Every time Microsoft rolls out a major Windows 11 update, it feels like we’re playing a version-number lottery. I mean, come on, Windows 11 22H2 and Windows 11 2023 Update? Can we just call it Windows 11.1 and be done with it?
In a world where Apple effortlessly navigates the iOS landscape with clear and concise point releases, Microsoft seems to have taken a detour through a confusing forest of names and numbers. Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Windows 10 Creators Update, Windows 10 Fall Creators Update—seriously, who comes up with these names? It’s like trying to decode a secret language known only to Microsoft insiders.
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, shall we? Windows 8 got its own point release, Windows 8.1, but after that, it’s been a naming rollercoaster. Windows 10 joined the party with a slew of marketing and internal names that left everyone scratching their heads.
I once heard a rumor that Microsoft considered naming updates after animals or people, but wisely abandoned the idea. I get it; nobody wants their operating system associated with a bad actor. So instead, we’ve cycled through monthly names, yearly names, and now, we’re back to square one with the 23H2 version. Bravo, Microsoft.
Apple, on the other hand, keeps it simple. iOS 17.1.1? Clear as crystal. Try troubleshooting a family member’s iPhone and compare that to deciphering the Windows 11 2023 Update November update. It’s like comparing apples to… well, you get the point.
And let’s not even start on Microsoft’s update history page for Windows 11. KB numbers, OS build numbers—it’s a jumble that only a tech wizard could love. Meanwhile, Apple’s list of updates to iOS 17 is a model of clarity. You know immediately that 17.1.1 is the latest and greatest.
But hey, it could be worse. Remember Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for 64-Bit Extended Systems? Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Jared Spataro, head of modern work and business applications at Microsoft, jokingly admitted that simplicity and naming haven’t always been their strong suits. No kidding.
So, Microsoft, as we eagerly await the arrival of Windows 12 (or whatever you end up calling it), can we please bring back point releases or at least give us a straightforward way to identify the latest version? Until then, good luck explaining Windows updates to your family over Thanksgiving dinner. And don’t forget to turn off motion smoothing on the TV. You’re welcome.
