Newsletter Archives

• Mary Jo Foley: There’s a reason why MS is starting to test Win10 20H1 so early… and, no, it isn’t because they’re switching to annual releases

  Posted on February 28, 2019 at 10:27 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Crestfallen.

  Yesterday, Mary Jo Foley published a report relying on her sources inside Microsoft about the surprising “Skip ahead” testing of Win10 20H1 — the version that isn’t due out until a year from now.

  I had speculated that, maybe, somebody inside Microsoft had come to their senses, and they were using this as a way to move to once-a-year versions of Win10. Nope. At least, according to Foley’s sources:

  Some people wondered if this was a sign Microsoft might be moving to one Windows 10 feature update per year (nope).

  Crestfallen, I tell you. She has a plausible reason:

  The Windows team is close to finalizing Windows 10 19H1. If schedules had all aligned, the core OS team would already be well on its way to finishing the new core platform release (codenamed “Vanadium”), targeted for internal delivery by June 2019, which would be the base of the next Windows 10 release [version 19H2 or 1909]. But the timing just doesn’t work out. As a result, my contacts say, the new plan is for the core OS team to skip its internal June platform release and just focus on the December 2019 internal release (codenamed “Vibranium”) — which will be the basis for the Windows 10 20H1 release.

  Which makes me want to curl up and suck on my thumb.

  It seems that the Azure tail is now wagging the Win10 dog.

  Windows News 19H1, 19H2, 20H1, 20H2, Vanadium, Vibranium

• Win10 updating terminology is changing again – but this time maybe it’s tied to a major improvement

  Posted on February 14, 2019 at 19:06 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  In retrospect, I’m not convinced the terminology change is tied to anything worthwhile.

  Details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Here’s my earlier, rosier take…..

   

  ******************************************

  At least I have my fingers crossed.

  First, John Wilcox announced on the Windows IT Pro blog:

  IF YOU USE WINDOWS UPDATE FOR BUSINESS: Beginning with Windows 10, version 1903 (the next feature update for Windows 10), the Windows 10 release information page will no longer list SAC-T [Semi-Annual Channel Targeted] information for version 1903 and future feature updates. Instead, you will find a single entry for each new SAC release. In addition, if you are using Windows Update for Business, you will see new UI and behavior to reflect that there is only one release date for each SAC release. If you use System Center Configuration Manager, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), or other management tools, there will now only be one feature update published to WSUS, and this will occur at the time of release.

  That’s a major change to the meaning of SAC-T. I’ve long used the promotion of a Win10 version to SAC (from SAC-T) as an indication that it may be ready, in a few months, to install. Wilcox shows a screenshot of the new Win10 version 1903 Windows Update Advanced options pane, and it’s substantially different from what we’re seeing now.

  Reason to be cynical – Oh gawd, they changed the terminology again.

  Reason to be hopeful – maybe this means that when a new Win10 version is released it’ll be, you know, tested.

  Combine that with more unexpected news. People in the Windows Insider Program Skip Ahead ring were expecting to start testing version 19H2 (for lack of a better term, probably destined to become Win10 version 1909). But earlier today, Microsoft released Skip Ahead build 18336. According to Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc:

  These builds are from the 20H1 development branch. Some things we are working on in 20H1 require a longer lead time. We will begin releasing 19H2 bits to Insiders later this spring after we get 19H1 nearly finished and ready; once 19H1 is “nearly finished and ready” we’ll also use the Release Preview ring for previews of drivers and quality updates on 19H1.

  Which is an incredibly convoluted way to run a beta program, unless….

  … unless the talk of 19H2 is a smokescreen, and Microsoft’s finally going to start releasing new versions of Win10 every year.

  Hey, a guy can hope.

  Other 18836, 19H1, 20H1, Win10