Windows Weekly 878

Leo, Paul, and Richard steer towards the performance race as they speculate about how Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite/Plus PCs will compare to Apple Silicon MacBooks. What makes a laptop truly user-friendly? System reliability, UI consistency, battery life? Plus, the recent Fallout TV series, the practicality of using winget for browser installations, and how the ARM chipset switch is revving up the PC market.

ARMed & ready

• Qualcomm announces the Snapdragon X Plus and confirms Paul’s report that the Snapdragon X Elite will have three SKUs (product editions)
• All four SKUs outperform Apple M3, Intel Core Ultra 7/9, AMD Ryzen 9 7940/8945HS on most benchmarks
• Why? PC makers asked Qualcomm for familiar choices
• Previously, an X Plus-based Surface Pro 10 and an X Elite-based ThinkPad T40s leaked. Paul can now confirm from a source that Surface Laptop 6 (13 and 15-inch) and Surface Pro will all be on X (something}
• Vivaldi is bringing its browser to Windows on Arm too

Windows 11

• The April 2024 Week D preview update is here: Recommended apps and frequently used apps in Start, Widgets icon updates, Lock screen widgets improvements
• Canary: Moves off 24H2 train to build 26200, no more switch to Dev, minor changes to the Widgets board and Taskbar (no new build for Dev)
• Beta: New Widgets design with navigation bar, new account manager in Start, Gmail in Share, MSA recovery advertisement, and new Game Pass recommendation card in Settings
• Microsoft Store app downloads from the web get simpler, more sophisticated
• After yet another Quest 2 Headset price cut, and mounting problems for Apple’s Vision Pro, Meta opens up Horizon OS, Microsoft is sort-of on board

Microsoft 365/Dev

• Office LTSC 2024 commercial is now available in preview
• Classic Teams rides off into the sunset on July 1
• Dropbox offers deeper Microsoft 365 integration
• GitHub sees success in 2FA push

AI

• The European Commission will not formally investigate Microsoft/OpenAI partnership
• Microsoft released a new SLM
• Microsoft gives a sneak peek of VASA-1, a crazy and scary “talking faces” AI tool
• Google copies Microsoft again, announces massive AI reorg - that has Pixel fans worried
• Adobe’s generative AI image capabilities are predictably fantastic

Xbox

• Get an Xbox Mastercard in the US, if you’re a tool
• Microsoft announces IGN x ID@Xbox digital showcase - indie games

Tips & Picks

• Tip of the week: Have you heard the one joke about the one time you need to use Edge?
• App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder
• RunAs Radio this week: PowerShell 7.4 with Sydney Smith
• Brown liquor pick of the week: GlenKinchie 12

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

• Transcripts: Windows Weekly 878 Transcript

Links

• Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon X Plus and Full X Elite Portfolio
• Surface Pro 10 With Snapdragon X Plus Chip Leaks on Geekbench
• Vivaldi is Bringing Its Browser to Windows on Arm Too
• Windows 11 Gets Its April 2024 Week D Preview Update
• Windows Insider Beta Channel Gets New Features While Canary Testers Move to Build 26200
• Windows Insider Beta Channel Gets New Features While Canary Testers Move to Build 26200
• Meta Drops the Price of its Quest 2 Headset to $199
• Microsoft Store to Offer Direct App Downloads on the Web
• Apple Has Reportedly Cut Vision Pro Shipments As Demand For the Headset Falters
• Meta Will Let Other Companies Create Mixed Reality Headsets Using its Meta Horizon OS
• Office LTSC 2024 Commercial Preview is Now Available
• Microsoft to Drop Support for ‘Classic’ Teams on July 1, 2024
• Dropbox Launches Real-Time Co-Authoring and Other Microsoft 365 Integrations
• GitHub Touts 2FA Adoption Success, Looks Ahead to Further Adoption
• Microsoft-OpenAI Partnership Will Reportedly Dodge EU Probe
• Microsoft Puts the PR in AI (Premium)
• Microsoft’s VASA-1 AI Tool Can Create “Talking Faces” From Photos
• Google Announces a Major AI-Flavored Reorg
• Adobe Photoshop Adds New Image Generation Features in Beta
• Microsoft Opens Up Access to its Xbox Mastercard in the US
• Microsoft Announces IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase on April 29
• Tip: Install Another Web Browser without Using Microsoft Edge
• Hands-On: Tiny11 Builder
• PowerShell 7.4 with Sydney Smith
• Glenkinchie