Microsoft Starts Testing Windows 11 24H2 as This Year's Big Update Takes Shape
Freeman writes:
The next major release of Windows isn't due until the end of the year, but it looks like Microsoft is getting an early start. New Windows Insider builds released to the Canary and Dev channels both roll their version numbers to "24H2," indicating that they're the earliest builds of what Microsoft will eventually release to all Windows users sometime this fall.
[...] The early change to the 24H2 numbering is a departure from last year, where Windows 11 23H2 didn't appear publicly until the end of October. And even then, it was mostly just an update that rolled over the version number and Microsoft's support clock for software updates-most of its "new" features had actually rolled out to PCs running Windows 11 22H2 the month before.
There are some signs that this update will be fairly significant in scope. In addition to all the features Microsoft listed, there are signs that the company is revising things like the Windows setup process that you go through when installing the OS from scratch.
[...] A 24H2 update does suggest that Windows 11 will continue on for at least another year, but it doesn't necessarily preclude a Windows 12 launch this year. Windows 10 received a 21H2 update the year Windows 11 came out and a 22H2 update the year after that (not that either came with significant new features). Microsoft could decide to rename the upcoming feature update on relatively short notice-like it originally did with Windows 11, which began as a design overhaul for Windows 10. Windows 12 might happen, or it might not, but I wouldn't take this Windows 11 24H2 update as decisive evidence one way or the other.
[...] To date, Microsoft hasn't imposed any specific system requirements for Copilot or Windows' other generative AI features, aside from 4GB RAM and 720p screen requirements for the Windows 10 version of Copilot, but this could change if more of Windows' AI features begin relying on local processing rather than cloud processing.
[With my latest build, I skipped the OS tax, and used MXLinux instead. Installation was a little more complicated than a fresh windows install. I've also had a few hiccups with game compatibility, but overall Steam's Proton compatibility layer is doing an even better job than when I last tried it out. For example Space Engineers, just worked. Whereas before there were audio and graphical issues.]
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