News Windows 12 not just yet, apparently

[mikeymikec]

Microsoft confirms name of the next major version of Windows, and it's not Windows 12

Windows 11 version 24H2 will be the name of the next major Windows OS update.

www.windowscentral.com

(more than one site is reporting this, btw)

Apparently the rumours that have been circulating about upcoming features for Win12 are features that are allegedly going to Win11 24H2 instead. If true, it's interesting because it probably means that Microsoft isn't going back to their pre-Win10 Windows release strategy, ie. a new release every ~3 years. Perhaps Win11 will get feature updates for as long as Win10 (5 years approx?) did and then further 'feature update' type methods will go into Win12?

If so, I wonder what that means for backwards compatibility between Win12 and older PCs, whether Microsoft will continue to cut the cord for ~7 year old PCs and a new release of Windows. I hope not, because the last thing we need is to unnecessarily add more PCs to the landfill.

I was expecting MS to go back to a new Windows release every ~3 years because that would likely please the OEMs but apparently not.

 

[man00]

I'm starting to lose patience but still waiting for the Windows 95 fix

 

[mikeymikec]

I'm starting to lose patience but still waiting for the Windows 95 fix

What's that?

 

[yottabit]

Microsoft confirms name of the next major version of Windows, and it's not Windows 12

Windows 11 version 24H2 will be the name of the next major Windows OS update.

www.windowscentral.com

(more than one site is reporting this, btw)

Apparently the rumours that have been circulating about upcoming features for Win12 are features that are allegedly going to Win11 24H2 instead. If true, it's interesting because it probably means that Microsoft isn't going back to their pre-Win10 Windows release strategy, ie. a new release every ~3 years. Perhaps Win11 will get feature updates for as long as Win10 (5 years approx?) did and then further 'feature update' type methods will go into Win12?

If so, I wonder what that means for backwards compatibility between Win12 and older PCs, whether Microsoft will continue to cut the cord for ~7 year old PCs and a new release of Windows. I hope not, because the last thing we need is to unnecessarily add more PCs to the landfill.

I was expecting MS to go back to a new Windows release every ~3 years because that would likely please the OEMs but apparently not.

Well I was told Windows 10 was the supposed to be the “last version of Windows” so I’d say they’re still 110% to plan

 

[AlexanderSalazar]

It would have been strange if they had launched windows 12 after releasing windows 11 not long ago.

 

[mikeymikec]

It would have been strange if they had launched windows 12 after releasing windows 11 not long ago.

Windows 7: December 2009
Windows 8: October 2012
Windows 10: July 2015, "the final version of Windows"
Windows 11: October 2021

Windows 12 being released in October 2024 would not be "strange" behaviour from MS.

As I suggested in the OP, perhaps the yearly feature update strategy of updating-instead-of-upgrading Windows means that there will be a larger gap between future Windows releases, or Microsoft is purposefully deciding not to commit to a new system (though I imagine this would cause a lot more unnecessary internal discussion about what constitutes a new Windows release rather than a feature update, and there was very little worthy of note about Windows 11), or Microsoft still has not made up its mind about what to do in the long term.