Microsoft detailing 'next generation of Windows' on June 24

Posted:
in General Discussion edited June 2021
Microsoft has announced that it will reveal the "next generation of Windows," which will likely include significant updates, at a keynote event on June 24.

Credit: Microsoft
Credit: Microsoft


Starting late Wednesday, Microsoft started sending out press invites for an announcement event at 11 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. Pacific) on June 24. Both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and product chief Panos Panay will be presenting at the event, The Verge reported Thursday.

The media invites come about a week after Nadella teased a new generation of Windows at Microsoft's Build 2021 conference. At the time, he said that an announcement would come "very soon."

Back in May, Microsoft confirmed that its Windows 10X release would never see the light of day. Instead, Microsoft has shifted focus to user interface changes under the codename "Sun Valley." Elements of the Windows 10X overhaul could be incorporated into the next-generation Windows version, however.

It's likely that some of the most significant changes in the new generation will focus on the user interface. Microsoft has already started updating some of its aesthetic elements, including system icons, in preview builds of Windows.

Current rumors also suggest the new Windows version will tighten up File Explorer, streamline app rearranging on multiple monitors, introduce Xbox Auto HDR, and offer improvements to Bluetooth audio. Microsoft is also said to be working on a new Windows Store that will be open to all apps and games.

Follow all of WWDC 2021 with comprehensive AppleInsider coverage of the week-long event from June 7 through June 11, including details on new launches and updates.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 31
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    williamlondonbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 31
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    MplsP said:
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    My very functional ARM version is running very well on my M1 Mac.  Microsoft has updates every few days for the MS Insider members.  It runs astonishingly well for me. This within Parallels for M1 Macs of course. I can't wait to try this set up on the next generation Apple Silicon with more RAM than M1s, VMs are where more RAM is useful.

    I wonder if in the ARM version we are already seeing many of the GUI changes coming for the x86 version.  
    edited June 2021 CloudTalkinwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 31
    tedz98tedz98 Posts: 80member
    The UI changes are nice user experience improvements but it’s still putting lipstick on a pig. Given all of the hacking/ransomeware issues that are out in the wild, Microsoft needs to implement some significant architectural updates that protects the Windows core/environment from hackers. Improved sandboxing would be a start. You can’t stop users from opening infected emails but you can certainly sandbox them and do a better job of inspecting attachments or links. The hacker threat and impact is incredibly high and Windows needs to be a more capable threat detector/preventer. Get that done then work on the artsy front end redesign.
    rob53williamlondonBeatsbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 31
    hydrogenhydrogen Posts: 314member
    Microsoft is the perfect illustration of the fact that if you enjoy a monopoly, you do not care about your customers, and can just pretend to innovate, keeping eternally your product basically unchanged.
    williamlondonjeffharrisBeatsjony0byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 31
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    MacPro said:
    MplsP said:
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    My very functional ARM version is running very well on my M1 Mac.  Microsoft has updates every few days for the MS Insider members.  It runs astonishingly well for me. This within Parallels for M1 Macs of course. I can't wait to try this set up on the next generation Apple Silicon with more RAM than M1s, VMs are where more RAM is useful.

    I wonder if in the ARM version we are already seeing many of the GUI changes coming for the x86 version.  
    The nice thing about the ARM version is it's free. I haven't tried running anything other than what's included but that's generally enough for the one use I have, supporting a family member figure out where the print icon is.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 31
    flydogflydog Posts: 1,123member
    MplsP said:
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    There's good news and bad news.  The bad news is you lost the bet, the good news is ou can install it today:

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewARM64
    muthuk_vanalingamCloudTalkindewme
  • Reply 7 of 31
    flydogflydog Posts: 1,123member
    hydrogen said:
    Microsoft is the perfect illustration of the fact that if you enjoy a monopoly, you do not care about your customers, and can just pretend to innovate, keeping eternally your product basically unchanged.
    Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly in anything, not operating systems, not browsers, and not game consoles.  And when you expand the market to mobile devices, it doesn't even own a majority share in those markets.

    But hey, don't let facts stop you from posting nonsense.
    williamlondonCloudTalkin
  • Reply 8 of 31
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    MacPro said:
    MplsP said:
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    My very functional ARM version is running very well on my M1 Mac.  Microsoft has updates every few days for the MS Insider members.  It runs astonishingly well for me. This within Parallels for M1 Macs of course. I can't wait to try this set up on the next generation Apple Silicon with more RAM than M1s, VMs are where more RAM is useful.

    I wonder if in the ARM version we are already seeing many of the GUI changes coming for the x86 version.  

