WW 995: The Greatest Depression - Microsoft Reports $90 Billion in Revenue for FY26 Q4

Behind the headlines about skyrocketing revenues and AI investments, the actual costs and future risks for Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are shrouded in strategic accounting moves. Plus, Paul finished rewriting and adding new chapters to the Windows 11 Field Guide - mostly just clean-up now, and then whatever new monthly features. Lastly, The Document Foundation issues a friendly reminder about the Office 2021 EOL and how that never happens with their software

Microsoft earnings

• Microsoft earnings up 18 percent to $90 billion
• Analysis: Microsoft finds a new way to not account for AI costs

Windows

• Pavan Davuluri says he's "energized" about what's happening to Windows in 2026.
• OK. But what's really happened so far? When will the biggest changes land? And when, if ever, will you address the real enshittification in Windows 11?
• Windows Insider Program: Five new builds - New Taskbar comes to Beta channel
• This leads to questions of timing, and here, WIP is not all that transparent still
• Another antitrust win: Apple to allow Copy and Paste between Windows and iPhone
• AMD revenues up 50 percent to $11.5 billion, but it's all AI datacenter
• Amazon: up 20 percent to $200 billion
• Apple: up 16 percent to $109 billion

AI

• Satya Nadella mentions AI super app again, not clear why anyone cares about this
• Proton Lumo can do data visualization now

Xbox and gaming

• Asha Sharma details the priorities for XBOX in the next year and number 5 will shock you
• XBOX console prices going up in the EU and UK
• Thanks, Caption Obvious: Yes, Backward Compatibility on PC will support Xbox 360 games too
• XBOX plans new FanFest tour dates - there's SO much to celebrate!
• Gears of War: E-Day leads the charge for new Game Pass titles in August
• XBOX Insiders is testing new console features
• XBOX app comes to Hisense and VIDDA TVs
• EA goes private for $55 billion in cash, but also some debt
• Sony has sold 95.3 million PS5s
• Sony responds to concerns about no more discs (with "pffffftttt")

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: It's done!
• App pick of the week: LibreOffice
• RunAs Radio this week: Ransomware Readiness with Heather Renze
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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