Today we talked about the end of support for Windows 7, or rather its extension for a period of exactly three years, we also argued for the existence of alternatives to replace it, and here is new information that points to a profound change in Microsoft’s strategy for the life cycles of system versions.

According to information provided by Windows Central, the company is considering a return to three-year release cycle which broke up with Windows 10, so if so, the next major version of Windows, Windows 12, would appear on the scene as early as the fall of 2024. This new cycle would also change the timing of system updates.

Thus, even if the proposed turnaround would be, on the one hand, a return to the most immediate past, as was the case with Windows Vista (2006), Windows 7 (2009), Windows 8 (2012) and Windows 10 (2015), the novelty would be updates to the current versions, those that Windows 10 received twice a year and that the launch of Windows 11 wishes became annual.

Also. According to this information, the respective versions of Windows would not receive one or two, but four annual updates (internally called “moments”), one per quarter, including new features and not just bug fixes or security patches (the latter seem to be unaffected). This new procedure will be implemented in 2023 with Windows 11.

Of course, someone has already asked Microsoft about this information and the answer was typical, which they neither confirm nor deny. In the jargon of the media that Microsoft “does not comment on rumors or speculation.” However, there are several media outlets that have given these plans credit, at least as far as the internal discussion is concerned.

However, the underlying problem is complex because it is a profound paradigm shift that… what benefits would it bring? This means that Microsoft does not need to lure users to its platform, the number one in the segment it occupies. On the other hand, problems with every Windows update have been a constant for years, so accelerating the pace of development and release doesn’t seem like the best solution.

Not to mention the professionals who rely on Windows, who make up one of the most delicate groups, forcing production machines to update every three years… or maybe more? That’s another one: a new version of Windows every three years, yes, but… with how long support for each one? These and other questions raised by this subject are just theory for now.