Windows 11 has been on the market for less than 18 months, but according to the latest information, Microsoft is already working on its replacement. Of course, nobody in Redmond has come out to confirm that the new operating system will be called Windows 12; however, a name is floating around the web: CorePC. This project shares several of the old goals we saw in Windows 10X, with the big novelty being that it will include legacy support when necessary, and AI-based features.
Modernizing Windows is an idea that always runs through the halls of Redmond. Concepts like Core OS and Windows 10X were the last examples, presenting a modular platform focused on UWP apps, and without the legacy support that characterizes the operating system. Obviously, all of that was canceled in 2021, and several elements of Windows 10X made it to desktops with Windows 11... but the oven didn't completely turn off, and we even have a codename: CorePC.
CorePC: Windows 12, modularity, fast updates, and artificial intelligence
As Windows Central notes, the leaked image above suggests the direction Windows 12 might take. CorePC stands out for two reasons. First, its flexibility: CorePC will allow Microsoft to configure different editions of Windows depending on hardware, and preserve legacy Win32 support in formats that need it (e.g., desktop computers). Second, what Microsoft calls State Separation. In essence, it's a new maintenance and security model that (supposedly) will offer faster updates and greater protection of system resources. State separation uses a series of partitions configured as 'read-only', inaccessible to both the user and third-party applications.
State separation is not exactly new. Microsoft has talked about it on several occasions, and some of its representatives have anticipated that updates could take '90 seconds or less in background' under this strategy. In addition to serving as the basis for a hypothetical Windows 12 in the future, CorePC will be one of Microsoft's weapons to compete with Chromebooks through an ultra-light edition of Windows, which will run Edge, web apps, Android apps, and Office. Available information suggests that this Windows will be between 60 and 75 percent lighter than Windows 11 SE.
And to round things out, artificial intelligence. Some of the AI-based functions being evaluated include analyzing screen content to offer alternative ideas, and identifying text and objects in images, allowing the user to edit them easily. What's most interesting? Those functions could demand additional hardware.
As expected, Microsoft doesn't comment on rumors and speculation, but all arrows point to the second half of 2024 for the release of the next version of Windows, codenamed Hudson Valley. This Windows would raise RAM requirements from 4 to 8 GB, while maintaining the mandatory TPM and Secure Boot.
Source: Windows Central.
