The next PC platform shift? Ed Bott on Microsoft's big Windows AI bet
GeekWire
GeekWire
4.4 • 116 Ratings
🗓️ 18 October 2025
⏱️ 40 minutes
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Summary
Veteran technology journalist Ed Bott has "seen things," after more than 30 years of covering Microsoft and the PC industry, and he recognizes a pattern in the company's latest AI features for Windows. It's part of a high-stakes effort to avoid missing the next big platform shift — attempting to avoid what happened to the company in the mobile revolution.
Ed joins the GeekWire Podcast to analyze this big bet, digging into the new "Hey Copilot" voice commands, the promise and security risks of "Copilot Actions" that can work on your local files, and Microsoft's strategic shift to bring AI features to all Windows 11 PCs, not just the premium Copilot+ PC models. Plus, we discuss whether users will ever really want to talk to their computers and the timing of it all, right as Windows 10 support comes to an end.
Ed Bott on ZDNet:
- Microsoft debuts its next big high-stakes feature in Windows — can you trust it?
- Windows 10 PC can't be upgraded? You have 5 options - and must act now
Microsoft announcement: Making every Windows 11 PC an AI PC
GeekWire coverage:
- Microsoft’s new AI features aim to give Windows a voice and mind of its own
- A new era for Windows: Can Microsoft’s longtime engine power another tech revolution?
Thanks to Buzz Bruggeman of ActiveWords for suggesting this episode.
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | at Microsoft, they see what's happening here as a platform shift that is roughly equivalent to the shift from PCs to mobile devices. |
| 0:14.8 | Oh, interesting. |
| 0:16.2 | And they know that they missed that one. |
| 0:19.3 | And they don't want to miss this one because if they're right, if there is a platform shift happening and AI is the future of everything, they want to be one of the top two players because we know from the history of the technology industry over the last 30 years |
| 0:38.3 | that there's only room for two players in any big technology niche. |
| 0:48.3 | Hey, Ed, it's great to see you. |
| 0:51.3 | It has been a minute, hasn't it, Todd? |
| 0:53.3 | It sure has. I really appreciate you jumping on. |
| 0:56.1 | Let me introduce you now. |
| 0:58.0 | Ed Bot is an award-winning technology journalist and an author who's been covering Microsoft |
| 1:02.8 | and the PC industry for more than three decades. |
| 1:05.8 | He's the author of more than 25 books, including particularly relevant to our conversation |
| 1:10.5 | today, Windows 11 |
| 1:12.0 | Inside Out. |
| 1:13.7 | You know, Ed, when I read your coverage, I feel like I'm at a coffee shop in a town that I'm |
| 1:21.7 | really familiar with, with somebody who knows it, you know, infinitely better than I do, |
| 1:26.9 | and isn't afraid to speak the truth |
| 1:29.8 | no matter what the mayor might think. |
| 1:34.9 | That's, I'm flattered by that. |
| 1:38.8 | I mean, I think one of the things about having such a long relationship with Microsoft like I do. It's like it goes back |
| 1:47.6 | even more than 30 years. How does that insurance commercial go? I know things because I've seen |
| 1:56.4 | things. And so, yeah, you know, I've seen Microsoft do a lot of things. |
... |
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