The most powerful Windows system in history is coming soon? As the saying goes: "If you're not afraid of your opponents, you're afraid of your teammates." Not only in games, but also in reality, it often happens that you are "cheated" by your partners. Some time ago,Intel's chief financial officer hinted at a Citi analyst conference that consumers will choose to upgrade their processors next year because of Windows.


Source: Intel

Although it is not clearly stated, considering the close relationship between Microsoft and Intel, the direction of this hint is actually very clear: a new Windows version will be released next year. Judging from some previously exposed information, this new version may be Windows 12, which is still under development.

After only three years, will Windows 11 become a thing of the past?

Microsoft starts to accelerate

In the eyes of many people, the update speed of Windows is actually quite slow. For example, it took five years from the release of the classic Windows

I believe that many friends’ Windows system upgrade routes are XP-7-10. As for Vista and 8 in the middle, one is criticized and unpopular, and the other is only deployed on mobile devices. They are quite unfamiliar to many people, so that everyone feels that major version updates of Windows are almost carried out in units of 5 years.


Source: Microsoft

In fact, if you look at the release times of previous versions of Windows, you will find thatMost of the time, Microsoft updates the system at intervals of three years. From the launch of Windows 1.0 in 1985 to the release of Windows 3.0, only 5 years passed. The subsequent 95, 98, and 2000 also maintained the same update speed, and launched Windows XP the following year after the release of Windows 2000.

In fact, only the Windows 10 version has a lifespan of more than five years. From the launch in 2015 to the release of Windows 11 in 2021, Microsoft spent six years preparing for a new major version update. As a result, everyone knows that Windows 11 is essentially a beautified version of the UI of Windows 10, and the difference cannot be experienced in most daily uses.

Microsoft has certainly not explained the reason for the late arrival of Windows 11, but according to internal disclosures, due to the lack of new features and changes, the release plan of Windows 11 has been repeatedly postponed, and many small feature updates have been directly integrated into the larger version of Windows 10.

Some friends who pay attention to Windows systems should remember that,During the Windows 10 update process, several versions have actually undergone major changes. In fact, some Windows 11 functions have been put into the 10 update in advance to optimize the user experience.


Source: Weibo

Therefore, many people believe that the upgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 12 will follow a similar approach, gradually integrating new features into Windows 11 for testing, and finally launching a fully integrated version of Windows 12.

Considering that Microsoft has always done a good job in keeping secrets, for example, Windows 11 was not exposed until shortly before its release, and Windows 12 has only exposed some piecemeal information. What is certain is that Windows will usher in a major version update in 2024. As for whether to continue Windows 11 or call it Windows 12, it depends on Microsoft’s ideas.

However, I personally think that Microsoft may directly name the new version after Windows 12. After all, the reputation of 11 is not as outstanding as that of 10. So far, the usage rate of Windows 11 has not exceeded that of Windows 10. According to a report by the analysis agency StatCounter, Windows 10's global share still exceeds 70%, while Windows 11 is only 23.64%.

It would be a good idea to abandon the unpopular Windows 11 and directly launch the epoch-making Windows 12 to attract users to upgrade.

Windows 12 will be Microsoft’s most changed system

Compared with Windows 11’s “senseless upgrade”, Windows 12 is expected to become the largest upgraded version of Microsoft’s previous systems. The first is the desktop UI update. This information comes from a Microsoftlgnite keynote speech hosted by Microsoft CEO Satya NaDELLa. The PPT of this speech inadvertently leaked the conceptual design of Windows 12.

Although it is only an early concept design, it basically determines the design style of Windows 12, such as the widget and icon design that is closer to macOS and some Linux systems, making Windows 12 look more flexible and personalized.

for example,Users can pin widgets to the desktop to control applications and obtain information more quickly.In fact, similar functions have been applied in some third-party beautification systems. The personal experience is quite good, and it can also make it easier for third-party beautification themes to implement widget settings.


Source: BetaNews

In addition to providing custom software widgets, Microsoft also plans to apply modular design to the underlying functions of Windows, so that Windows 12 can freely customize functions according to the type and performance of the device it is equipped with to avoid the problem of an overly bloated system.

As we all know, Windows is one of the most compatible desktop systems currently, but its strong compatibility also makes Windows completely inferior to macOS and Linux in terms of operating efficiency and installation volume. Microsoft seems to have decided to solve this problem on Windows 12. Through the modular underlying design, Microsoft can completely remove those meaningless functions and provide a purer and more efficient system for different devices.


Source: ASUS

These functions will bring us a smoother and more personalized Windows system, but they may not be what you want to see most. We all know that the AI ​​​​large model is at the core of Microsoft's future plans, and Windows 12, which Microsoft has high hopes for, will definitely be indispensable for the participation of AI.

Currently, in the latest version of Windows 11, AI functionality has become an important part, and in Windows 12, AI will become one of the cores of the system to help users use their computers better. Judging from the information currently exposed, Windows 12’s AI will be deeply involved in performance deployment, operation assistance and other tasks.


Source: Microsoft

With the help of AI, the system can learn and predict your daily usage habits to provide faster response times for corresponding applications; or it can intelligently determine your usage scenarios and optimize system settings based on the content displayed on the screen. For example, when you are watching videos, the system will automatically enhance the screen display and audio system, and when playing games, it will switch to game display mode.

In addition, AI can also help you judge the information on the display, such as helping you avoid possible fraudulent websites and fraudulent information, and quickly finding the information points you need. With the help of AI, you can use your computer more easily. Moreover, based on the natural language understanding capabilities of AI large models,Windows 12 is expected to deploy a truly mature voice assistant and integrate it with the underlying functions to achieve true voice control of the computer.

However, if you want to achieve such powerful AI functions, you will definitely need to configure a professional AI processor or module for your PC. Considering the APU module that Intel’s 14th generation Core processor will be equipped with, it is not surprising why Intel’s CFO said that Windows will become a new driving force for people to upgrade their computers.

A truly smart computer, I am afraid this is the biggest change that Windows 12 can bring to us. However, all current information comes from internal leaks, and no one knows what the final product will be. We may have to wait until the second half of next year to get a glimpse of Windows 12.