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Microsoft To Release Two Major Windows 10 Updates Next Year (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, aka Windows 10 version 1607, released earlier this week, it's time to look forward to what's next. Windows 10 has multiple release tracks to address the needs of its various customer types. The mainstream consumer release, the one that received the Anniversary Update on Tuesday, is dubbed the Current Branch (CB). The Current Branch for Business (CBB) trails the CB by several months, giving it greater time to bed in and receive another few rounds of bug fixing. Currently the CBB is using last year's November Update, version 1511. In about four months, Microsoft plans to bump CBB up to version 1607, putting both CB and CBB on the same major version. [The Long Term Servicing Branch, an Enterprise-only version that will receive security and critical issue support for 10 years, will also be updated.] Going forward, however, the differences between both current branch variants (CB and CBB) and LTSB will become more marked. Microsoft is not planning another major update this year. There will be no equivalent to last year's 1511 release, but Microsoft will have two next year. These are believed to be codenamed Redstone 2 (rs2) and Redstone 3 (rs3), with this week's 1607 release being Redstone 1 (rs1). Current expectation is that rs2 will have a heavy mobile focus and be shipped simultaneously with new Surface branded hardware.

24 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Windows As A Service? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I thought, based upon what I read about Windows 10, that Microsoft's new Windows As A Service model would have continuous improvement model, moving away from the major chunks of product upgrades.

    .
    Now I'm reading that there will be two updates in 2017.

    What other Windows 10 disappointments are on the horizon?

    And Microsoft plans to charge a monthly fee for this?

    1. Re:Windows As A Service? by aberglas · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Indeed, when I installed Windows 10 it downloaded many gigabytes of updates immediately.

      We no longer have the concept of different patch sets, or having any control of what and when our computer changes its software. It is continuously changing. Which is why sometimes things mysteriously stop working, only to start again a few weeks later.

      The brave new world of not having any control at all over your own computers. There are no "major updates", just continuous change without warning.

    2. Re:Windows As A Service? by ProzacPatient · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What other Windows 10 disappointments are on the horizon?

      They'll probably remove more group policies from the Professional version so they can gouge people into paying for the Enterprise edition. I fully expect Windows 10 Pro to slowly devolve into the equivalent of a "Home Premium." A more optimistic outlook though is that ReactOS has made major progress the past couple years.

    3. Re:Windows As A Service? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 4, Informative

      Besides, this is how most OSS projects work.

      Except that with Linux distributions, e.g., you choose the patches you want by choosing the distribution that does the patches you want. You can pick a more conservative or more trigger-happy team of people. With Windows 10? Apparently, you can buy your new car as long you want it black.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    4. Re:Windows As A Service? by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 2

      And Microsoft plans to charge a monthly fee for this?

      Not yet.

      TFTFY.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    5. Re: Windows As A Service? by spectrum- · · Score: 2

      In all seriousness though they won't need to. What may end up happening is Windows remains free but to do anything on it requires software from the windows store
      or hosted on Azure. Kinda like CoreOS - Windows could slowly end up being a vehicle for docker like containers of software or services. Subscription based etc. I would assume
      that they would allow third party or open source but take a cut for delivery or for disabling advertising through the delivery method.
      Everything will be a gateway to Azure and Windows store. To some extent I'm not against payment for something good. I'd just prefer it to be an open model with nice generic standards and without the cloying stench of vendor lock-in. Competition is good for all.

    6. Re:Windows As A Service? by nukenerd · · Score: 2

      And Microsoft plans to charge a monthly fee for this?

      Nope.

      You are sure of that are you? Reference ? I don't have a reference that they will introduce rental, but I don't see how else they will get an income from consumer Wiindows. I suspect that users will fall behind and/or get drowned in ads if they don't move to rental when it is offered. Think 2-3 years from now.

    7. Re:Windows As A Service? by nukenerd · · Score: 2

      Simply turn updates off. It can be done.

      I understood that was impossible in Win10 unless you disconnect from the internet. Reference anyone?

    8. Re: Windows As A Service? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      No, they explicity stated that registry settings won't work either. You have absolutely no control over the disabled settings.

    9. Re:Windows As A Service? by bspus · · Score: 2

      The windows update service is still stoppable from the services menu.
      What you lose with windows 10 is the ability to choose which updates you apply. So it's all or nothing

      Unless of course you use wsus in a corporate environment

  2. Re:Catching up to Apple by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been through two major OS upgrades and even more minor ones since purchasing my Mac mini, none of which I paid for. Either you're misinformed or Apple just really likes me for some reason.

    --
    Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  3. Pushing Linux Subsystem for Windows to GA? by ndykman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's still marked as a beta right now. Hope they push hard and get into general availability this year. It's useful. Running unmodified console mode apps from the Ubuntu user space is a useful thing.

    1. Re:Pushing Linux Subsystem for Windows to GA? by knorthern+knight · · Score: 2

      > It's still marked as a beta right now. Hope they push hard and get
      > into general availability this year. It's useful. Running unmodified
      > console mode apps from the Ubuntu user space is a useful thing.

      Have a look at Cygwin. http://cygwin.com/ It's a free linux environment running under Windows. It's published by Redhat, who know a thing or two about linux. And not just console apps, it's got X and the associated graphical appslications.

      --

      I'm not repeating myself
      I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
    2. Re:Pushing Linux Subsystem for Windows to GA? by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Informative

      Have a look at Cygwin. http://cygwin.com/ It's a free linux environment running under Windows. It's published by Redhat, who know a thing or two about linux. And not just console apps, it's got X and the associated graphical appslications.

