Microsoft Plans Windows 12 for 2024

[btarunr]

Microsoft is planning a speedy launch cycle for its next-generation Windows 12 operating system, with reports pointing to a 2024 release to market. This would give Windows 11 roughly 3 years as the company's latest client OS. It could use a major release like Windows 12 to significantly change the user interface, introduce support for newer types of hardware, as well as newer APIs. At this point, Windows 12 hasn't hit any of the public Insider release cycles, so there are no hints as to what direction the OS's development is headed.



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[Camm]

Considering the abysmal state 11 released in with support for Desired State Configuration, I can't help but shudder with this new release cadance.

 

[Mysteoa]

"We just want to change the interface again" - MS guy

 

[timta2]

I personally find this hilarious, on so many different levels. They really have no idea what they are doing.

 

[AusWolf]

Significant change in the user interface? Does that mean we're getting the Start menu back again?

 

[cvaldes]

Hopefully they'll bring back Clippy.

 

[jeremyshaw]

Significant change in the user interface? Does that mean we're getting the Start menu back again?

That would be nice. Full UI upgrade back to Win7, with much of the underhood improvements of Win8/10. Stuff like the current Task Manager are quite nice (Win11 is trying an even newer one). Stuff like two different control panels, nested within each other and exposed through context menus?

Touchscreen support is okay, I guess, but I still have never liked it enough to care - I used two generations of Surface tablets, along with earlier touchscreen PCs like the OQO. Still use touchscreens at work, and never has the Win8 "touchscreen UI" part ever helped. It's always the little Explorer tweaks for touchscreens (checkboxes, long press, better on screen KB, etc) that were the most beneficial, and these were in Win7, with parts in Vista and XP.

 

[phanbuey]

Significant change in the user interface? Does that mean we're getting the Start menu back again?

That would be amazing.

The best change they can do is bring back a sleeker windows 2000 interface back

 

[windwhirl]

Nothing new here, tbh.

For most of Windows' existence, Microsoft has had engineers working on the next major Windows version. When Windows 95 had just released, they started working on Windows 98. Same story with Windows 2000 and XP. Vista was already in the works and 7 was starting to be planned out before Windows XP launched, though Vista's development was later reset. Windows 7 ended up being a refined version of Vista because most of its intended new features and changes were integrated in Vista anyway. Windows 10 was also in the works before Windows 8 launched.

Windows 11 is the only one to break this tradition because Microsoft had not planned to make new major versions anymore. Until they changed their minds.

 

[Atomic77]

Oh my gosh Windows 12 gee whiz only 3 years away??? I think Microsoft is going crazy crazy. Didn't Microsoft say a while back that Windows 10 was the last operating system and then all the sudden Windows 11 is upon us. I personally think Windows 11 needs a few more years to be perfected before we even consider a 12.

 

[maxli86]

As much as product cycle goes, even if they want to release another Windows next few years.
At least look at some concerns user had for example, Win 11 and Win 10 the user interface as well as
start menu.

I still prefer Win 10 due to the start menu as well as much familiar user interface.
As well as Windows installation, in the past all along had been done offline until Win 11.
Why force online installation with requirement of MS account before the setup continues?

It's tricky to configure and setup Win 11 especially loading manufacturers system drivers
which have to be done offline. Without MS update messing up the system drivers especially
the graphic card driver.

Till date updating drivers like graphic card, the update have to be offline before the driver can be updated properly.
When the old driver is removed, MS update will install the missing graphic card which causes issue
that is commonly faced with AMD Graphic cards.

These are the issues which is my concern, the MS update auto driver install should be under optional update like previous OS.

 

[mechtech]

I think a desktop OS should have at least an 8 yr life and should be specifically tailored to a desktop. I also thought MS said win 10 was going to be the last version of windows.

Is there a Linux or freeBSD windows replacement yet? I would pay for it if there is.

 

[Chaitanya]

So more data mining on the way for users rather than true standalone OS like Win7 or prior.

