Microsoft has changed its operating system development program and Windows 12 is on the horizon as the next major release. When will it be published? What news will they present? What will be your hardware requirements? Will it be free? How long will it be supported? We will try to answer these and other questions based on the information so far.

Setting the context that says Microsoft trusted Windows 10 “your latest operating system”. To this end, it adopted a continuous update model as “scroll release‘ used by Linux distributions and this would allow it to be constantly updated. It soon became clear that the company would not be able to sustain this model, and after several disastrous stability updates, it gradually reduced its two-year release schedule with several updates that were nothing more than service package.

Of course, Windows 10 wasn’t “the last” and Microsoft released Windows 11 with the same core, some aesthetic aspects developed for Windows 10X, greater integration of the Fluent Design language, a refresh of the apps and internal tools that come with the system, and some (few) new features such as the Android subsystem for Windows.

A light message for “new” Windows, but silent: Windows 11 won’t be the last either. Microsoft has decided on a new technical plan, according to which the company would restore the three-year cycle of releasing major versions of Windows. Or what is the same, new Windows every three years. This cycle is not new (it was used in Windows 7 and Vista) and has its advantages as it improves the overall stability and quality of the software. To keep the system up to date, the program is also looking to deliver new features with specific versions of what they internally call “Moments”.

Windows 12 on the way

Last October, during the Ignite trade conference, someone at Microsoft was kind enough to sneak in some screenshots of what the media and analysts believed to be the initial traces of Windows 12. The changes could only be seen in the general user interface, which we will review below. , but it was the first time a new version of Windows was “officially” confirmed to be in development. Based on some questions and answers, we inform you about what we know and what to expect.

Do we know the release date of the next Windows?

If the new technical plan and the release of new major versions of Windows every three years is fulfilled, the chosen date for the release of Windows 12 would be October 2024. According to the calendar, we could expect Windows 13 in 2027 and Windows 14 in the fall of 2030.

What will it be called?

The internal name is said to be “Next Valley”, which makes sense given that Windows 11 is “Sun Valley”. Beyond that, no commercial name can be given, although all indications are that Microsoft will follow the strategy of using the Windows name plus numbers. It wasn’t always like that, and let’s think of Windows Vista, for example. Or skipping Windows 9 directly to Windows 10.

Will it be free?

Yes, to upgrade from previous systems on computers with a valid license. Microsoft launched a free upgrade program in Windows 10 that was originally supposed to last only a year, but it’s still running seven years later. Windows 12 would follow the strategy, update Windows 10 and 11 PCs for free and be the reference version for pre-installs on OEM PCs from its launch. Microsoft and third-party providers would sell licenses at retail for new devices created by users, from manufacturers that are sold without a system or for virtual machines.

How will it be updated?

Windows Update will continue to be the preferred method of updating between versions with the ability to preserve installed files, applications and user data. ISO images will also be released for media creation, “clean” installs from scratch, and use in virtual machines. Feature updates for this version will come via so-called “Moments”, while security updates will be maintained – at least – with monthly patches. A large improvement in distribution should be brought about by the use of UUP (A single update platform) local, which promises 30% faster and lighter Windows update downloads.

Will the hardware requirements increase?

Rising hardware requirements and messy management by Microsoft have penalized the market share of Windows 11. We don’t think Microsoft will remove the TPM and Secure Boot requirements, but hopefully there will be more clarification and consistency on the same as the Windows 11 requirements for nothing by being able to jump over them in different ways. In Windows 12, TPM would be mandatory if the Microsoft Pluton security chip integrated into the same CPUs is confirmed. Maybe the minimum RAM will also be increased, as 4 GB has been verified to be insufficient and due to the improvement of the hardware level in the PC market.

What will its life cycle be?

Windows 12 will co-exist with Windows 11 at launch and – if the three-year calendar is confirmed – will have a lifespan of at least six years, extended according to business needs at companies with an extended support phase. Windows 13 would repeat the same cycle, with Microsoft keeping two versions active and officially supported at a time.

Do we know her main news?

What we have seen so far are the changes in the user interfacewith a new floating taskbar at the bottom, system icons at the top right, a floating search box at the top center, and widgets like the weather at the top left.

It is certain that Microsoft will continue to deploy its Fluent Design language throughout the interface with the general idea of ​​achieving a perfect interface to adapt to any device, better optimized for touch screens, but without limiting the experience (as was the case with Windows. 8) for millions of users, who use Windows on a desktop with a keyboard and mouse.

The general launch of the Android Subsystem for Windows channel should happen in Windows 12, along with full integration with Microsoft’s adopted Android system, which is compliant with “whole ecosystem” that Apple has with iOS and macOS, with apps recognizable in both and plenty of functionality from mobile to PC and vice versa.

Microsoft has updated several apps considered system-wide in Windows 11, from File Explorer to Notepad, and we expect it to continue with the rest. It is also pending the transfer of management functions from the control panel to the general configuration tool. It’s not ideal for advanced users, but it’s the strategy used so far.

End by quoting recent statements from Microsoft Executive Vice President and Product Manager Panos Panay regarding the fact that the next Windows will be powered by artificial intelligence in performance, search, or security tasks. Given the pasture that Microsoft is investing in OpenAI (the organization behind ChatGPT), we have to find news in this section.

And the future of Windows?

If you’ve read the previous point, you’ll agree that the “revolution” that Microsoft has been thinking about for decades will have to wait. Windows has legacy components from Windows 95, such as the control panel mentioned above and others. The company would love to leave them behind, but we’ll see who will ring the bell given that the Windows hardware and software ecosystem is monstrous today and needs to hold its own.

The answer should come one day with developments like this interesting one Windows Core OS, which appeared a few years ago and was expected to be released on the foldable Surface, but it definitely hasn’t arrived and we really have no idea what stage it’s at. As its name suggests, it would include a base core to which module-based layers would be added to adapt to each device it ran on.

Additionally, Windows Core OS would remove all previous legacy components. It would natively run Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps as well as PWA (Progressive Web Apps). It is not known how Microsoft would support Win32 applications, which are still used by millions on the desktop and which are a big problem for Microsoft to bet on the revolutionary Windows.

Another novelty would be the addition components open source in an approach that seems unstoppable when we see CEO Nadella’s “love” for Linux and applications released for Windows in recent years, such as the Windows Terminal command line, the Winget package manager or the same Linux subsystem for Windows.

Within this group, we know internal development to improve the security of open source Windows components, as well as a “containers” project that would be key to run Win32 applications in this Core OS that should break new ground for Windows.