Windows 10 will not actually be the latest version of Windows. But the number “10” may become the last number in a number of versions of operating systems, since new features and improvements will be received by user devices as new components of the already existing Windows 10, and not as regular releases to which an update should be made. Some of these updates and bug fixes will be minor. But sometimes there will be significant updates, such as the Redstone update, which is expected in 2016. They will come through Windows Update and Windows Update for Business. All this Microsoft itself calls "Windows as a Service" ("Windows as a service"). What does all this mean for users? It should be noted that Microsoft previously answered questions about the future of Skype for Windows 10.
Answers to this question were given by Mary Branscombe in her article “5 things you should know about Windows as a Service” published by TechRadar.
This is actually not a service.
The expression “as a Service” usually assumes that you do not receive software downloaded to a PC, but instead use a cloud service (which may or may not contain software installed on your devices to use some of its functions).
“Windows as a Service” is a full-fledged version of Windows, as it was previously installed on your computer. Microsoft uses the term “servicing” to define what most people call “updates” and “patches.” When you see the phrase “always get the latest features and security updates in a timely manner” (“always up to date with the latest features and security updates”), this is the “Windows as a Service” in question.
It's not called windows 365
You may have heard that Microsoft has registered a domain named Windows 365. Most likely, in order that no one else could use it and confuse these users. And this is not what Microsoft calls "Windows as a Service." And unlike Office 365, you do not have to pay a monthly fee for new features (or the ability to continue to use the software).
There is also a misunderstanding regarding the fact of a free upgrade to Windows 10 (Home and Pro editions). It will be available only to users of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1, and only for a year after the release of Windows 10. If you want to upgrade later, you will have to pay for Windows 10 (this may be the cost of a full Windows 10 license or previous upgrade prices which may be available for a limited period of time). But after receiving Windows 10, further security updates and new features will be free for you for “the time of the device”.
The expression "supported lifetime" means that the manufacturer will not support the PC forever - after a certain point, manufacturers stop issuing drivers for old computers. If new features coming with Windows updates require an updated driver, and the PC vendor no longer supports its device and has not released such a new driver, this means that the new feature will not work for you.
Upgrading Windows 10 Enterprise is not at all free, but you have Software Assurance as part of what is included in a Windows Enterprise license and you can receive upgrades in this way. The work of the Software Assurance service is carried out by subscription, and in this respect nothing changes.
Windows 7 and Windows 8 / 8.1. There will be updates, but no new features.
Updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8 / 8.1 will continue as long as these operating systems are supported by Microsoft. At the same time, new functions will only come for Windows 10. As part of the Windows Update for Business service, enterprises can choose: to receive defect fixes through their versions or through Windows Update.
Features of Windows 10 for Business Update
Windows 10 Home Edition will have an automatic update. Using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, you can postpone or disable updates. If updates remain enabled, you will always have the latest version of Windows, which Microsoft calls the “current branch”. Windows Insiders can take part in the insider program (even if they use Windows Pro or Enterprise, and not just Home) and get what Microsoft calls the “active branch”, that is, the opportunity to get acquainted with new updates before others.
For business, there are two points regarding updates. Current Branch for Business (available for Windows Pro and Enteprise) will immediately receive security updates and feature updates regularly, but not earlier than several months after consumers already have these features.
Windows 10 Enterprise users with Software Assurance whose PCs run critical systems and cannot afford the risk of change and incompatibility may also prefer the Long Term Servicing branch, which allows receiving security updates and critical updates (via Windows Update for Windows Server Update Services ), but do not receive feature updates for five or ten years, for which they will become mainstream and receive enhanced support.
Long Term Servicing updates with some new features will be released periodically (once every two or three years, as “service packs” previously released), and you can upgrade to the next Long Term Servicing branch when it comes out. You can switch the computer between updates in the current mode or the Long Term Service branch.
In other words, the user may prefer to always have a fresh operating system (current), but, as you know, new functions sometimes behave unexpectedly. To avoid surprises, he can stop his attention on long-term sets of updates (Long Term). In this case, the functions already tested by time will start coming to his computer.
Another business opportunity is the free Windows Update for Business option for Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise versions. This will provide you with the above upgrade options, but with a greater degree of control over what is being updated. You can use different PCs in different departments of the enterprise. A number of users will receive updates faster, and in such critical departments as financial, they will begin to arrive slower.
You can also set up the system so that none of the computers restarted to update during business hours, or none of the employees in the financial department restarts the computer to update in the last week of the quarter when the department’s employees work on financial reports.
Edge Browser will not be available to all Windows 10 users.
Some features of Windows 10 will not be available immediately. This includes support for the Edge browser extensions and what Microsoft prepared as a replacement for the placeholder function (in Windows 8.1, it allows you to save files in OneDrive folders and then not synchronize immediately. If your computer does not currently have access to Networks, synchronization with the cloud drive will happen later. There is no such function for Windows 10 yet.)
The OneDrive unified client, which will support the synchronization of users and OneDrive, and OneDrive for Business, probably will not be released earlier than the fall and will appear simultaneously with Windows 10 Enterprise. If you do not allow Windows Update to deliver features in the same way as security updates, and install Windows 10 before these features appear, you will not receive them.
If you are upgrading in the Long Term Servicing branch mode, you will not receive the Edge browser either. The reason for this is the high frequency of Edge's own updates, and if you are not going to allow updates to be made, there is no reason to install a browser that is so frequently updated.
It is known that Windows 10 will support Android applications in a certain way, which means that it will be difficult for the user to choose another smartphone after all the new operating systems become available.
Do you like the new approach to Windows 10 updates?
The article is based on materials .
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