An entertaining week in the tech world included Bill Gates comparing trading Windows 10 to a trade in the NBA and the early reviews of Avowed causing excitement for the game. We also saw Nintendo position to potentially sue the makers of Palworld, Microsoft essentially kill HoloLens, and Microsoft mislead people about how to uninstall Microsoft Edge. Wrap up your long weekend in the US or kick off your week elsewhere with a roundup of all the biggest news stories surrounding Windows and Microsoft.
Bill Gates on Windows and AI
Would you trade Windows 11 for Windows 10? Bill Gates wouldn't. That implied tidbit came from the billionaire in a recent interview with Mark Cuban. Gates said that he "might have to hide from the press" if he traded the new hot operating system for an older version.
While the comment from Gates is likely an accurate reflection of his feelings, it's worth noting that the comment was made in jest. Cuban's question was clearly a tongue-in-cheek inquiry that drew a parallel to the controversial trade of Luka Dončić to the LA Lakers. That trade drew serious criticism from basketball fans, supporters of the Dallas Mavericks, and has led to literal protests by fans against Dončić's former team. Cuban, who no longer controls the Maverick's, took the opportunity to poke fun at the team's current ownership.
While the comment by Gates was made jokingly, many feel strongly about the topic. As Windows 10 approaches its end of support, people are becoming increasingly vocal about their displeasure in having to upgrade to Windows 11. Windows 10 still has a 60.33 market share, which illustrates it's not just a vocal minority sticking with Windows 10 for as long as possible.
Moving back to Gates and sports, he also discussed how AI will likely replace humans for most things, but that people are unlikely to watch computers play baseball. Apparently, Gates has never seen Albert Pujols in action or the hilarious ESPN commercial about Pujols being a machine.
Nintendo vs Palworld
Despite the fact that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected 22 out of 23 of Nintendo's patent claims, this could be just the beginning for a legal battle between Nintendo and the Pocketpair, the creator of Palworld. As of this moment, there is not an active lawsuit surrounding claims that Palworld copied Pokemon. But Nintendo appears to be laying the groundwork for future legal action.
Nintendo already obtained a patent that covers aiming and capturing creatures within a game. Nintendo is also trying to obtain other patents.
Our Jennifer Young broke down the current status of Nintendo's potential legal battles and the patent successes (and failures) of the company related to Palworld. With Pokemon, which is one of the biggest brands in the world, involved, it's safe to say that legal disputes will continue for a while.
Avowed reviews
Avowed, the latest game from Xbox Game Studios and developer Obsidian Entertainment, launches on February 18. Ahead of the game's launch, reviewers got to play the highly anticipated title. Almost every review we've seen has been positive. Avowed sits at around 80 on Metacritic (out of 100). That score lines up with our own Avowed review, which gave the game a 4 out of 5.
"Obsidian Entertainment has done a wonderful job capturing the "magic" of RPGs like Skyrim that makes exploring every crevice fun, and immersing yourself in this world is stupendously easy," said our Zachary Boddy in that review. They praised the game for its combat, characters, and world building. I suggest reading their entire review, since Boddy has played hundreds of games, including many of the best RPGs.
Microsoft Edge drama
If you dislike Microsoft Edge, your best option is likely to just ignore the browser. For a brief moment, it appeared that Microsoft had shared steps to uninstall Edge from Windows 11, but that turned out to not be the case.
A page titled "How to Uninstall Microsoft Edge" was spotted by several outlets last week. Strangely, clicking on a Bing result showing that page directed users to a page dedicated to explaining how Edge is better than Chrome. Steps to uninstall Edge from Windows 11 were absent, replaced instead with charts highlighting Edge features.
After that site was flagged up by the media, Microsoft seemingly removed the page from the web altogether. Searching for how to uninstall Edge now just recommends a general topic page about the browser.
While it is possible to uninstall Edge in some circumstances, it's often easier to just leave the browser alone. Most of the outrage around the webpage was about the misleading title, not the status of Edge on Windows 11. That being said, legislation has required Microsoft to make it possible to uninstall Edge in EEA countries.
HoloLens
Microsoft's HoloLens went out with a whimper last week. The tech giant has handed off development of the IVAS militarized augmented reality headset to Anduril Industries. The partnership needs to be approved by the U.S. Department of Defence before it can go forward. If that happens, Microsoft will have essentially moved on from all first-party Mixed Reality products.
Microsoft has already retired its Windows Mixed Reality platform and ended production on HoloLens 2. The company also canceled HoloLens 3 in 2022, so it's no surprise to see Microsoft move away from its Mixed Reality products.
Windows Central Podcast
If you prefer to listen to people discuss the latest topics in tech, or if you want expert insight into the industry, make sure to check out the latest episode of the Windows Central Podcast. There, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino and Senior Editor Zac Bowden run through trending topics and hot button issues surrounding Windows and Microsoft.
You can also subscribe to the Windows Central Podcast on through your favorite apps:
- Listen on Spotify
- Listen on Apple Podcasts
- Listen on Pocket Casts
- Subscribe via RSS
Reviews
• ASUS Zenbook Duo
• HP Omen Desktop
• GameSir G7 HE controller
• Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
• NZXT Capsule Elite microphone
• Lenovo IdeaPad 2-in-1
• Turtle Beach VelocityOne Multi-Shift
• Avowed
• Lenovo Legion Go S
• Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness Remastered
• MSI Cubi NUC 13MQ mini PC
Our team of experts go hands on with the latest gadgets and games every week. This week's highest review scores go to the ASUS Zenbook Duo and Turtle Beach VelocityOne Multi-Shift, both of which earned 4.5 stars out of 5.
"The Zenbook Duo (2025) is every bit as good as its predecessor, and it's now more powerful thanks to Intel's "Arrow Lake" chips inside," said Cale Hunt and Ben Wilson about the new Zenbook Duo. "Battery life remains stellar, the keyboard and touchpad are excellent, and the OLED displays are gorgeous."
Our Michael Moglund shared some fun wordplay in his review of the VelocityOne Multi-Shift:
"A great shifter that will bring Xbox and Windows PC gamers up a gear. If you're in the market for a premium shifter and can't decide between an H-pattern or sequential, get the best of both worlds with the VelocityOne Multi-Shift. It'll come in clutch."
Our team ran a bunch of devices and games through their paces, so make sure to check them all out!
Deals of the Week
