Windows

I said PC makers are ill-prepared to compete with the MacBook Neo, and I’m putting it to the test. I’ve started calling in $600-700ish Windows laptops from Lenovo, Asus, Acer and more to pit against the Neo.

The Copilot buttons in Windows 11 have been getting out of control, and Microsoft is now starting to walk some of them back. It’s all part of the sweeping changes coming to Windows 11 to improve performance, reliability, and user experience. Microsoft says it’s “reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.”

The Asus NUC 16 and Dell Pro Desktop for Windows 365, both arriving in Q3 2026, are the latest “Cloud PCs” from Microsoft, following the Windows 365 Link from 2024. They’re designed for businesses accessing Windows from the cloud with added security features like a “small, locked-down operating system” called Windows CPC.

Windows MIDI Services is ready for primetime and brings support for MIDI 2.0 and improvements to MIDI 1.0 to Microsoft machines. This includes support for higher resolution expression, loopback, and bidirectional communication with MIDI 2.0 hardware. Now with the major OS providers onboard, maybe adoption of MIDI 2.0 will pick up steam.

The Extended Support Release for Firefox version 115, the last version available on Windows 7 and 8, will no longer receive security updates after this month, Neowin reports. The loss of support comes three years after Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 and 8 in 2023.

Microsoft has confirmed that the boot failures with its January 2026 Windows 11 update are limited to “commercial” PCs and happened due to the December 2025 update failing to install and PCs being left in an “improper state.” It’s now investigating why PCs managed to get into this state in the first place. Microsoft’s first Windows 11 update of 2026 has been a mess.

Microsoft is releasing Windows App Development CLI (winapp) in public preview today. The open-source utility is aimed at Windows app developers, to make it easier to work across multiple frameworks and toolchains. Microsoft says it’s perfect for any developer “wanting native Windows features or targeting Windows.” And don’t worry, no matter how many times you say winapp, it won’t whip the llama’s ass.

Microsoft also said that “more than 85% of the Game Pass catalog is compatible with these PCs,” now, after a rocky journey for ARM gaming support on PC.

Acer is announcing a new Nitro V 16 AI entry-level gaming laptop with AMD’s new Gorgon Point chips. Announced at CES with a handful of other Acer laptops, the Nitro is meant to offer a budget-friendly-ish price for AMD’s new chip and Nvidia GPUs — from the RTX 5050 to RTX 5070. It’s expected in Q2, but pricing isn’t finalized.