Windows Weekly 945: AI-First Windows, Arm Blender, Edge Copilot, GitHub CoreAI

The latest Windows Weekly episode—packed with the usual blend of skepticism, insider detail, and offhand humor—landed like a rapid-fire briefing on everything Microsoft-adjacent: Patch Tuesday’s AI-first fixes and recovery tools, Windows 11 on Arm finally gaining real creative-app parity, a fresh round of browser-and-AI theater led by Perplexity and Microsoft, the surprising end of independence for GitHub, and scattered industry tremors that touch developers, gamers, and IT teams alike. The show’s hosts threaded these topics into a single narrative: Microsoft is pivoting hard toward integrated on-device AI and platform consolidation, and that pivot is changing both how Windows behaves and how the broader PC ecosystem will operate going forward.

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Background: what Windows Weekly covered and why it matters​

Windows Weekly 945 moved quickly through a set of short‑range yet consequential stories. Highlights included Microsoft’s August Patch Tuesday for Windows 11 (features that push intelligence onto Copilot+ hardware and improved machine recovery), confirmation that Blender now runs natively on Windows on Arm, the public rollout of OpenAI’s GPT‑5 and the AI-browser wars (Perplexity’s Comet and its eyebrow‑raising $34.5 billion unsolicited bid for Chrome), and GitHub’s CEO departure with GitHub folded into Microsoft’s CoreAI organization. Those items aren’t isolated press releases — they are signals about product direction, developer tooling, and platform control that have practical implications for IT operations, privacy, and software choice.
The episode also touched on gaming and console numbers, practical tips for Windows 10 users approaching end-of‑support, and small but useful consumer nudges (library apps, classic game remasters). Taken together, the discussion paints a picture of an industry moving quickly to embed AI across layers—hardware, OS, browser, developer tools—while old assumptions about platform neutrality and choice are being litigated and reworked in courts and organizational charts.

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Patch Tuesday and Windows 11: on‑device AI, resilience, and the privacy trade-offs​

What changed this Patch Tuesday​

Microsoft’s August updates for Windows 11 were framed as more than security fixes—they contain meaningful functionality aimed at Copilot+ PCs and resiliency improvements for all devices. Key items include:

• Recall improvements: export controls (pilot availability in the EEA), and a global Recall reset option.
• Quick Machine Recovery (QMR): an on‑device recovery and remediation tool accessible from WinRE to reduce mean time to repair.
• AI agents and Settings integration: an AI agent for Settings on Copilot+ hardware, plus Click-to-Do and input improvements across the UI.

Microsoft’s messaging frames these as user-friendly and security‑focused, but the changes come with operational questions: who controls Recall exports, what telemetry is required for QMR to function in enterprise scenarios, and how will admins manage AI payloads in large estates?

Why IT should care (and what to do)​

• Test QMR and SSU behavior in your deployment rings before broad roll-out—this is not just a patch; it changes recovery workflows.
• Review Recall policies and data governance: exports require codes and EEA behavior differs; ensure compliance with your organization’s data protection rules.
• For Copilot+ hardware, coordinate firmware and driver updates with OEMs—AI payloads can be hardware-dependent and optional in managed images.

Strengths and risks​

• Strength: Improved resilience—Quick Machine Recovery and better restart handling can dramatically lower user downtime.
• Risk: Privacy and admin control—Recall and on‑device agents introduce new surfaces where sensitive data could be captured, exported, or accidentally retained. Policies and technical controls must be explicit.

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Windows on Arm: Blender goes native — a watershed moment​

Long criticized for poor application compatibility, Windows on Arm took a substantive step forward when Blender announced native Windows‑on‑Arm support. The Blender team’s effort (backed by Qualcomm and community contributors) means an open‑source, resource‑heavy creative application can now run without emulation on modern Arm Windows devices, particularly those with Adreno Vulkan support. That’s not just a novelty—it's a credible signal that real creative workloads are becoming viable on Arm‑powered laptops. (code.blender.org, techaeris.com)
Implications:

• For mobile creative pros and content hobbyists, Arm laptops may now be a workable alternative when paired with the right hardware and drivers.
• For Microsoft and OEMs, native app availability reduces friction for Arm device adoption and improves the pitch for Copilot+ silicon in premium thin‑and‑light devices.

Caveats remain: early reports document driver and shader issues on certain Surface devices, and not every professional plugin or render path is yet optimized for Arm GPUs. Still, Blender’s native support is a practical bridge to usability, not a theoretical promise. (projects.blender.org, techaeris.com)

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AI takes the browser: Perplexity’s Comet, Edge’s Copilot Mode, and the browser shape of things to come​

The new entrants and what they do​

The browser is being reimagined as an AI workspace. Two strands stood out:

• Perplexity’s Comet: an AI‑first browser with a side‑bar assistant that can interact with pages, summarize documents, automate tasks, and integrate with email and calendars. Comet’s architecture places the assistant at the center of workflows. Perplexity’s move is backed by a public launch and subscription gating for early access. (perplexity.ai, techcrunch.com)
• Microsoft Edge in Copilot Mode: an evolutionary but important update that integrates Copilot directly into the browsing experience, offering multi‑tab context, voice navigation, and task handoff features. Edge’s Copilot Mode aims to be opt‑in, with explicit permissions for accessing browsing context and history.

