The first rumors about Windows 12 began to appear long after Microsoft again changed the system development plan and renewed three-year release cycle for older versions of Windows. This model was used by others such as Windows 7 and was enhanced by the well-known “Service Pack” that Microsoft now calls “Moments”. According to this calendar, the new version should be released this year, but there are some issues that we think led Microsoft to delay it.

On the one hand, inclusion artificial intelligence functions Creating the Copilot+ PC platform that will completely change Windows as we know it is a monumental development job that is not without problems and requires all the dedication of the development team. Related and no less important Microsoft must support new ARM hardware in a new attempt to make Windows viable under this architecture. In addition, the end of the Windows 10 life cycle scheduled for October 2025 is a sword of Damocles with regard to its huge market share due to the unattractiveness of Windows 11.

Windows 12 in fall 2025 could solve these problems. It would be a catalyst for the industry, give Microsoft time to adequately complete all the AI ​​features and convince tens of millions of users that we have it all if the changes we think are necessary and if the hardware is upgraded/updated because everything suggests that we will need higher-end personal computers to achieve a good experience.

Windows 12 features

Microsoft is waiting for a revolution in operating systems to leave behind a large part of the older components, which include, some derivatives, nothing less than Windows 95. The problem in this step is known: supporting a huge Windows ecosystem on hardware at the same time. and software. It doesn’t seem possible (for the time being) that the Windows Core OS we’ve been talking about for years, nor does it seem possible to kill Win32 apps using virtualization technologies via “containers” as it seems will work on ARM. Waiting for the great revolution, Yes, there are some tweaks to make Windows look more attractive. We leave you with some of the ones that we think should be implemented.

No ads or bloatware

Microsoft is converting Windows 11 on a large advertising billboard, delivering ads to any part of the operating system, from the file explorer to the Start menu, passing through the Settings tool. These ads attach to a huge amount of unwanted software (Bloatware), which includes a default installation and ends up creating a really frustrating system for many users. If Microsoft is wondering about the reasons for Windows 11’s low market share and why most of us continue with Windows 10, there may be an explanation. Related: Windows can’t be an advertising platform to sell Microsoft apps and services.

Practical and local AI, no telemetry

The arrival of AI technologies to the end customer with development startups like ChatGPT is unstoppable. Its deployment is expanding in 2024 and we see AI in the most unexpected services or products. If we have already seen in mobile phones how neural processing units work with cameras, in computers they should focus on productive tasks, search or above all security, although in the future they will be able to achieve practically any type of task that we carry out in our personal lives. computer. The key is that the user perceives these AI tasks as contributing and actually useful, because in exchange you will have to use more advanced and expensive hardware. Of course, Recall’s privacy nightmare can’t happen again: Windows can’t be a training ground for AI languages ​​either.

Configuration VS. control panel

The Control Panel has been with us since Windows was Windows, as it was implemented in 1985 when the graphical user interface debuted. It is one of the main internal tools and includes the main functions of system maintenance and administration. Microsoft launched a plan to remove it with the launch of Windows 10 in 2015. Since then, the company has been removing some of its features and moving others in favor of a more modern and visually appealing general Settings application, customized with Modern UI and in line with the design language implemented throughout the system. The problem is that Microsoft is making the transition slowly, unnecessarily duplicating features and linking tools from one to the other. It would be advisable to complete the transition as soon as possible.

Start menu – Main panel

It is surprising that these important UI components have not been adequately addressed compared to what was offered in previous versions such as Windows 7 was simply excellent and satisfied all types of users. Ten years later, we’re still thinking about it, and users are using third-party tools that should be unnecessary. Is it that hard to take the Windows 7 Start menu design and modernize it? As for the taskbar, although at first glance the Windows 11 one looks more attractive, for many users it has lost the usability and customization of previous systems. Microsoft is improving some of its features, but this is another important element that needs to be completed.

Greater customization

Microsoft operating systems They are not characterized by the ability to adapt and it is quite difficult to leave them to the taste of each user. In fact, there are changes that require a lot of knowledge of the whole system and force you to use third-party tools to touch the main panel, the aforementioned Start menu, icons or other visual aspects such as colors, window border sizes, headers or menus. Improving customization is another pending task for Windows of the future.

Return of the WSA

The Windows Subsystem for Android was one of the big news announced for Windows 11. Like other promised components, it wasn’t available at launch and Microsoft had to speed up its development. The last major update was to mark the jump to Android 13, and then another specific one arrived to improve performance on Intel and AMD processors. When the feature was starting to work, Microsoft announced its cancellation, allegedly due to “lack of revenue”. I personally used it as a supplement mobile phone and desktop computer use and I believe its return would be appreciated in the features of Windows 12. On the opposite side, on the Apple side, we can see an increasing integration between the iPhone and the Mac, I think this is the future.

Virtual desktops

Virtual desktops are a great way to organize open applications and increase productivity. Microsoft introduced them in Windows 10 and improved your overall Windows 11 experience. But it does not reach the level we have, for example, in Linux. It would be great to be able to view and manage all of your virtual desktops right from the dashboard. And be able to launch apps on different desktops from the task view. Ubuntu’s activities (equivalent to Windows 11’s task view) are a good mirror for inspiration.

Most useful widgets

Microsoft has tried several times over the years to implement widgets into Windows, and none of them have been very successful. Even the best Windows Vista and 7 gadgets had to be scrapped because of their security flaws. Windows 11 tried again, but the implementation has serious problems. Widgets cannot be pinned to the desktop where information about them can be obtained at a glance; you need to click on the taskbar icon. Once you do this, only a third of the available space will be dedicated to your actual widgets; the rest is a bunch of content that Microsoft thinks might be interesting and isn’t. The entire widget section is still available too messy and congested to make it attractive.

Context menus

The Windows context menu, which works when we touch the right mouse button, is an essential part of using a computer, and yet no meaningful built-in tools customize its appearance and operation. It wouldn’t hurt to release it among Windows 12 features, modify the way menu items are displayed, such as the ability to switch between the old menu and the new icons, the size of these items, and the ability to delete items from the More menu that add installed applications without having to touch the registry or use third-party tools.

Backup options

The new Windows Backup app has modernized the internal backup capabilities carried over from Windows 7, but it still needs a lot of work to make it a solid tool. Especially because of its limitations on the space you have available on OneDrive, Microsoft’s storage service. Missing improvements when transferring files and settings to a new PC; local backup options and more control over which files and folders to include.

Interactive installation

The stage of installing a “clean” Windows system from scratch is usually not very attractive. If it is not generally a stage where the user can interact, some concept creators have introduced this option perform tasks such as web browsing or light gaming while the operating system is installed and configured in the background. It is not a primary matter among the main features of Windows 12, but it would be one more detail to increase its attractiveness.

Update without errors

Updating Windows has become a high-risk exercise, and many of us have put off automatic updates to avoid surprises. Microsoft will fix the previous failures, but the others will cause a snowball that has no end. The company only releases one major version per year to limit bugs and has the largest testing program in Windows history with the Insider channel. But there is no way. Greater investment in engineering and internal testing is required in this case.

What do you think? Do you agree with the proposed changes? What new features would you include as Windows 12 features? Or are you simply thinking about looking for alternatives to Windows because you can’t find what you’re looking for and you see that Microsoft’s operating systems will continue to improve?