Do you think that the development of Windows could benefit from having a public roadmap that provides early mockups, details, and tentative time frames to gauge initial feedback on upcoming features?
Back in 2014, Microsoft launched the Windows Insider program around the time frame of Windows 10’s first Technical Previews. Since then, the initiative has matured quite a bit thanks to an active Feedback Hub and other channels of direct communication between the public and Microsoft. Although the Windows Insider program does have its flaws too, I believe that it is a decent idea overall due to the seemingly direct conversation it invites in terms of how Windows is shaped. That said, I would love if Microsoft goes a step further and gives the public a peek behind the curtains in terms of access to the operating system’s development roadmap too. Essentially, a dedicated portal to provide a dedicated portal that lists the tentative features, timelines, and details that the company is currently working on. Yes, the Windows Insider program has its own benefits in the sense that it enables enthusiasts to test out preview versions of Windows and provide feedback to Microsoft before the OS is rolled out publicly. But it feels reactive rather than proactive in nature given how public the Windows Insider program is. It’s a glorified beta test environment that is open to everyone, and that is completely fine, except that it doesn’t really give the public a voice until a lot of effort has been put into features already. Let me clarify with an example: the abhorrent Taskbar in Windows 11. It was rolled out in preview versions of Windows 11 and was almost universally detested but it still ended up making its way to the generally available version of the OS.
