Windows 10 to be the last major version of Windows

[Guest123_x1]

https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/05/11/windows-10-will-be-microsofts-last-version-of-windows

According to announcements made at Microsoft, Windows 10, as being released later this year, will be the last new major version of Windows. Microsoft's plans for the future are to offer Windows as a subscription service (like Office 365) and service the as-released Windows 10 with incremental updates. From what I've also read, security patches will be released for consumer users of Windows 10 as they become ready, rather than each of them being grouped for release on a monthly "Patch Tuesday" update cycle (although enterprises will likely see a modified version of Patch Tuesday which will allow them to control the rollout of updates to Windows 10 PCs in their organizations).

From the way I'm looking at this (and I could be interpreting it wrong), it looks as if Microsoft is taking a similar route as Apple has done with Mac OS X and releasing incremental updates to the "finalized" Windows 10 product. After all, there hasn't been a Mac OS 11 yet-even though the first release of OS X was in 2001, with the software receiving several incremental upgrades since then (even with the Macintosh platform's switch from PowerPC to Intel x86 family processors.)

 

[mew_nani]

As a subscription service? Does this mean you have to buy a new copy of Windows every year? If so then it'll be a disaster; nobody wants to buy a whole new OS every year, especially with them being quite expensive with the exception of Linux.

 

[Hikamaru]

Oh god are they really discontinuing the major Windows OS systems in favour of subscriptions? That would be a very bad move from them, because I'm in a poor family and having to pay to keep it running would drain me out of pocket fast.

Sorry Microsoft, but you might actually make me want to look at a competing OS next. I wouldn't really call this the "future" of OS systems at all.

 

[Tsutarja]

Okay Microsoft, what's wrong with Patch Tuesday? If you eliminate that, then it's going to definitely leave a hole open for hackers. If they cannot see that at all, then I don't know who thinks that this world is free of hackers.

Then again, I wonder if at the same time, Microsoft is under the mindset that hackers have moved onto mobile devices and away from computers. It's a bad mindset to have if they did, IMO.

 

[Leviathan]

Subscription service? Well screw that, if Windows are planning to go that route then they can keep their fancy new operating system. It's a big no-sell for me, and it's past time I really used Linux anyway.

Kinda a shame, though. I liked the way different OSs were rolled out over several years.

 

[KorpiklaaniVodka]

dear microsoft,

please don't make me switch to ubuntu forever and ever. sincerely, amour and many other windows 7/8.1 users.

anyway, if Windows 10 will be the last version and the updates will be free-of-charge, that's fine, if not... well it was nice to meet you, Microsoft.

 

[Gardevoir the Dragon Slayer]

Subscription service seems a gamble, they must be hoping that people won't know about the alternatives.

If that's true I think windows 10 may be the last Windows OS I use.

 

[donavannj]

Okay Microsoft, what's wrong with Patch Tuesday? If you eliminate that, then it's going to definitely leave a hole open for hackers. If they cannot see that at all, then I don't know who thinks that this world is free of hackers.

Then again, I wonder if at the same time, Microsoft is under the mindset that hackers have moved onto mobile devices and away from computers. It's a bad mindset to have if they did, IMO.

??? All they're doing is changing when they get deployed. Rather than stockpiling them for Patch Tuesday, they're rolling them out as they're ready.

I'm disappointed they're going to the Office 365 model for Windows, personally. I'd at least like to see a non-subscription alternative still.

 

[Tsutarja]

??? All they're doing is changing when they get deployed. Rather than stockpiling them for Patch Tuesday, they're rolling them out as they're ready.

I know that. I was talking more-so the frequency at which the updates are deployed though; I was erring on the side of speculation that maybe this gives Microsoft reason to deploy updates less frequently than the mandated Patch Tuesday they had in place. Again, it's just a thought and opinion of mine, but at the same time, maybe I'm missing something said by Microsoft where they plan to roll out updates more frequently? I'm not sure.

 

[Cherrim]

MS would have to be insane to force people to subscribe to their operating system just to use it. I don't think they'll use the Office 365 model because it's just not viable on something like an operating system.

I think it's more likely they'll just imitate how Apple has done OSX. So security updates will continue to be free indefinitely, but whenever they add new features to Windows or big graphical/UI updates, you'll have to pay to upgrade your current version. I'm not sure they could do that with subscriptions considering how rarely the updates would probably come, but I guess it would be possible. We'll just probably have to expect much smaller (and cheaper) updates now instead of big jumps like XP->Vista->Windows 7->8, etc.

I'm trying to look up where it says that Windows is moving to subscription services just to try to figure out how that would work and all I'm finding are rumour posts from several months ago. At most I can maybe see them making personal/business editions of Windows and making business versions license on a yearly basis but even that would probably just make businesses cling even more to old versions of Windows like XP or 7 so I can't see them shooting themselves in the foot like that. There are plenty of other items MS can use subscription models with but I can't see it working with Windows.

 

[Megan]

So, from what I understand it's as follows: there are about three different kinds of licenses of W10: customers, privileged customers and business.
Their main differense lies within the update branch they are in: privileged customers get updates sooner, normal customers get them later and business customers whenever they want.