    I would add that Microsoft has teamed up with Qualcomm to build what is essentially an M1 Mac mini like development machine to get more devs turned on to targeting ARM. Microsoft was more than a little slow out of the gate compared to Apple, but they will do everything they can to  catch up, which I believe will continue to be finding ways to emulate Apple's strategies and implementations, down to the chip level. I expect the next big UI and Windows Store refresh for Windows will feel a whole lot more like macOS than it ever has in the past.
    byronl
  • Reply 9 of 31
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    flydog said:
    hydrogen said:
    Microsoft is the perfect illustration of the fact that if you enjoy a monopoly, you do not care about your customers, and can just pretend to innovate, keeping eternally your product basically unchanged.
    Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly in anything, not operating systems, not browsers, and not game consoles.  And when you expand the market to mobile devices, it doesn't even own a majority share in those markets.

    But hey, don't let facts stop you from posting nonsense.
    What? What planet do you live on? Windows is used in the vast majority of corporations and government installations along with probably 95% of point-of-sale systems. macOS is still a minority as is unix/linux on the desktop/laptop. The only place Windows has almost no use is in phones and tablets (except when they buy off the NFL). 
    williamlondonjeffharrissdw2001crowleyBeatsbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 31
    williamlondonwilliamlondon Posts: 1,324member
    The 'next generation' of Windows will be promised soon but not launched until the actual 'next generation', based on their history.
    Beatswatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 31
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    MplsP said:
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    ARM Windows works just fine.  Not sure why you're saying it isn't.  It's already proven that it even works fine on M1 Macs as well.

    Microsoft just hasn't licensed it to 3rd-party manufacturers outside of its own Surface products.  Given the popularity of Apple's M(x) Macs, I suspect there are people at Microsoft considering opening ARM-Windows to others.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 31
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member
    flydog said:
    hydrogen said:
    Microsoft is the perfect illustration of the fact that if you enjoy a monopoly, you do not care about your customers, and can just pretend to innovate, keeping eternally your product basically unchanged.
    Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly in anything, not operating systems, not browsers, and not game consoles.  And when you expand the market to mobile devices, it doesn't even own a majority share in those markets.

    But hey, don't let facts stop you from posting nonsense.
    They have a monopoly in operating systems for the traditional laptop / desktop market.  Last I remember, they own around 80% of that market.  That said, I'm not really bothered.  MS has been doing great since Satya Nadella took over.
    CloudTalkinbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 31
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    hydrogen said:
    Microsoft is the perfect illustration of the fact that if you enjoy a monopoly, you do not care about your customers, and can just pretend to innovate, keeping eternally your product basically unchanged.
    What "monopoly"??  Microsoft hasn't remotely been any kind of "monopoly" since the early 2000's.  That's twenty years ago.  Do you not remember Microsoft's antitrust drama or was it before your time?

    Microsoft is slowly becoming irrelevant.  They're just another operating-system, and office-productivity suite developer.  I think they make more money on their Azure cloud platforms now than they do with Windows/Office combined.  That's Microsoft now.  It is not remotely the same kind of company it was back during the Bill Gates era.

    Yes, Windows is the dominant OS out there for a myriad of reasons, but it still has good competition from MacOS and Linux.  Microsoft pissed-away their mobile products and now has zero presence in that missing out a HUGE market there.  

    So what "monopoly" are you talking about?
    edited June 2021
  • Reply 14 of 31
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member
    sflocal said:
    MplsP said:
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    ARM Windows works just fine.  Not sure why you're saying it isn't.  It's already proven that it even works fine on M1 Macs as well.

    Microsoft just hasn't licensed it to 3rd-party manufacturers outside of its own Surface products.  Given the popularity of Apple's M(x) Macs, I suspect there are people at Microsoft considering opening ARM-Windows to others.
    I hope so.
  • Reply 16 of 31
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member
    Out of all of the rumors of the "Next Windows", this is one of the biggest ones

    "Microsoft is reportedly overhauling its Windows app store to allow developers to submit any Windows application, including browsers like Chrome or Firefox. This would significantly improve the store alone, but Microsoft might also be considering allowing third-party commerce platforms in apps. That would mean Microsoft wouldn’t take a cut from developers who use their own in-app purchase systems."

    "So far, Microsoft has only announced a cut to 12 percent commission for PC games in the Windows store, but allowing developers to bypass Microsoft’s cut would be a significant change."

    That's a shot right across the bow of Apple

    https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/3/22466394/microsoft-windows-11-launch-teaser-rumors
  • Reply 17 of 31
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    rob53 said:
    MacPro said:
    MplsP said:
    I think the only thing readers here would care about is when MS will finally get around to making a functional ARM version of Windows. Given their history I’m betting it will be at least 5 years...
    My very functional ARM version is running very well on my M1 Mac.  Microsoft has updates every few days for the MS Insider members.  It runs astonishingly well for me. This within Parallels for M1 Macs of course. I can't wait to try this set up on the next generation Apple Silicon with more RAM than M1s, VMs are where more RAM is useful.

