The next Windows 11 feature drop is expected in February 2024
Microsoft plans to release a preview of the fifth feature drop for Windows 11 in February 2024 according to a report by Windows Central. The site claims that the new update will be smaller in scope and that it will also be the last Moment update for 2024 and maybe ever.
Microsoft started to release smaller feature drops, called Moment updates, after the release of the first feature update for Windows 11 in late 2022.
It has released four Moment updates so far, the last one in September 2023. These updates introduced smaller changes to the operating system. Some added new apps, such as Windows Copilot, and all made other changes, such as introducing new preferences or options.
The main idea behind Moment Updates was to release features more often to the operating system. Microsoft released the majority of features as feature updates once per year previously. Moment updates changed that, but they also had an effect on feature updates, as they did not introduce as many features anymore.
Moment 5 Update for Windows 11
The fifth Moment Update for Windows 11 may very well be the last. Microsoft has big plans for 2024, which include the release of a new version of Windows. Whether this new version will be called Windows 12 by Microsoft or something else is unclear at this point.
There will also be another feature update for Windows 11, which is expected to be released in the second half of 2024.
Windows Central claims that Moment 5 will make adjustments to the operating system to comply with the European Digital Markets Act. Windows users from the European Union and European Economic Area get more control over the operating system as part of the changes. This includes the ability to uninstall Microsoft Edge and Bing Search, replace Bing Search with a third-party search provider, and much more.
While Microsoft won't introduce the same functionality for customers in other regions, these customers may change the region to a supported European country to get the same level of control.
Other features that Microsoft may introduce for all customers is the replacing of default Windows 11 wallpapers with dynamic Spotlight wallpapers, an option to add friendly device names for the operating system's Nearby Share feature and, of course, AI improvements across the board. Most changes are small in nature, like Notepad's new character count option.
Closing Words
If you don't live in the European Economic Area, you should not expect wonders from Moment 5. Yes, it includes a number of changes, but these are all smaller and mostly quality of life changes.
Now You: would you like to continue receiving Moment updates or do you prefer one major update each year?
I’ve successfully managed to avoid all of the feature update from Micro$oft using GRC’s InControl app. Martin wrote a review of it last year: https://www.ghacks.net/2022/02/16/take-control-of-windows-updating-and-upgrading-with-incontrol/
Windows 11 has became the worst piece of software ever made since FlashPlayer. Five moments for such amount of nothing, and the infamous taskbar is still fixed with the best glue ever at the bottom of my system. So such amount of incompetence! :[
Drop the whole crummy OS in the dumpster for all I care. MS is killing itself.
No one cares about AI or your bloated web services Microsoft. Quit dumbing down the user interface. Nobody asked for a MacOS Teletubbies interface. We would have bought a Mac if we wanted one! Could you please stop with these stupid new features and just give us the back productivity features that had been eliminated and that everyone used? After that, simply provide us only security updates! Thanks!
The next Windows crapware drop scheduled to mess up your PC even more scheduled for second half 2024 – be prepared to deal with endless patches, computer crashes, etc.etc.etc. as it has been typical of microsoft products for the last 10 years.
Windows news used to be slightly interesting, I am all checked out by now, it’s just “what new thing will they ruin” or “what annoying feature will they add”, “what will be depreciated next”, etc. Has anyone else got a similar feeling?
Ugh, if only Linux didn’t suck so hard…
Oh you’re gonna work getting linux working the way you like but for some that is part of its charm. I dig terminal, its rough getting use to it but then it gets fun. Takes me back to the early days of computing. I usually control my fans through the bios which i think most motherboards support these days. The linux community is pretty good about helping you, long as you dont come across with an attitude, and i know some people try to goad you into a fight, such is the state of the interwebs these days. GParted is pretty powerful disk utility. There’s a ton of UI’s and themes out there. I suggest you give Linux Mint a shot if you feel like trying it again. I’ve been looking into running linux as a host and other OS in VMs with directed I/O, pass my gpu to windows. My gaming only rig is running W11 enterprise 23H2, is has an oled hdr monitor so.. yeah. I’ve tried Steam OS but still prefer gaming on windows.
but linux doesn’t suck.
Sure, if you’re a user of Linux, you have overcome hurdles in some places, made compromises in other places, and now you have arrived at a decent OS.
I’ve given Linux a few good attempts and not found it appealing, if all you need is a browser, then sure, what difference does it make? But I use programs… Some of these programs are Windows only, and some are in a situation where even Wine would be difficult or impossible (even though Wine is a godsend, overall !)
Plus some programs I use are cracked/hacked, I can’t imagine it would be easy replicating all of that hard work over Wine in Linux, even though I’ve even seen stuff like MS Office run in Linux.
I’ve had a few anecdotal observations that really put me off:
1) I couldn’t get fan control software working in Linux, I tried all of the available options, this testing was done on an old DQ45CB motherboard, nothing special.
2) Ungooglable error messages, I don’t want to deal with them. It’s not really a thing in Windows, but happened to me a few times in Linux, makes you feel alone and that a solution is improbable.
3) The Fedora installer couldn’t format/partition my sata SSD for it’s own use – I didn’t even know this kind of thing was possible, but it was disappointing.
4) Expect to use the command line, it’s almost inevitable under Linux, don’t get me wrong, I am comfortable using it, but damn.
5) For all it’s “open-ness”, I didn’t find that many options for customisation of the look & feel of the OS, sure, there is stuff out there, but it’s not exactly straightforward.
So to me, Linux kinda does suck, I appreciate it’s existence and occasionally take a peek at progress, but wouldn’t use it myself.
Microsoft seems not to grasp the fact that the average end user simply doesn’t have the skills or time to continually have to deal with their ongoing flood of major paradigm changes. I’ve been holding off on going to W11 on my W10 laptop because I absolutely am sure that doing so will hose things in a way which will squander more of my time resources than I’m willing to spend. I, like most people in this current worldwide economic slump, also don’t have the financial resources to be continually having to replace perfectly running, perfectly working hardware every three years. I have for decades, been getting more than 10 years of function from all my computers and when that ability is artificially destroyed by hardware manufacturers and M$, I will simply have to do like a lot of people I know are doing and give up on computing altogether.