Microsoft has changed its pace of Windows releases again. After the original Windows boss Panos Panay left to join Amazon, the Windows team now has a new boss. Now that there is a new boss, it is natural to improve Windows according to his own plan, which includes revising the Windows feature update rhythm again. This is the first time that he has revised it.
In the Windows 10 era, Microsoft released feature updates twice a year, such as Windows 10 Version 1803 and Windows 10 Version 1809. However, this situation changed in 2020, when Microsoft launched Windows 10 Version 2004, also known as the 20H1 version. This is a version that contains multiple new features, but it is also the last feature update for Windows 10.
All versions released thereafter are minor versions, and the annual change rhythm has changed from twice to once. This situation has also continued to Windows 11, such as Windows 1121H2, 22H2, and 23H2.
At the same time, Microsoft believes that after new features are developed, there is no need to wait for annual updates to be delivered to users. Wouldn’t it be nice to push them directly to users after they are developed? So Microsoft introduced Moment updates to quickly deliver new features to users through these Moment updates several times a year. The latest Moment update is Windows 11 Moment 4, which indeed brings a lot of new features.
Next, return to the annual update to abandon the Moment:
According to exclusive news obtained by Windows Central editor Zach Bowden, the new boss of the Windows team has decided to modify the Windows update rhythm. After the release of the Hudson Valley version (Hudson Valley) in 2024, Windows will return to a major annual feature update every year.
Zach Bowden said that Windows 11 is expected to have a Moment 5 update, which is expected to be released in February to March next year and will have new features.
The roadmap for the Hudson Valley afterwards is a major update to Windows 11 or 12, codenamed germanium (Ge). The element in front of germanium is gallium. The previous codename in the WindowsInsiderCanary channel has changed to gallium, so it will be no problem to change it to the new codename germanium for subsequent updates.
The new version code-named Germanium is expected to arrive at the RTM stage in April, but the Hudson Valley update will not be ready until August, so the major version update code-named Germanium will still be released around October.
The germanium version focuses on Arm:
It should be noted that Germanium is the basic version, and Hudson Valley is a feature update. Why can Germanium be completed in April? Because OEMs are waiting for delivery from Microsoft, these OEMs want to launch Windows on Arm new laptops or tablets.
Windows 11 or 12 laptops with germanium pre-installed are expected to be released by June next year, but they lack the new features provided by the Hudson Valley, and the new features will still not be updated until next fall.
The focus of the Hudson Valley update is AI:
There is already a lot of news about this, that is, the focus of the next generation of Windows is AI. These AI functions will be calculated through the local NPU unit instead of calling cloud computing, which means that only new PCs can support it.
The exclusive news obtained by Zach Bowden is that Windows Shell will also receive AI enhancements, which can work in the background to enhance search, quickly start projects or workflows, understand context, and more.
WindowsShell refers to the graphical user interface used by Windows 10/11, including the desktop, task manager, start menu, notification bar, etc., all belong to WindowsShell.
In addition, the Hudson Valley update is a major update. There is no clear news that this is Windows 12, but for Microsoft, this is a major update, so whether to continue using Windows 11 or switch to Windows 12 is actually a brand marketing issue.