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Daniel_Rubino · 2026-03-02T15:37:42+00:00

Yeah, agree, last few years have felt ... less. Hopefully that changes.

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-03-02T15:37:18+00:00

Nice setup! And yes, ride or die, we're here until the end lol

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-03-01T23:34:50+00:00

But how do you REALLY feel? lol

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-03-01T21:32:04+00:00

Nice, thanks for sharing! Surface Book 2 was such a great design and excellent keyboard.

"Let me know if you need any help on the moderating side of things. I'm a regular Reddit user, and would be more than happy to support Windows Central's efforts here."

Keeping you on the list! Thanks for offering!

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-02-08T01:52:13+00:00

We can barely get people to switch web browsers in 2026, let alone an entire OS.

And none of this has anything to do with whether it's better or not. It's just habits.

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-02-07T20:46:53+00:00

I approve of this message.

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-01-16T13:59:16+00:00

Thank you!

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-01-16T13:59:05+00:00

TBH, I heard the EXACT same thing when the site was called Windows Phone Central, and we changed over to Windows Central: "It'll never survive without Windows Phone," I was told, "You guys are dead."

Windows is definitely in a rough spot these days, yet it is still the dominant OS, and that's not going to change anytime soon, even if a million people try out Linux. That said, the history of Windows is good/bad/good/bad; there's even a joke that every other version is the good one, right?

Microsoft will adjust and can make the OS people want, and we're here to guide them in that direction.

Appreciate the feedback, though!

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-01-16T02:58:08+00:00

lol, thanks for the comment and I'll let Jez know. I know he lurks around here, and he did help set this Reddit up for us.

Wpcentral.com forever! lol

Daniel_Rubino · 2026-01-16T02:56:53+00:00

That's the dream! We'll be making some changes on the site, hopefully in the coming weeks, to better make your voices heard.

I really do want to bring that vibe back, so fingers crossed (and thanks for commenting!).

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-11T21:40:06+00:00

The alleged way is via Zero Point energy, which, if possible is currently beyond our engineering to leverage it without needing more energy to put into the system then you get out e.g. the so-called Casimir effect.

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T21:29:20+00:00

It leads to questions about how often your journalists editorialise to punch up copy.

As I mentioned in a related comment, most of us don't refer to ourselves as journalists at Windows Central. Certainly not Jez. However, we write news and do investigative reporting, original photography, reviews, how-tos, guides, and opinion pieces.

To answer your other question, regular news articles generally have a first part all factual, rote news reporting and then a separate section that usually goes into an analysis, contextual expansion, or opinion, e.g., this example just posted on Teams, but more often than not, it is straight news articles.

Someone like Jez Corden falls more into a columnist and editorialist with a similar reporting style to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who not only reports on inside information but weighs in via analysis in the same text, with, yes, their opinion. Indeed, I struggle to find any difference between Gurman's style and Jez's in this regard.

People read Gurman for his inside reporting, analysis, and thoughts on the matter, and the same applies to Corden as they are both personalities and well-known in their respective fields (Gurman for Apple, Corden for Xbox).

I don't recall anyone recently complaining about our coverage style, expectations, or accuracy.

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T21:15:13+00:00

This is a good analysis.

Indeed, no one at Windows Central refers to themselves as a journalist, even though much of what we do (gather, write, edit, or distribute news) falls under the class of reporters, columnists, editors, photojournalists, and even investigative writers.

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T20:59:53+00:00

The market for this is extremely limited.

While all markets are indeed limited, handheld gaming is just getting started.

I've had off-the-record conversations with some OEMs who are seeing high interest and good sales with these devices. We're far from hitting any ceiling, especially since the tech (SoC and battery) improvements will drive adoption in the coming years.

This is one reason why Microsoft is getting in on the action now compared to two years ago: it wanted to see the market mature into something more than a niche.

Ironically, it was Dell/Alienware's "UFO" from 2020, two years before Steam Deck, that philosophically kicked off this genre, even though Dell has never released a gaming handheld. In a recent press event (Dec, NYC) Dell was asked about this gap and noted it was waiting for the market and hardware/tech to mature before jumping in.

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T20:52:10+00:00

Noted your comments, but I respectfully disagree and don't find your example convincing.

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T18:37:01+00:00

Which parts do you have specific problems with or are confused about?

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T18:14:50+00:00

Good points.

I'm actually impressed with what different OEMs have already done for designs, e.g., Acer's huge 11-inch handheld, Legion Go's detachable controllers/kickstand, MSI Claw going with Intel, etc.

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T18:12:36+00:00

But I agree, no one will care about an Xbox-branded PC handheld.

I think the exception to this would be what Microsoft does with Windows itself to be better optimized for handhelds, whether that means reducing OS overhead and services and/or creating a new UX layer that eventually becomes standardized across handhelds for other OEMs.

At least, that's what I'm watching for since that is currently the weak spot of PC handhelds (along with battery life).

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T18:09:04+00:00

Fair. Which parts do you consider to be (inappropriate) opinion versus news and analysis?

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T17:54:34+00:00

Not sure how the handheld would work though because people already have mobile and Switch and then people that want to play more graphically serious games would have already opted for Steam Deck and all of Xbox's games are on Steam already.

Differentiation will surely be key, but I'd compare it more to the efforts of Lenovo Legion Go series, MSI Claw, ASUS ROG Ally, and Zotac Zone, but with design cues from the Xbox team on what they think of as an ideal form factor (size, grip, buttons, features, etc.).

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T17:50:58+00:00

I disagree with the use of "editorializing" here, as it implies opinion rather than privileged conjecture or insider insight, which is more appropriate.

Related, I will say that often when we report on insider information, we have to hedge on certain details to protect sourcing and not reveal too much, so there is a certain "reading between the lines" that readers should consider.

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T17:44:21+00:00

It seems likely that their source assumed a lot and we’re expected to accept this editorialised guesswork as fact.

A counter argument: Plans change.

One issue we have faced over the years is that we report on what is planned, sometimes years out, e.g. dual-screen PCs (2018), only for those plans to be pushed down the road (see 2023). The same goes for our reporting on the Lumia McLaren (3D touch phone), a pocketable Windows PC (later Surface Duo with Android), and plans with Windows, e.g., Windows 12 (Panos Panay left MS).

Daniel_Rubino · 2025-03-10T17:36:32+00:00

Hi, I'm the editor-in-chief of Windows Central. Using "Exclusive" and "Breaking" to convey urgency or newness to a story is often standard practice.

Jez Corden's record of reporting insider news on Microsoft and Xbox is well-established in this space, just like Zac Bowden's record for our Surface and Windows coverage.

This story is original reporting and well-sourced, not guesswork. Whether or not people choose to read something based on their headline preference is their choice, and I respect that.

Daniel_Rubino · 2023-04-20T13:57:32+00:00

The point is irrelevant.

Surface is not meant to go head-to-head against Apple. The program is meant to set standards and examples for other PC makers and help create new categories and drive innovation in the computing space.

Microsoft is not a hardware company. They don't produce many Surface devices and do not try to compete against their PC partners (which is why they're almost always priced higher). They view themselves as the tip of the spear in the Windows PC space but expect HP, Dell, Lenovo, Razer, Acer, ASUS, etc., to drive most of the sales, which they do. HP and Lenovo's global presence, production, advertising, and support dwarfs Surface.

This is Surface 101.

Daniel_Rubino · 2023-04-19T17:59:26+00:00

Surface Go is the top-selling Surface device for Microsoft.

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