Windows 10 was supposed to be the «last version of Windwows» thanks to major updates twice a year — but then Windows 11 arrived.<\/b>
\nThe latest tech news Your sardonic source for consumer tech stories Human-centric AI news and analysis Driving the future of sustainable mobility No-nonsense stories about startup growth Inside money, markets, and Big Tech Help build the bank of the future Coding for Public Service Small country, big ideas The announcement of Windows 11 was one of Microsoft\u2018s biggest surprises in years. Not because it\u2019s unusual for a company to update its OS, but because this specific company promised Windows 10 would be the \u201c last version of Windows.\u201d The idea was to deliver \u2018Windows as a service,\u2019 after all. Instead of major, paid OS updates every few years, we got a variety of free, bite-sized updates every few months. Windows 10 was supposed to be in a state of constant improvement. So even after Microsoft announced it would reveal \u2018the next generation of Windows,\u2019 I didn\u2019t expect the company to actually call it Windows \u201c11.\u201d But I should have known Windows 10 was on its way out. Even though Windows 11 isn\u2019t the most revolutionary update, it was destined to happen. And that\u2019s a good thing: updating Windows 10 ad infinitum was getting so boring. Frequent feature updates to Windows 10 initially sounded like a good thing, but in retrospect, I found it to be one of the most annoying things about the OS. After a few feature updates, early in Windows 10\u2019s life, Microsoft committed to releasing a major feature update every 6 months. These eventually arrived with fun, creative names like the \u2018Windows 10 May 2021 Update.\u2019 It was confusing for your average consumer, and positively soporific for enthusiasts. Windows 10 was constantly evolving, but in doing so it sometimes left everyday consumers behind. Microsoft would announce significant feature updates with little fanfare outside of enthusiast circles, and by the time they\u2019d rolled out to most users, the next build would be around the corner. In my experience, many Windows 10 users were not even aware of when the OS had just installed a big feature update. On one hand, this meant people could get frustrated when they encountered changes they didn\u2019t expect (not to mention the occasional screwups on Microsoft\u2019s end). On the other, it meant many folks weren\u2019t aware of the useful new features their PCs were getting twice a year. Even as a reporter, who tracks everything in the Windows space, Microsoft\u2018s update strategy made things kind of dull after the first few big releases. Let\u2019s just say \u201dWindows 10 December 2021 Update\u201d doesn\u2019t quite make for as good a headline as \u201cWindows 11.\u201d Contrast Windows 10\u2019s updates with those to macOS, Android, and iOS. Users know to expect a new version every year, clearly delineated by version numbers and a more robust set of interesting new features. Heck, people actually get excited about new versions, something I\u2019m not sure has ever happened with Windows 10\u2019s intermittent releases. That\u2019s what makes Windows 11 exciting. Sure, it isn\u2019t the biggest update to Microsoft\u2018s OS ever, seemingly focused on aesthetics more than under-the-hood changes. Some of you might even think that Windows 11 is little more than a name \u2014 that Microsoft could have just added these features to Windows 10. But there\u2019s power in a name. \u201c11\u201d sets expectations. It prepares users for the dramatic visual overhaul they\u2019ll be getting early next year, a change Microsoft couldn\u2019t really roll out as just a casual Windows update without confusing regular PC users (AKA most of them). It also helps build awareness so that users know to anticipate other major changes, including the fact that Windows 11 might not officially be supported on many PCs that can handle Windows 10 just fine. Mostly though, moving forward with Windows 11 allows Microsoft to keep improving its OS without holding on to Windows 10\u2019s baggage. I\u2019ve been running the first official preview build for a few days now, and I can\u2019t imagine how Microsoft could have possibly rolled out all of Windows 11\u2019s changes as a seasonal update without confusing the heck out of users. It\u2019s not clear how Microsoft will approach updates for Windows 11 and beyond. Personally, I\u2019d like to see the company move to annual updates more like macOS, or even a big update every two years. That would give Microsoft more time to fully bake new features and properly get the word out to consumers, while still being able to keep up with ever-changing technology. Whichever direction Microsoft takes, I doubt it\u2019ll maintain any pretense that it will update Windows 11 forever. Until Microsoft disappears or comes up with a new primary operating system altogether, there will never be a last version of Windows \u2014 and that\u2019s for the best. Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013 and you can subscribe to it right here.<\/p>\n