      Cygwin and the Linux Subsystem are completely different entities. Cygwin is an attempt to implement the POSIX API on the Win32 API set. Most applications will compile just fine under this emulated environment, and the applications are regular Win32 applications as far as Windows is concerned. The shell has been modified so it will append ".exe" when launching an image if it wasn't specified (because you can't do "ls" as it will fail (file not found), but "ls.exe" will succeed) These binaries are stnadard WinPE style binaries.

      The Linux Subsystem is more akin to the FreeBSD Linux API layer - it runs Linux binaries unmodified, so the NTOSKRNL will natively load an ELF image, emulates the LInux syscall interface and provides all the necessary calls to make it appear you're running on Linux.

      It's why Windows 10 can load Ubuntu 14.04 userspace - it's not a recompiled for Windows set of binaries, but everything that ships in Ubuntu 14.04 minus the Linux kernel.

    3. Re:Pushing Linux Subsystem for Windows to GA? by squiggleslash · · Score: 2

      Most of us know about Cygwin. To be honest, after trying both, I have to say they have different strengths and weaknesses. Cygwin is better integrated with Windows - it's essentially a Unix-like library implemented over Win32, which tries to translate Windows conventions rather than reimplement them - but "Bash on Ubuntu on Windows" (as it's called in the Start menu(!)) is a much cleaner, Unix-like, environment. Alas, while you can access Windows files via BoUoW, you have little or no other integration. You can't see Windows processes, for example, you can't launch Windows executables, or anything like that.

      I suspect a good portion of the "Reluctantly using Windows" community will end up having both installed.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  4. Re:anniversary update by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I dunno but I suspect we might have further GPO settings removed, further cortana/bing/onedrive/azure/xbox integration (and whatever other rent-seeking crap they can think of), more 2D flat grey uglyness, more forced appy apps (less relevant/useful Win32 stuff), more ads, more telemetry and lots more stuff no one wants of. But hey, they might also give you a couple extra emojis or something! A few shills a.k.a. reviewers will manage to find 4 or 5 irrelevant points to discuss for 2 pages, touting them as upgrades.

    I wish all useful software got ported to Linux... Windows is very quickly turning into a huge turd!

  5. Re:release is the new force by msauve · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Translation of the summary: Bend over, we promise we'll like it.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  6. Re:Microsoft propaganda by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I am sick and tired of the Microsoft propaganda that gets published here on a regular basis. Anybody know it is possible to set a filter to eliminate such stories from every showing up when accessing Slashdot?

    I wonder if not opening the subject might work for you?

  7. Re:release is the new force by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny

    Windows: 10
    Users: Zero

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  8. My main need would be not being interrupted by blind+biker · · Score: 2

    Aside the privacy-invading features of Windows 10, what positively peeves me off and is actually the main reason I will never use Windows 10, is that it reboots immediately as an update is installed/about to be installed, without any possibility for the user to control this event. Sorry, but I actually do some productive work with my computer, I cannot risk a reboot in the middle of my work.
    Hence I have a host of Windows 7 laptops and desktops stashed away.

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
  9. Explaining the Windows 10 branching by Kelerei · · Score: 5, Informative

    TFA mentions Current Branch and Current Branch for Business, without explaining them too much. I doubt that many folks here are aware of them and the differences, so...

    If you're on CB, you get major feature updates (e.g. the Anniversary Edition) pushed to you as soon as it's made generally available. Folks on CBB will still get those updates pushed to them, but a while later (MS says around four months delay), and with all the fixes made in that time.

    Now, if you have the Pro or Enterprise editions (sorry Home users, you guys are stuck on CB only), you can quite easily switch between the two by means of checking (or unchecking) the "Defer upgrades" option that's somewhere in the Windows Update options. Want to live on MS's cutting edge? Leave it off. Want to use those Home peasants as your beta testers? Switch it on.

    Then, there's the LTSB edition of Enterprise, which is basically RTM that just receives security patches and the like (MS will make newer versions available -- I believe there's a 2016 update to LTSB coming later this year -- but, as far as I'm aware, there's no obligation to upgrade to a newer LTSB version, and MS claims that they'll support each version for ~10 years anyway). Because MS doesn't want too many things in this edition to change, things like Edge, Cortana and the Windows Store are stripped out of it. MS's intended usage scenarios for this edition are things like POS machines and the like.

    You can actually compare this to Ubuntu upgrades. If you're on CB, you're like the Ubuntu user who upgrades between point releases as soon as the new one becomes available. If you're on CBB, you're like the Ubuntu user who upgrades between point releases as soon as the old one is about to become unsupported. If you're on LTSB, then you're the Ubuntu user who only ever uses the LTS releases.

  10. Re:Catching up to Apple by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 4, Funny

    Windows 10.1 is now out, with Windows 10.2 and Windows 10.3 expected next year...

    What's in a name?

    I still think they should have called it Windows X, and started designated the major releases using names of various rodents. Windows X Hamster, Windows X Squirrel, Windows X Guinea Pig, etc

    --
    Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  11. Re:Is slashdot now payed for Microsoft ADs ? by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't use Windows at all, and I'm still interested in what MS are doing/saying. They're, you know, a major player in the industry and stuff.

    --
    Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  12. Re:Catching up to Apple by nukenerd · · Score: 2

    I still think they should have .... designated the major releases using names of various rodents. Windows X Hamster, Windows X Squirrel, Windows X Guinea Pig, etc

    Windows 10 Rat