14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Windows 10 feature update strategy is pretty simple as it is right now, as the company typically releases two packs of improvements every year.
These updates roll out in the spring and in the fall based on a schedule that has received additional polishing but which has remained largely the same throughout the years:
- The spring update – RTM in March, public release in April or May
- The fall update – RTM in September, public release in October or November
While Microsoft originally tried to launch two major feature updates every year, this idea eventually proved to be a risky game, simply because the company didn’t have enough time to test all the improvements thoroughly before pushing them to users.
And this struggle led to feature updates shipping with more or less critical issues – the best example here is the October 2018 Update which received the go-ahead with a bug that removed some users’ files stored in libraries.
It was pretty clear that rolling out two major feature updates every year wasn’t the best idea, not only for Microsoft but for users too, so last year, the software giant switched to a different approach. The fall update was converted into a smaller service pack-like release that brought only bug fixes and other improvements under the hood.
Essentially, the fall update became the release polishing the experience with the spring update, an idea which at some level worked for everybody.
But things are about to change again next year when Microsoft is expected to introduce Windows 10X. With the official launch scheduled for the spring, Microsoft wants to switch to a one update per year strategy for the full version of Windows 10 too.
In other words, how Microsoft plans to update Windows 10 and Windows 10X would be something like this:
- The spring update becomes a feature update for Windows 10X
- The fall update becomes a major feature update for Windows 10
No other smaller updates, no other service pack-like releases, just one major update that Microsoft tests thoroughly before shipping and which is supposed to run smoothly simply because the company now has enough time for dealing with any potential issues.
At first glance, this is again an approach that makes sense for users, albeit in the long term, there’s a chance that many might not agree with having to wait up to 12 months for a new feature update.
On the other hand, this is what the Windows Insider program really is for. Those who want to try out new features in advance and help shape the future of Windows can join the testing program, while everyone else can just stick with the production build of Windows 10.
At the end of the day, everybody wins from this new approach, especially because eventually Microsoft has the opportunity of focusing more enhanced stability and reliability for every Windows 10 feature update.
Of course, this new Windows update strategy is yet to be confirmed, mostly because Windows 10X itself is a work in progress. In the meantime, Microsoft is also working on bringing some Windows 10X features to full Windows 10, including a refined Start menu experience.
Nevertheless, what users need to know is that the full Start menu that debuted in Windows 10X won’t come with the exact same look to Windows 10, despite all the feedback in this regard. The good news is that some features are indeed making the switch to the desktop, but for now, Windows 10X and Windows 10 will remain two distinct platforms that will spearhead Microsoft’s operating system efforts.