Windows 10: Future version of Windows?

I have read many confusing things about the future of Windows. Windows 10 should be the latest version of Windows, with no Windows 11. On the other hand, Microsoft announces the end of mainstream support for Windows 10 for October 13, 2020 and the end of extended support for October 14 2025 (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...cle-fact-sheet). What is supposed to happen afterward? After October 13, 2020 what will be the Windows version that will be mainstream supported? This new policy of Microsoft seems very confusing for me. What will happen with no longer supported devices? Will you be able to run them without updates as was the case for prior versions of Windows?

:)

 

new idea for a future version of the pc suite

not really, in itunes you can set an auto sync for everything but not one folder. but being a sync that would still pick up your new podcasts (wouldnt be to slow if you are not using a full 60gb for instance)

you can do the same with windows media player 10, so maybe there is no need to do this for pc suite?

 

new idea for a future version of the pc suite

I'm sure this must of been thought of but as I've never had any sort of mp3 player i don't know.

anyway, i know the PC suite can download content from the phone to a PC and sync automatically ect... but how about giving the PC suite the ability to automatically upload content to the phone when new content is found in a specific folder on the PC. where
this would come in handy would be for us folks who download pod casts on a weekly basis, if the pod casts were placed into a folder on the PC and then when the phone connected to the PC the pod cast could be uploaded automatically for listening to at a later
date on the phone?

i suppose someone is now going to tell me this is exactly what happens with an ipod?

 

How can Microsoft eventually end support of the last OS they say they will ever make ?

 

What they're announcing is the end of the initial build support for 10240. Windows 10 has changed a fair bit since its initial release.

Microsoft have stated that Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows as its now become Windows as a service and a rolling release rather than monolithic new updates.

 

@swarfega On the page I link; they say the "latest update or service pack" is Version 1703 (the creators update released a few month ago) and they announce the "end of support" (mainstream and extended) in the two columns just next to it. Nowhere is the initial build 10240 mentioned. Or is it the end of support for the build version 1703 that they announce? Why then they announce nothing for the previous builds?

It seems that the different build versions are just the equivalent of monolithic releases like before. The only thing that has changed is that you have less control of the update process, at least for the home version (you can control updates just like before with the group policy editor in the professional version).

It seems that Microsoft has stated many contradictory things... Why are there not able to communicate in a clear way.

 

Version 1703 has the end of life stated in the article. There is a new version set to be released in the fall, called the Fall Creators Release (or Redstone 3). That will get a new end of life once it's released. These are more like service packs than full new releases.

There won't be a Windows 11, but there will be continuing Windows 10 releases, just like Apple has OS X, with various releases.

 

There are conflicting interpretations of the long term status of Windows (10)

There has been an end of life date stated, for Windows 10, in the same way and calculation as all previous recent versions based on a 10 Year cycle. This is I believe a legal "requirement", (Microsoft is quoted on the stock markets so have to comply with certain conventions), but as is obvious from the situation with Windows XP the initial life cycle is the Minimum and is not chiseled in stone *Wink

I expect that at some time in the, (near?), Future Windows 10 will morph into Windows which would in a way convert it into a "Service" (Pay once use forever type as has been stated by Microsoft *Wink ), rather than a Product Version which by it's nature needs an expiry date. Obviously a rolling update model for an operating system will necessitate changes in hardware support - The Windows OS current in Five Years time may not support the Hardware currently supported (this is stated in the fine print for the current version). You will also be required to keep the system updated to continue support (60Day Grace period)

The latest Information I have for actual dates for current and recent past Windows Versions is ...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...cle-fact-sheet

 

It would make sense to drop the 10 moniker.
@Olive thanks for pointing that out.

 

There will always be another edition of Windows after the current one. If you look at how mobile operating systems work, the new hardware found in newer devices cannot run the older operating systems. Windows can keep rolling out over the air updates, but it would become very confusing for people what versions of Windows they are running -- say, if you wanted to troubleshoot something. A new name solves that problem and is the logical solution.

 

I'm surprised hey haven't dropped the 10 already. It's the build number that matters these days. Anytime somebody has an issue one of the first questions is what build are you running. Saying I'm running Windows 10 just doesn't cut it anymore.

 

I am sure they will eventually, but 10 will have to reach at least 90% and it is far from it, so they need 10 to distinguish it from other Windows. I estimate 3-4 years. XP-7 will become obsolete without driver support.

 

The stated limits are purely for commercial protection. It would be commercially insane to promise support for ever. Suppose MS decided to pull out of providing OSs anymore, they could get heavily sued if they did not provide support indefinitely.

They will simply extend the support period nearer the time - that's all.

 

However the end of life date shown on that page for 1703 is the same as it was for 1507/10240.
If the end of life was changing as you suggest, one would expect the date for 1703 to be almost 2 years later than it was for 1507.
(In fact I did expect this until they changed the version mentioned on that page from 1507 to 1703 when that was released, without moving the date.)

Edit: What's more an issue for me is that a new version of Windows 10 can break compatibility with certain hardware, and suddenly you only have 2 years of support or less for that machine. I have a machine which won't run Creators' Update because they broke compatibility with a Broadcom driver. Microsoft have said they have a fix, but they could easily have abandoned that hardware, and I expect that will start to happen.
(In which case I might have been better off reverting to Windows 8.1 which could well be supported longer than Windows 10.)

 

Of course, It's bad when drivers do not work with a new version of an OS, but this sort of compatibility is Not a Microsoft Issue. Microsoft does not write drivers for anything other than their own hardware. Microsoft makes the OS available In sufficient time for hardware manufacturers to adapt or re-write Drivers in time for release. Most manufacturers are perfectly compliant with this but some have in the past decided to use this as an excuse to push sales of newer products or for other reasons not been able to comply with the agreement they signed to be awarded "works with" or Designed For" Windows nnn logo

The issue with the EOL date could just be a compliance Issue, they are providing one EOL as they have always done, under the current practice and at some time in the future the whole system will be revised and a rolling EOL will be created for the new sales/technical model