Microsoft is calling Windows 10 'the last version of Windows'
This is called Windows As A Service, and it’s a big deal. To understand what it means, think of Gmail or Facebook: longtime users know these services have changed over the years, but there aren’t “versions” of them. There’s no Facebook XP, or Gmail 7 – there’s just Facebook, and Gmail, both of which change over time.
Windows, apparently, is going to be like that. Microsoft’s Terry Myers explains:
Put simply, in the 21st century most people don’t pay for operating system upgrades. Instead, they pay for new devices, then use whatever comes with the device until it dies. There’s not really a compelling reason for people to change that habit, because OS upgrades don’t offer the vast improvements seen between Windows 3.1 and 95.
Microsoft knows this. It’s been almost 15 years since Windows XP came out, yet by some measures almost as many people use XP today as Windows 8 and 8.1 combined. From Wikipedia:
Microsoft has been discussing the idea of Windows as a service, but the company hasn't really explained exactly how that will play out with future versions of Windows. That might be because there won't really be any future major versions of Windows in the foreseeable future. Microsoft has altered the way it engineers and delivers Windows, and the initial result is Windows 10. Instead of big releases, there will be regular improvements and updates. Part of this is achieved by splitting up operating system components like the Start Menu and built-in apps to be separate parts that can be updated independently to the entire Windows core operating system. It's a big undertaking, but it's something Microsoft has been actively working on for Windows 10 to ensure it spans across multiple device types.
windows 95 launch
by sujeet kumar
