Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11 - (12!)

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: robomatic
Date: 12 Oct 23 - 02:17 PM

Just yesterday saw a 14TB Seagate HD in Costco. Holy Hannah.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Oct 23 - 11:28 PM

The Amazon Prime sale this week has given a half-off price on a 16T external backup drive, so I'll set it up to do a full backup (setting aside the smaller-capacity drive I have used) and then I'll see about updating to Windows 11. I didn't want to try it until I had a new full backup.

It's a good way to kill a weekend.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: EBarnacle
Date: 16 Oct 23 - 07:59 AM

Lady Hillary and I are the cadre at our regional rummage sale computer department. A customer came in, tire kicking, and we discussed his needs. He had, a day or two previously, purchased a refurbished Windows 10 computer on eBay with a 500 gig hard drive for $350. He realized, after our discussion, that a: it was overpriced and b: since he stores almost everything in the cloud, he really does not need that large a hard drive. He ended up purchasing two 320 gig laptops @ $120 each and deciding to send back the other.
Unless you really need a lot of storage, a large hd is an affectation.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: DaveRo
Date: 11 Oct 23 - 04:35 AM

No hurry:
Not even the ghost of obsolescence can coerce users onto Windows 11

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 12:55 PM

I want a hard drive to store the entire OS and data so the thing can be restored with everything installed. You can't do that kind of backup on the cloud (at least not that I've found - if one exists, please tell me).

I store my photos on the cloud (in space I rent annually at Microsoft).

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 09:29 AM

Techie Warning:

> Modern large drives are supposed to have gone to SMR (shingle
> magnetic recording)

Or HAMR (heat-assisted), or possibly both in the same drive.

> Unless you really need a lot of storage, a large hd is an affectation.

*Agree*. The problem here is that, once people have a huge drive, they neglect (and then forget) to throw away date-expired data, and then back up everything "just in case". I know I do.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Dec 23 - 05:58 PM

Aha! A whiff of news about Windows 12 (you know they were going to do it!)

Windows 12 FAQ: Yes, it's coming in 2024 (and more surprising predictions)
Microsoft isn't talking, but I've collected rumors, speculation, and wild-ass guesses about the next version of Windows in this FAQ to help you get ready.
From ZDNet

Well, Windows as a Service was fun while it lasted. Microsoft buried that idea once and for all with the release of Windows 11 in 2021. And judging by the latest crop of rumors, it appears we're now back on a schedule that includes a new major version of Windows every three years. Next up: Windows 12, sometime in 2024.
Microsoft is being typically close-mouthed about its plans for the next version of Windows, of course. But the rumor mill has been working overtime in recent months, helped along by some (perhaps strategic) leaks from partners that suggest we will indeed get yet another "big bang" release in 2024, roughly three years after the launch of Windows 11.

What can you expect from Windows 12?
I've got some predictions based on more than 30 years of experience with the operating system everyone loves to hate.

Seriously, Windows 12?
OK, I guess that's technically a question, so the judges will allow it.

Windows 11 was a (more or less) complete surprise from Microsoft. With that as precedent, though, the idea of a new major release is considerably less surprising. A new version number offers marketing possibilities that Redmond can exploit along with its hardware partners (HP, Lenovo, and Dell, primarily). It also offers an excuse to rev up consumers and business customers. So, expect to see some TV ads pitching new features in familiar form factors in the new year.

Will Microsoft include AI features in Windows 12?
Oh, this one's easy. Of course Windows 12 will be chock-full of AI features because that's what Microsoft is doing with everything now. The Copilot feature is already available as a preview in Windows 11 and Windows 10, and there's no doubt it will continue to expand its capabilities over time.

Will Microsoft's customers find those features valuable or useful? Will they generate enough revenue to satisfy Microsoft shareholders? Those are still open questions.

One thing you can reasonably expect is that new PCs designed for Windows 12 will include hardware features, including custom neural processing units that are optimized for the AI features in Windows. Microsoft has already included this support in its Arm-powered Surface Pro, and the company has built its own Arm-based processors to make Azure better at handling AI-related tasks. I expect to see some of those silicon features trickle down to the Surface PC line in the Windows 12 era.