These browsers are not just new skins—they fundamentally change the interaction model: browsing becomes conversational, contextual, and agentic (the AI can act on your behalf).

Perplexity’s $34.5B stunt (or serious bid?)​

In a headline that will be analyzed for months, Perplexity publicly made an unsolicited $34.5 billion bid to buy Google Chrome—an audacious move framed as preserving Chromium’s openness and accelerating AI‑driven browsing. Major outlets documented the offer and labeled it unlikely to succeed—but strategically significant given ongoing antitrust cases and regulator pressure on Chrome’s centrality in search and AI distribution. (investing.com, amp.cnn.com)

Strengths and risks​

• Strength: Function-first browsing — AI assistants that can summarize, automate, and interact across tabs reduce context switching and accelerate workflows.
• Risk: Privacy and centralization — giving an AI assistant multi‑tab visibility and the ability to act on pages raises obvious privacy issues; guardrails, consent UX, and enterprise opt‑outs will be critical.

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Microsoft’s Copilot 3D and the democratization of content creation​

Copilot 3D, released quietly as a Copilot Labs experiment, converts a single 2D image (JPG/PNG up to 10MB) into a downloadable GLB 3D model. The tool is positioned for rapid creative prototyping—game assets, 3D printing, AR previews—and is free with a Microsoft account in preview. Early reviewers find it works best for static, inanimate objects and recommends careful attention to copyright and consent rules. The feature is a clear example of AI moving from assistance to production in creative workflows. (windowscentral.com, tech.yahoo.com)
Operational advice:

• Treat generated models as starting points—expect material, topology, and fidelity issues for complex subjects.
• Respect copyright: Microsoft has guardrails to block public figures and copyrighted content, and states uploaded images are not used for training.

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GitHub: CEO exit and assimilation into Microsoft’s CoreAI​

Thomas Dohmke’s announced departure and GitHub’s reorganization under Microsoft’s CoreAI arm mark a realignment: GitHub will cease operating with the same degree of independence it had post‑acquisition, and its leadership will now report into a platform organization focused on AI and tooling. Microsoft’s public statements and reporting from major outlets confirm the plan and the timeline (Dohmke stays through end of 2025 to help transition). For developers, this is both an opportunity and a risk: closer integration with Microsoft’s AI stack could speed Copilot innovation but raises questions about neutrality, marketplace competition, and GitHub’s long‑standing promise of platform openness. (cnbc.com, techspot.com)
Concerns for the developer ecosystem:

• GitHub’s neutrality as a host for all projects—especially competitors—may be perceived as compromised when deeply embedded in a corporate AI strategy.
• Open-source governance and diversity of tooling could be affected if GitHub’s priorities align heavily with CoreAI engineering targets.

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Microsoft Lens retirement and the app consolidation trend​

Microsoft announced the retirement of the standalone Microsoft Lens app for iOS and Android, urging users to migrate scanning workflows to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. The retirement is staged through late 2025, with new installs disabled in mid‑October and scanning disabled by mid‑December; organizations should be prepared to update guidance and training accordingly. This is consistent with Microsoft’s consolidation strategy—folding standalone utilities into a broader Copilot/365 experience. (mc.merill.net, gadgets360.com)
Practical impact:

• Users who rely on Lens features for OneNote integration, reading tools, or local file workflows should test the Copilot app equivalently and export legacy scans before functionality ends.
• Admins need to update mobile‑app inventories and user training for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.

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Steam for Chromebooks: experiment ends, cloud gaming wins​

Google confirmed that Steam for Chromebook Beta will be discontinued on January 1, 2026—effectively acknowledging that native PC gaming on most ChromeOS hardware wasn’t viable at scale. Microsoft and others continue to push cloud gaming as the cross‑platform playbook, and ChromeOS will re‑orient toward Android and streaming alternatives. The discontinuation reverses years of hopeful news about Steam on Chromebooks and highlights the hardware gap between cloud‑ready thin clients and local‑play consoles/PCs. (tomshardware.com, pcgamer.com)
For Chromebook users who relied on local Steam installs, the options are:

• Move to cloud gaming services (GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming).
• Use Linux containers (with limited performance) for older games.
• Consider a Windows or Steam Deck upgrade for local play.