 

[jeremyshaw]

Oh my gosh Windows 12 gee whiz only 3 years away??? I think Microsoft is going crazy crazy. Didn't Microsoft say a while back that Windows 10 was the last operating system and then all the sudden Windows 11 is upon us. I personally think Windows 11 needs a few more years to be perfected before we even consider a 12.

Well, 10 was fine enough when macOSX was doing point releases for a decade, ending with 10.15, iirc.

Now there is macOS11 and macOS12, MSFT cannot afford to fall behind on the numbers war!

 

[natr0n]

It's unreal how much resources these ass clowns have. They cant finish and improve; Its alpha then release beta for retail.

 

[windwhirl]

So more data mining on the way for users rather than true standalone OS like Win7 or prior.

Do not worry, you're being data mined by every single entity on the Internet and even others that are not that much on the Internet.

I personally think Windows 11 needs a few more years to be perfected before we even consider a 12.

A lot of people here were clamoring for big changes in Windows 11 UX. A new major version seems ideal to do that.

 

[Atomic77]

If windows 12 does come out in 2024 I expect that there will probably be a windows 13 in 2027 and 14 in 2030. if they keep moving in a 3 year cycle.

 

[johnpa]

Perhaps they will improve the Start menu, to make it even more desktop oriented, like they removed live tiles from Windows 11.

 

[Solaris17]

It's unreal how much resources these ass clowns have. They cant finish and improve; Its alpha then release beta for retail.

Most linux OS's release every year. Ubuntu server OS LTS releases are every 2. Client OS releases are every year with with the equiv "Build updates" in october.

OSX has a new version every year.

The industry has done this for a long time, just like inplace upgrades. It appears the normal modern warfare playing consumer userbase is shook by this, but if anything MS is just catching up to what everyone has already been doing.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Hey, MS. Dig up an old Windows XP disc somewhere in your labs, see that UX? That is what we want. Though, please keep the Peek function you added on Windows 7. Thank you!

 

[AusWolf]

Perhaps they will improve the Start menu, to make it even more desktop oriented, like they removed live tiles from Windows 11.

It doesn't need improving, imo. The problem has always been that Microsoft kept "improving" things that were working fine. Give me back any Start menu from Windows 95 to XP (or maybe 7), and I'm happy. I'd be OK with 10, too, if not for the horrible bloated live tiles. I really hope that Microsoft will one day learn that what works doesn't need changing.

An OS has only one job: to make sure your system runs the programs you want. It doesn't need any fancy improvement. It just needs to work as simply as possible.

 

[Camm]

It doesn't need improving, imo. The problem has always been that Microsoft kept "improving" things that were working fine. Give me back any Start menu from Windows 95 to XP, and I'm happy. I'd be OK with 10, too, if not for the horrible bloated live tiles. I really hope that Microsoft will one day learn that what works doesn't need changing.

An OS has only one job: to make sure your system runs the programs you want. It doesn't need any fancy improvement. It just needs to work as simply as possible.

This whole fight over UI probably ignores the obvious. That Microsoft needs to decouple presentation from the kernel completely, and provide UI's that follow 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 10 & 11 conventions. That way there isn't a drag on moving design forward, and conversely, that the luddites don't get angry.

 

[delshay]

Oh my gosh Windows 12 gee whiz only 3 years away???

Well It's a little shorter than that. We are in the year 2022, so it's two years away if it plans to launch in the year 2024.

 

[TechLurker]

I'd be happy with a proper Win7 successor; fully standalone, does NOT require jumping through hoops to set up offline, and relatively stable for years.

 

[Garrus]

I just had to uninstall Windows 11 from a brand new Asus Laptop to solve all the blue screen issues. Windows 10 works perfectly (tried a fresh install of both). Many products on the shelves right now are already only properly tested for Windows 10.

Oh, and call me back when Microsoft has a working start menu. Really funny almost a year later and the keyboard shortcut to shut down (win+x +u +u) can fail as the keyboard shortcut randomly disappears from the Win+X menu.