Will the hardware requirements change for Windows 12?
One of the most turbulent changes in Windows 11 was a new set of hardware requirements that essentially locked out older hardware. I'm betting that Microsoft won't make major changes to that hardware baseline with Windows 12. All of those PCs should be fully capable of running what will probably be a minor upgrade in the form of Windows 12.

Don't be surprised, though, to see some new hardware requirements for specific AI-based features (speech and image processing, for example), but any PC that meets the requirements for Windows 11 should perform acceptably on Windows 12.

Is Microsoft going to get more serious about Arm-based PCs?

Yes. I expect the next generation of Windows PCs to be a huge step up in performance, battery life, and manageability. Intel has every right to be nervous about what's coming, as I noted earlier in this article. Qualcomm couldn't deliver its SoCs in time for the fall 2023 cycle, but they will certainly be ready for Windows 12.

If the Nuvia acquisition delivers for Qualcomm, that device should have performance and battery life that are close to Apple's devices and could pass the "good enough" test, especially at lower price points. That launch might even be accompanied by a preview of Windows 12, with some Arm-specific enhancements.

Qualcomm's long-rumored Snapdragon Elite X chip was officially announced in October, and should be available by mid-2024, just in time for a Windows 12 debut. The company says its new chip can match the performance of Intel's fastest laptop CPU while using nearly 70% less power. AMD and Nvidia are also reportedly working on Arm-based designs that will be ready in 2025.

What changes can we expect in the Windows 12 user experience (UX)?
I don't expect to see any major UX changes in Windows 12. Everything that was introduced in Windows 11 feels like a baseline. It's reasonable to anticipate that we will see refinements to those Windows 11 UX features, specifically addressing some complaints of longtime Windows users, including the capability to move the taskbar to the top or side of the primary display.

Several veteran Windows watchers have speculated that Windows 12 will add a floating search bar and move some elements of the taskbar to the top of the screen, making the Windows experience more Mac-like. More than a year ago, Windows Central's Zac Bowden spotted those elements from a design prototype of Windows 12 in a Microsoft presentation at its Ignite conference. It's also possible that these changes will appear as user-configurable options alongside the more familiar Windows 11 UX.

Will Windows 12 run all my old Windows apps?
One of the core selling points of Windows through the years has been its relentless focus on backward compatibility with apps and services. I predict that won't change in 2024.

I do, however, expect to see Microsoft ratchet up its security over older apps, which represent a perennial security threat to anyone who uses a Windows PC. The company has been quietly running virtual PCs in its own cloud, under the Windows 365 moniker, for several years. On local hardware, it's invested a ton of resources in virtualizing core Windows functions so they're less vulnerable to traditional attacks.

You can expect both of these efforts to step up big time in Windows 12. On Arm-based PCs, in particular, don't be surprised to see features that run legacy Win32 apps in virtual sessions that are sandboxed to prevent them from tampering with the operating system. That will annoy malware developers, but it should be a net positive for anyone using a Windows PC.

What will be the official name of the next version of Windows?
I suppose it's possible that someone in Redmond could convince the powers that be to go back to doing dumb names instead of version numbers (Me, XP, Vista). But since Windows 7 in 2009, it's been all numbers, and that's where the smart money is placing its bets. If you're looking for a longshot bet, put a few bucks on Microsoft including the word Copilot in the product's official name.

When will Windows 12 be available to the public?
For the official public release, I've carved out a three-month window in my calendar, starting in late July and extending to late October. Those are the traditional H2 dates when Microsoft releases a new Windows version, and there's no reason to expect that to change this time around. Insider builds should appear roughly three months before the final release, maybe a bit longer.

Will Windows 12 expand support for running Android apps?
This has been one of the most tantalizing rumors to me. The Windows 11 Subsystem for Android is more of a proof of concept than a productivity booster, thanks to its most serious limitation: The only apps it can install are those in Amazon's meager app store.

