Home windows 12 is probably not taking place in spite of everything, or not less than that appears to be the best way the rumor mill is all of a sudden tilting – and Microsoft can be altering the way it’ll replace its desktop OS sooner or later, we’re informed.

This contemporary data comes from Zac Bowden of Home windows Central, a widely known leaker on all issues Microsoft.

Bowden tells us that the subsequent model of Home windows (codenamed Hudson Valley) might be extremely AI-focused (quelle shock) and Microsoft is planning to launch it in September or October 2024 – however the remaining identify is a advertising determination that hasn’t but been made.

Nonetheless, the leaker claims that sources inside Microsoft are uncertain as as to if it’ll be Home windows 12. The rationale? Microsoft is seemingly cautious of fragmenting the person base additional with one other launch that has a distinct identify – and we completely get the place that line of thought is coming from (we’ll return to debate that shortly).

This doesn’t rule out Home windows 12, in fact, however it actually appears like Microsoft is edging in the direction of sticking with one other launch of Home windows 11 for the subsequent incarnation.

Bowden additionally chews over purported modifications to the best way Home windows updates are delivered, and sources inside Microsoft have indicated that there’ll be a return to a giant annual characteristic replace – with fewer ‘Second’ (smaller) characteristic updates.

At present, we’re getting a raft of Second updates – we’re as much as Second four this yr, with a fifth deliberate for February or March subsequent yr – and an annual improve (23H2 this yr) which was considerably smaller when it comes to its characteristic rely (as plenty of options had been launched with these Second updates already).

Subsequent yr, with fewer Second updates – we’re informed these will nonetheless exist, however might be used “sparingly” – the massive improve for later in 2024 (Hudson Valley) might be a chunkier affair. Briefly, Microsoft is placing extra emphasis on the key annual replace going ahead, or that’s the speculation.

Evaluation: Two buckets are higher than three

So, if Microsoft goes the route of constructing Hudson Valley an all-new launch referred to as Home windows 12 (or one other various – Home windows AI, perhaps), what’s the hazard of fragmentation referred to right here?

Nicely, if Home windows 12 got here out subsequent yr, we’d have a bunch of oldsters leaping to that OS, a bunch nonetheless on Home windows 11, and a complete load of customers nonetheless working Home windows 10 (caught behind a {hardware} improve barrier in lots of circumstances – both as a result of they don’t have TPM performance on their PC, or their CPU is simply too previous).

This might be diluting the person base over three buckets as a substitute of two, if you’ll, which does really feel like a careless method, and servicing all this may find yourself a clunkier, harder-to-manage course of, too.

Funnily sufficient, we simply noticed a leak suggesting Home windows 11 24H2 is incoming, which is what the identify of Hudson Valley will probably be if Microsoft sticks with Home windows 11 – so this lends a bit extra weight to the hypothesis right here.

Once more, this doesn’t rule out Home windows 12, in fact – however it’s beginning to really feel considerably much less probably.

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