Will Windows 10 be the last? As we reported yesterday, a Microsoft developer revealed at the company's Ignite conference, held in Chicago, that Windows 10 "is the last version of Windows," confirming previous rumors that Microsoft would stop releasing new versions of its operating system in favor of major updates.
Microsoft, on the other hand, has not officially stated anything about this statement. But because statements like these can create a lot of confusion, we decided to write a little more. What could Microsoft really do?
Of course, the company will not abandon Windows as its operating system is the second largest source of revenue after the Office suite.
In fact, the statement “last version of Windows” refers to a new idea that Microsoft will try with Windows 10, which will roll out new releases to its customers at a much faster pace.
To date, we know that Microsoft releases new versions of Windows every three years: Windows 7 in 2009, Windows 8 in 2012, and Windows 10 in 2015. But with the release of the new version, the company is reportedly trying a different approach.
Instead of releasing new versions every three years, Microsoft will focus on major updates that will be released as soon as they are ready.
This means that improvements and new features will be delivered at a much faster pace, so the company could well release major updates annually.
Updates “when they’re ready” refers to minor security updates, or system improvements that don’t bring major visible changes. The visible system changes will come as mentioned above every 12 months. It’s a bit like Apple’s update system, for those in the know.
As for the name, Windows 10 could be the last version of Windows to be named with a version number, because from now on, it will just be called Windows.
Updated versions, on the other hand, are very likely to have codenames that will help users and the company know which version they are running.
Of course, all of the above is an upcoming strategy that may change as we move towards the final product.
