Hopefully, Microsoft will keep that same system in place for Windows 12.Ī big reason why I’d like to see this is because of the increasing amount of data Microsoft gathers about Windows users. Microsoft still sells new licenses for Windows 11, but anyone using a licensed version of Windows 10 can upgrade for free. This is probably a given, but Windows 12 should be a free upgrade to Windows 11. Even today, custom PCs that are supported by Windows 11 will say they aren’t due to configuration issues. Hopefully, Microsoft can handle the next version with a bit more grace. An annoying watermark has continued to surface on Windows 11 PCs that aren’t properly configured for the OS, even when they’re fully supported. If Microsoft wants to raise the requirements again, at the very least, I hope there are fewer restrictions on installing Windows 12. For Windows 12, I hope Microsoft can stick with the same security system it established in Windows 11 so upgrading isn’t as tough, especially on custom-built PCs.

It stung at the time, but Microsoft has made big strides since the announcement of Windows 11 (PC gamers, who mainly felt the brunt of the TPM issue, have started flocking to Windows 11). This was, according to Microsoft, an effort to raise the bar for security across the Windows ecosystem by pairing modern security with a modern OS. Windows 11 caught a lot of flak for requiring a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to be installed on your PC, along with strict CPU requirements. That should mean we see Windows 12 in the fall of 2024, but it’s too soon to say right now. The most we have to go on is a report from Zac Bowden at Windows Central, who says that sources claim Microsoft is switching to a release cadence of three years between major Windows updates. Microsoft hasn’t announced Windows 12’s release date, or that it’s working on the OS at all. Still, it would be nice to have a more definitive timeline for the new OS, where users can know when to expect the upgrade to hit their PC.

Microsoft, rightfully, has an insider program that allows registered users to test out new features before they’re rolled out to the general public, and Microsoft will probably take the same approach for Windows 12. I’m not holding my breath on that, though. Microsoft’s switch to a service model for Windows means that updates are rolled out through Windows Update, and it would be great to see the next version of the OS pop up on everyone’s PC simultaneously. The most common Chromebook problems and how to fix themįor Windows 12, I want to see a more confident approach from Microsoft here’s the new operating system, go play around with it. Fitbit Versa 3īing Chat: how to use Microsoft’s own version of ChatGPTĭell’s first Windows 11 ARM laptop is priced like a Chromebook

Windows 11 release date free upgrade