Microsoft Confirms Windows 10 Is The End Of The Line

Sorry Windows fans, it looks like we’re all going to have to come to grips with the fact the Windows 10 is the end of line and there will be no Microsoft 11. The iconic operating system is installed on over 90% of computers world-wide, but it was confirmed at the Microsoft Ignite conference in Chicago this month when Jerry Nixon stated that Windows 10 is the “last version.”

Instead of releasing a brand new version of its desktop OS every few years, Microsoft is taking a page out of Apple’s playbook as the company shifts focus to providing continuous updates to their software. Windows will become more of a service than something you have to go purchase at the store in order to upgrade. For the first time in Microsoft’s history, Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade this July for any current Windows 7 and up users. After upgrading to Windows 10, users will then be able to download regular updates from Microsoft and other sources.

Views regarding software and updates have changed exponentially over the last few years, and it has everything to do with the rise of smartphones and tablets, hence Windows announcement and shift in how it wants to operate – at least regarding Windows. We’ve grown accustomed to having apps updated frequently and rapidly. Waiting years for a company to tweak something just doesn’t fly anymore and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella knows this.

At Satya Nadella’s Microsoft, it’s time to leave the past behind and start taking a cloud-first mobile-first approach. Windows will employ a strategy to split up core components and deliver faster updates, similar to how a mobile operating system works. So, while Windows 10 may be the “end of line” it certainly doesn’t mean Microsoft is throwing in the towel. It just means they’re making a proactive move to stay in the game, stay competitive, and join us in the 21st century.

It’s also rumored that after the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft will soon be ready to release it’s next update, codenamed Redstone. The fact that there will be no Windows 11 isn’t as big of a letdown knowing this, now is it?