    I wonder if in the ARM version we are already seeing many of the GUI changes coming for the x86 version.  
    The nice thing about the ARM version is it's free. I haven't tried running anything other than what's included but that's generally enough for the one use I have, supporting a family member figure out where the print icon is.
    Even the x86 version has a *non-ending trial version with zero limitations except personalization.  I have a fully licensed Windows Pro on my PC machines but a couple of Boot Camp installations I use for tests have been running in trial mode for years and all updates install.

    Of course, Parallels for M1 isn't free and the trial does end for that.

    *I only use Windows Pro in trial mode as I use MS RDT from a Mac and that only works with the Pro version so I can't speak to the trial Home versions.
    edited June 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 31
    zimmiezimmie Posts: 651member
    tedz98 said:
    The UI changes are nice user experience improvements but it’s still putting lipstick on a pig. Given all of the hacking/ransomeware issues that are out in the wild, Microsoft needs to implement some significant architectural updates that protects the Windows core/environment from hackers. Improved sandboxing would be a start. You can’t stop users from opening infected emails but you can certainly sandbox them and do a better job of inspecting attachments or links. The hacker threat and impact is incredibly high and Windows needs to be a more capable threat detector/preventer. Get that done then work on the artsy front end redesign.
    Microsoft actually added a feature called Windows Sandbox a few versions ago. It works with Hyper-V containers to give you near-immediate access to VMs running a totally clean installation of the version of Windows you have outside the sandbox. They've been doing a lot of really admirable internal work lately. I suspect this event is mostly going to introduce user interfaces for stuff Windows 10 can already do.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 31
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,015member
    flydog said:
    hydrogen said:
    Microsoft is the perfect illustration of the fact that if you enjoy a monopoly, you do not care about your customers, and can just pretend to innovate, keeping eternally your product basically unchanged.
    Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly in anything, not operating systems, not browsers, and not game consoles.  And when you expand the market to mobile devices, it doesn't even own a majority share in those markets.

    But hey, don't let facts stop you from posting nonsense.

    Microsoft dominates the desktop and notebook operating system market, as well as the office productivity market (home and business).  Windows has lost market share, but still owns over 75% of the market.  I suspect the point he was making had less to do with the legal definition of monopoly, and more to do with Microsoft being so dominant that it doesn't care about innovating Windows.  

    In my experience as both a Mac and Windows user for the last two decades, that's true.  Windows development has a been one long string of ape-ing Apple (poorly) and various disasters, sometimes both at the same time:  

    1995:  Windows 95. A blatant rip-off of Mac OS that will go down in history one of the worst OSes ever created.  I would have to create a separate website dedicated to explaining how truly awful it was.  Many people downgraded to Windows 3.1 for years after its release.  

    1998: Windows 98.  The "we tried to fix the disaster of Windows 95 and mostly succeeded" release.  

    2000:  Windows ME. We named it "Millennium Edition" to make it sound new, even though it was based on the old DOS kernel.  

    2000:  Windows 2000.  Yeah, we released Windows 2000 and Millennium Edition in the same year, a few months apart.  But one is based on NT and the other DOS.  In other words, we created a total shitshow for consumers.  

    2001:  Windows XP.  "We finally put the nightmare of Windows 95 to bed.  Also, we stole the Mac's UI again and even aped their "X" name.  They have Aqua.  We have Luna!"

    2007: Windows Vista.  Somehow worse than XP, which was the first decent version since 3.1.  

    2010:  Windows 7.  "Finally, a decent-looking and performing OS that is stable. " Until....

    2013:  Windows 8.  "So bad that we decided not to call the next version Windows 9.  We actually ruined an Arabic number for all eternity."  

    2015: Windows 10.  "NT went from 6.2 to 10, so we called it 10.  We promise it's pretty good though.  Maybe even as good as 3.1.  Oh, and we stole the whole "app" idea from Apple.  You don't have programs anymore.  Now you have apps.  Sort of....big apps are still called programs.  Or applications.  But apps give you a clunky, resource-consuming way of performing difficult tasks like opening photos or streaming an audio file."  













    Alex_VwilliamlondonBeatsbikerdudeMplsPjony0hydrogenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 31
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,630member
    I foresee the next version of Windows to be a subscription-only service SAASS. Give it away for free but unless you subscribe it either stops working or its functionality is severely limited. For example, non-Windows supplied apps won't work or non-Windows Store apps stop dead.
    Naturally, it will download itself when you aren't looking and bingo you are trapped in their pay forever scheme.

    I gave up using windows in 2016 and don't regret it one little bit. 
    Beatswatto_cobra
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