The next major Windows 11 update is coming soon – but could disappoint
After years of blockbuster Windows version upgrades, Microsoft seems to be going a different direction with the OS. Instead of an annual feature update, the company has moved to a series of incremental updates that are delivered throughout the year. These smaller updates are called “Moment” updates, and they have started to include new features in recent months.
In fact, the latest Moment update is expected to be a bit of a letdown. That’s because it might not have some of the major features that were rumored ahead of its release. Instead, this first “Moment” of 2023 could be a bit underwhelming unless you are specifically looking for some new AI-powered functionality.
The Microsoft blog post detailing the new update says that this latest bundle will start rolling out on March 14th. However, it is still not clear what will be included. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft is ready to make some big changes this time around. In the past, it has opted for smaller bundles in order to deliver more significant improvements with each one.
As an example, the last bundle, codenamed 22H2, included a new tabbed File Explorer and a few other notable improvements. It also included a set of features that are more focused on accessibility, including a new option for displaying text captions in media apps and a new way to configure keyboard shortcuts. There was even a way to create a live kernel dump in Task Manager that is more useful for developers.
Microsoft has also added a few other minor enhancements to the current release. For example, the Snipping Tool now has a dark mode for easier use on screens with lower contrast settings. And the Notepad app has a more pleasant color scheme that should help with eye strain.
While this is a step in the right direction, it’s not enough for some users. There are a number of top requested Windows 11 features that have not yet been released, and some users have complained about the fact that changing default programs has become less straightforward and that AMD-based PCs are experiencing annoying performance issues. In addition, there are a lot of people who prefer to keep their computers updated at their own discretion rather than waiting for the system to automatically apply updates at an inconvenient time.
The good news is that there is a solution to all of this, at least for those who are running the Enterprise or Education versions of the operating system. Microsoft has announced that these upcoming “Moment” releases will ship with the new features off by default, and admins can choose to turn them on. That will give them more control over the timing and prevent them from being pushed to machines that they cannot support. It is an important change that should be appreciated by those who are using these updates for work. Then again, if you are interested in receiving the latest news and commentary on technology, Forbes Daily has you covered.
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