Ruined By Keith - Windows 11, version 26H2 Is Now Available!
The release is modest, but the discussion reveals how Microsoft is trying to redefine Windows, applications, hardware, and AI at once.
- 1Windows 11 version 26H2 changes little, making current installation and recovery media more important than the version number.
- 2Microsoft’s Copilot strategy and branding remain unclear as AI threatens to absorb traditional applications and workflows.
- 3ARM PCs have strong hardware prospects, but enterprise adoption, support, and Microsoft’s messaging still constrain the platform.
Don't miss
Richard Campbell recounts a schooner-based whiskey tour around Scotland, culminating in detailed Kilchoman tastings and sensory demonstrations.
The brief
Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Leo Laporte treat Windows 11 version 26H2 as a maintenance event: limited changes, confusing version significance, and a reminder to refresh installation and recovery media.
The larger argument concerns Windows’ stalled user experience and Microsoft’s uncertain Copilot strategy, as natural-language systems could replace the conventional applications people open today.
ARM PCs remain technically promising across Windows, Linux, and macOS, but enterprise support, Qualcomm’s ecosystem, and Microsoft’s Copilot Plus branding complicate adoption.
The hosts also examine Xbox’s program for converting supported game discs into digital entitlements, raising questions about ownership, resale, and collectors’ rights.
Richard’s closing account of a New Scientist whiskey tour around Scotland, including Kilchoman tastings and sensory demonstrations, provides the episode’s most vivid detour.
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