Independend on what license you got, you still only pay once for every OS you have on every PC you own and you only have to pay a new lincense when buying a new computer. In other words: things don't change for customers, so they don't need to worry about subscription fees.

 

[donavannj]

^ That clarification helps with the understanding some. Microsoft has never been good at putting what they're trying to do into words.

I know that. I was talking more-so the frequency at which the updates are deployed though; I was erring on the side of speculation that maybe this gives Microsoft reason to deploy updates less frequently than the mandated Patch Tuesday they had in place. Again, it's just a thought and opinion of mine, but at the same time, maybe I'm missing something said by Microsoft where they plan to roll out updates more frequently? I'm not sure.

Well, Patch Tuesday typically has more than a few updates released each month. Not having a rock solid deadline for patches can make it so patches that used to have to wait a month if they missed the release deadline by even a day are actually released when needed and ready.

Here's an article from 2007 that makes a great case in favor of doing away with Patch Tuesday that is definitely applicable today: https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Microsoft-should-scrap-Patch-Tuesday

And here's an article from 2013 that illustrates just how many patches can be squeezed into a single Patch Tuesday: https://www.eweek.com/security/microsoft-patches-two-dozen-flaws-in-final-patch-tuesday-of-2013.html


I think releasing updates as they are ready better serves their customers than Patch Tuesday does.

While they've never explicitly said updates would happen more frequently, fixes clearly build up for each monthly release, which leads me to believe that they would not come with less frequency than they currently do.

 

[Mewtwolover]

I'm pretty sure that Microsoft will offer Windows as a subscription service (like Office 365) because they've said that Windows will be a service (it has been a product so far).

As a Linux user, I hope they do that because it would be good for Linux since possibility to save a lot of money is good advantage. Ask yourself that would you use Windows and pay the likely high subscription fee when there's better free option (Mint is good distro for beginners).

 

[Cocoa]

I'm pretty sure that Microsoft will offer Windows as a subscription service (like Office 365) because they've said that Windows will be a service (it has been a product so far).

As a Linux user, I hope they do that because it would be good for Linux because possibility to save a lot of money is good advantage. Ask yourself that would you use Windows and pay the likely high subscription fee when there's better free option (Mint is good distro for beginners).

I highly doubt it will be subscription only, like 365. If anything, it'll be like some antivirus solutions, where your original purchase/license comes with a year or two of updates. Should you choose not to renew your license, you'll still be able to use Windows, but just won't get access to anything outside of critical security fixes or updates to maintain compatibility with newer software components (I don't imagine they'll charge for access to the Windows Store).

 

[Legendary Silke]

I highly doubt it will be subscription only, like 365. If anything, it'll be like some antivirus solutions, where your original purchase/license comes with a year or two of updates. Should you choose not to renew your license, you'll still be able to use Windows, but just won't get access to anything outside of critical security fixes or updates to maintain compatibility with newer software components (I don't imagine they'll charge for access to the Windows Store).

Actually, I'm really sure that there won't be a Windows subscription of any kind. Windows will be licenced out in the exact same way as it used to - boxed copies for people building new systems for themselves, and OEM licensing for pre-builds. Things haven't changed.

It's just that the customary upgrade offer that comes always with each new Windows release this time around is priced $0.

 

[Pendraflare]

This does not sound good for people who are Windows users, and to turn an entire company's series of systems into paid services would be too much to ask, no? That makes me feel glad i'm a Mac user.

But at the least, let's just hope that Windows 10 lasts them a while, like Windows XP and such did.

 

[Legendary Silke]

This does not sound good for people who are Windows users, and to turn an entire company's series of systems into paid services would be too much to ask, no? That makes me feel glad i'm a Mac user.

But at the least, let's just hope that Windows 10 lasts them a while, like Windows XP and such did.

I don't know where you're hearing about that - that part is certainly untrue - and everyone would be up in arms if that were, anyway.

 

[twocows]

This does not sound good for people who are Windows users, and to turn an entire company's series of systems into paid services would be too much to ask, no? That makes me feel glad i'm a Mac user.

But at the least, let's just hope that Windows 10 lasts them a while, like Windows XP and such did.

That's not what they're doing and they've said so. The terminology is a bit weird, but "Windows-as-a-service" is their way of saying they're switching to an OS X-release style, where they're going to work on the same major codebase but be releasing significant updates once every year or two, kind of like really big service packs. You pay $100 or whatever up-front for a "subscription" to Windows and all future updates. It's dumb marketing because it makes people think exactly what you thought, but the core idea is actually a good one.

 

[ForgottenPass]

where they're going to work on the same major codebase but be releasing significant updates once every year or two

I thought that's what they've been doing for years, except they released tiny patches that I frankly have no idea if they were a positive impact, a negative one, or even a needed one.

 

[Legendary Silke]

GNU/Linux or you don't deserve to use a computer. You should be switching to dwm within a month.

OSX is acceptable but you'd still be treated like that kid that spends an extra year in kindergarten while everyone moves to first grade.

I thought that's what they've been doing for years, except they released tiny patches that I frankly have no idea if they were a positive impact, a negative one, or even a needed one.

I am highly confused by this post.

On another topic, with regard to Windows, bring on the feature updates, I say! About time we could get something far more substantial, and 8.1 was a good starting point.