Why Microsoft is calling Windows 10 'the last version of Windows'
"Right now we’re releasing Windows 10, and because Windows
10 is the last version of Windows, we’re all still working on Windows 10."
That was the message from Microsoft employee Jerry Nixon, a developer evangelist speaking
at the company's Ignite conference this week. Nixon was
explaining how Microsoft was launching Windows 8.1 last year, but in the
background it was developing Windows 10. Now, Microsoft employees can talk
freely about future updates to Windows 10 because there's no secret update in
the works coming next. It's all just Windows 10. While it immediately sounds
like Microsoft is killing off Windows and not doing future versions, the
reality is a little more complex. The future is "Windows as a
service."
IT'S ALL ABOUT WINDOWS AS A SERVICE
Microsoft has been discussing the idea of Windows as a service, but the company hasn't
really explained exactly how that will play out with future versions of
Windows. That might be because there won't really be any future major versions
of Windows in the foreseeable future. Microsoft has altered the way it
engineers and delivers Windows, and the initial result is Windows 10. Instead
of big releases, there will be regular improvements and updates. Part of this
is achieved by splitting up operating system components like the Start Menu and
built-in apps to be separate parts that can be updated independently to the
entire Windows core operating system. It's a big undertaking, but it's
something Microsoft has been actively working on for Windows 10 to ensure it
spans across multiple device types.
While we'll witness the results in the coming months, Microsoft
is already in launch mode for a number of its apps and services that power
Windows 10. The software company is testing preview builds of Window 10 with
willing participants, and apps like Xbox and Mail have been engineered for
regularly monthly updates. Even Office for Windows 10 will also get regular
updates, much like a mobile version, instead of the big bang release every few
years.
WINDOWS ISN'T DEAD, BUT THE IDEA OF VERSION NUMBERS COULD BE
When I reached out to Microsoft about Nixon's comments, the
company didn't dismiss them at all. "Recent comments at Ignite about
Windows 10 are reflective of the way Windows will be delivered as a service
bringing new innovations and updates in an ongoing manner, with continuous
value for our consumer and business customers," says a Microsoft
spokesperson in a statement to The Verge.
"We aren’t speaking to future branding at this time, but customers can be
confident Windows 10 will remain up-to-date and power a variety of devices from
PCs to phones to Surface Hub to HoloLens and Xbox. We look forward to a long
future of Windows innovations."
With Windows 10, it's time to start thinking of Windows as
something that won't see a big launch or major upgrade every few years anymore.
Much like how Google's Chrome browser gets updated regularly with version
numbers nobody really pays attention to, Microsoft's approach will likely
result in a similar outcome. This is really the idea of Windows as a service,
and the notion that Windows 10 could be the last major version of Windows.
Microsoft could opt for Windows 11 or Windows 12 in future, but if people
upgrade to Windows 10 and the regular updates do the trick then everyone will
just settle for just "Windows" without even worrying about the
version number.
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