The most obvious way to expand this capability is to open access to the Google Play Store for the Android on Windows subsystem. Given the eternally fraught nature of the relationship between Google and Microsoft, it's hard to imagine that the two companies can work out that deal. But ... never say never?

How much will Windows 12 cost?
Historically, most people buy Windows on a new PC and never pay Microsoft directly. I don't expect that fact to change in the Windows 12 era, nor do I expect Microsoft to raise its prices in this economy.

I don't usually do a long copy/paste of these articles, but sometimes they go away, so I thought I'd keep the whole thing here for reference.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11 - (12!)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 02:56 PM

Running this up to the top again with a hint of the change in the title. Does anyone else tend to skip an OS with Windows and do every other one?

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11 - (12!)
From: Ed.
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 02:15 PM

Does anyone else tend to skip an OS with Windows and do every other one?

It's not a strategy that I've ever used, although I've missed a couple along the way. It might be a good idea, but that depends where you started, I think.

If you'd decided to install Windows ME, ignored XP, went straight to Vista, followed by Windows 8, then possibly not...

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11 - (12!)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 02:30 PM

You're right about that! I skipped ME (used Win2000/NT), never had Vista, kept Win7 in play a long time so mostly skipped Win8, and am still using Win10.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11 - (12!)
From: DaveRo
Date: 29 Dec 23 - 03:49 AM

I've never seen Windows 11, but from what I've read it seems not to be so much an operating system - for running programs or apps - but more an advertising platform. Microsoft makes most of its money (from ordinary PC buyers, as opposed to businesses) from selling cloud services and subscription software - such as One Drive and Office 365 - so it pushes people into using those. Google obviously does the same with ChromeOS, of course. Does Apple? Dunno; I haven't used a Mac since the original one in the 80's. But my impression is that MacOS is the nearest thing to an Operating System these days.

I'm not sure when this first happened. Win 8? My wife runs Win 10 and it offers weather forecasts (useless) and 'suggests' content she 'might like', which is irritating and intrusive. It's still possible to run without a Microsoft Account, but it needs extra work.

Microsoft is investing heavily in AI, and that piece about Windows 12 suggests that AI might be the main reason for its (apparantly) sudden appearance. Microsoft are building PCs with Neural Processing Units (NPUs) to speed up AI. What AI? In Windows itself? So you need an operating system to support new hardware which is used by ... the operating system? What's the benefit for the PC user?

The only reason my wife needs Windows (she ran Linux for 3 months at my suggestion) is for Powerpoint; the LibreOffice equivalent, Impress, is just not good enough. Hopefully she'll stop needing that before the end of 2025. The 2012 laptop is still working fine.

Subject: RE: Tech: They lied, Here's Windows 11 - (12!)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 24 - 03:09 PM

From PC Magazine:

Microsoft Needs to Get Serious About Its Windows 10 Upgrade Problem
By October 2025, more than a billion PCs will be running a dead operating system, leaving many computers vulnerable to malware or headed for the trash. What's Microsoft going to do about it?

The Windows 10-pocalypse is a short two years away. On Oct. 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop issuing security updates for Windows 10 PCs, at which point most of the world’s PCs—about one billion computers—will be running a dead operating system, like Windows XP. And most of those computers can't upgrade to Windows 11.

Microsoft Is Abandoning Most PCs on the Planet
Half of the readers of my Windows Intelligence newsletter are still using Windows 10 on their primary PC. The one billion estimate comes from two sources: Microsoft, which has said there are more than 1.4 billion Windows PCs, and Statcounter, which shows that the vast majority of PCs on the planet—more than 70%—run Windows 10.

Worse yet, this isn’t like when Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7. Those PCs could upgrade to Windows 10, but this time around, many Windows 10 PCs don't support Windows 11, at least not officially. If you can't afford to buy a new PC, you'll be left out in the cold after Oct. 14, 2025. From a security perspective, it’ll be as if you were using Windows XP or Windows 7.