Windows 12 is probably not occurring in any case, or a minimum of that appears to be the way in which the rumor mill is all of the sudden tilting – and Microsoft can also be altering the way it’ll replace its desktop OS sooner or later, we’re informed.
This recent information comes from Zac Bowden of Windows Central, a widely known leaker on all issues Microsoft.
Bowden tells us that the following model of Home windows (codenamed Hudson Valley) will likely be extremely AI-focused (quelle shock) and Microsoft is planning to launch it in September or October 2024 – however the remaining title is a advertising and marketing choice that hasn’t but been made.
Nonetheless, the leaker claims that sources inside Microsoft are uncertain as as to if it’ll be Windows 12. The rationale? Microsoft is outwardly cautious of fragmenting the consumer base additional with one other launch that has a distinct title – and we completely get the place that line of thought is coming from (we’ll return to debate that shortly).
This doesn’t rule out Home windows 12, after all, but it surely actually feels like Microsoft is edging in direction of sticking with one other launch of Windows 11 for the following incarnation.
Bowden additionally chews over purported adjustments to the way in which Home windows updates are delivered, and sources inside Microsoft have indicated that there’ll be a return to an enormous annual characteristic replace – with fewer ‘Second’ (smaller) characteristic updates.
At present, we’re getting a raft of Second updates – we’re up to Moment 4 this 12 months, with a fifth deliberate for February or March subsequent 12 months – and an annual improve (23H2 this year) which was considerably smaller when it comes to its characteristic rely (as numerous options had been launched with these Second updates already).
Subsequent 12 months, with fewer Second updates – we’re informed these will nonetheless exist, however will likely be used “sparingly” – the massive improve for later in 2024 (Hudson Valley) will likely be a chunkier affair. Briefly, Microsoft is placing extra emphasis on the main annual replace going ahead, or that’s the speculation.
Evaluation: Two buckets are higher than three
So, if Microsoft goes the route of constructing Hudson Valley an all-new launch known as Home windows 12 (or one other various – Home windows AI, perhaps), what’s the hazard of fragmentation referred to right here?
Nicely, if Home windows 12 got here out subsequent 12 months, we’d have a bunch of oldsters leaping to that OS, a bunch nonetheless on Home windows 11, and a complete load of customers nonetheless operating Windows 10 (caught behind a hardware upgrade barrier in lots of instances – both as a result of they don’t have TPM performance on their PC, or their CPU is just too outdated).
This might be diluting the consumer base over three buckets as an alternative of two, if you’ll, which does really feel like a careless strategy, and servicing all it will find yourself a clunkier, harder-to-manage course of, too.
Funnily sufficient, we simply noticed a leak suggesting Windows 11 24H2 is incoming, which is what the title of Hudson Valley will likely be if Microsoft sticks with Home windows 11 – so this lends a bit extra weight to the hypothesis right here.
Once more, this doesn’t rule out Home windows 12, after all – however it’s beginning to really feel considerably much less seemingly.
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