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Xbox and PlayStation sales: context and the Xbox narrative​

Windows Weekly noted Sony shipped 2.5 million PS5 consoles in the quarter (bringing its lifetime total over 80 million) while Xbox Series X|S totals remain estimates (widely reported in the 21–29 million range, depending on the source and timeframe). Public financials confirm Sony’s 80‑million milestone; Xbox figures are presented mainly via analyst estimates and indirect disclosures. The difference in scale is real and matters for first‑party strategy, but the broader story is Microsoft’s pivot from pure hardware sales to Game Pass subscriptions and cloud services. (gamespot.com, gamingbolt.com)

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Windows 10 end of support: ESU, Edge, and the practical migration path​

Microsoft’s Windows 10 end‑of‑support timeline (October 14, 2025) has been accompanied by pragmatic follow-ups:

• Consumer ESU: Microsoft offers an Extended Security Updates program through October 13, 2026, with enrollment options (free via sync, Microsoft Rewards redeem, or one‑time purchase). Consumer ESU licenses will be usable on up to 10 devices per Microsoft account, and the program requires a Microsoft account for enrollment. The company’s official docs outline prerequisites and enrollment steps.
• Edge on Windows 10: Microsoft will continue to update Microsoft Edge and the WebView2 runtime on Windows 10 through at least October 2028, independent of ESU enrollment—good news for organizations that cannot migrate immediately. (learn.microsoft.com, windowscentral.com)

Action checklist:

• Inventory remaining Windows 10 devices and prioritize migration candidates.
• For unavoidable holdouts, enroll in Consumer ESU (note the Microsoft‑account requirement and 10‑device binding).
• Continue using modern browsers and WebView2‑based apps; Edge updates should remain available through 2028.

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Critical analysis: strengths, weaknesses, and operational risks​

Notable strengths in Microsoft’s direction​

• Integrated intelligence: placing AI in the OS, browser, and dev tools promises productivity gains and more resilient devices when done right.
• Hardware + software co‑design: Copilot+ hardware and native Arm application support (Blender) demonstrate the benefits of vertical optimization.
• Practical recovery features: Quick Machine Recovery shows an operational understanding of enterprise pain points.

Significant risks and trade-offs​

• Concentration of control: GitHub’s assimilation into CoreAI and the browser‑as‑agent movement raise legitimate neutrality and vendor‑lock concerns for developers, enterprises, and regulators.
• Privacy & data governance: Recall exports, multi‑tab AI context, and agent automation expand surface area for sensitive data exposure; enterprises must adopt clear policies.
• Fragmentation & churn: retiring utilities (Lens), sunsetting Steam for Chromebooks, and frequent agent experiments create user friction and migration costs.
• Regulatory pressure and market theater: Perplexity’s Chrome bid and the Australian court rulings on app‑store behavior show antitrust forces actively reshaping platform choices—this is unpredictable and will affect long‑term strategy for browser and app distribution. (investing.com, abc.net.au)

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Recommendations for IT teams, developers, and power users​

• For IT teams:
• Stage Patch Tuesday updates in controlled rings and test QMR and SSU behavior in lab environments.
• Audit Recall, Copilot, and related telemetry settings; create clear device‑level policies and DLP rules.
• Map Windows 10 devices and budget for ESU where necessary while prioritizing migrations for high‑risk endpoints.
• For developers:
• Evaluate new Copilot/GitHub integrations but maintain multi‑platform CI/CD pipelines to avoid over‑coupling to any single vendor.
• If you target creative or 3D workflows, test Blender on Arm hardware now: build compatibility matrices for plugins and render pipelines.
• For power users and gamers:
• Back up Lens scans and test Microsoft 365 Copilot scanning workflows before migration deadlines.
• If you rely on local Steam on ChromeOS, migrate game libraries and save data off‑device; plan a hardware move if local play matters.

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The bigger picture: platforms, AI, and what’s at stake​

The common thread is consolidation—intelligence is being baked into platform layers, and Microsoft’s ecosystem choices are accelerating that trend. That creates gains in convenience and capability, but it also concentrates power: browsers become orchestrators, developer platforms become embedded with parent‑company AI, and endpoint OS features can surface more data to vendor services.
Regulators and competitors are responding. Perplexity’s bid for Chrome is theatrical but meaningful in the context of antitrust remedies; Epic’s Australian victory shows courts are ready to challenge entrenched platform rules; GitHub’s reorganization shows the corporate appetite to centralize AI capabilities. Businesses and advanced users should treat this as both an opportunity to exploit new productivity mechanics and a call to reassert governance, interoperability, and contingency planning.

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Final thoughts and practical takeaways​

Windows Weekly 945 illustrated the present tension at the heart of modern computing: the trade‑off between powerful, integrated AI experiences and choice, privacy, and neutrality. The news cycle—GPT‑5’s launch, Copilot 3D, Comet’s debut and audacious Chrome bid, Blender’s native Arm support, and GitHub’s leadership change—reveals a tech industry sprinting to define the next generation of platforms.

• If you manage systems: prioritize testing, governance, and staged rollout plans.
• If you develop software: stay platform‑agnostic where it matters and evaluate GitHub/Copilot changes pragmatically.
• If you’re a user: take the retirement timelines seriously (Lens, Steam for Chromebooks), and back up critical data now.

These changes will reshape workflows over the coming 12–36 months; the prudent approach is to experiment in controlled environments, plan migrations where needed, and insist on clear policies that balance innovation with security and choice. The episode’s coverage was a useful snapshot of that tension—optimism for new capabilities married to a cautious accounting of their costs.

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Source: Thurrott.com Windows Weekly 945: Vermont? Seriously?