It is no longer a secret that Microsoft is working on the “next generation of Windows” codenamed “Windows 24H2”. Since Microsoft has resumed its three-year development cycle, it was widely believed that the next generation of Windows would be named “Windows 12”. But things took a turn for the worse when a Microsoft employee went on record to say that it was all just talk, and that there was no such thing. What’s even more surprising is how quickly they deleted their words from X (formerly Twitter).
Over the weekend, a Microsoft employee took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to ongoing speculation about Windows 12 development. The tweet bluntly refuted the rumored existence of the operating system. However, the tweet was withdrawn shortly after users began asking questions.
A senior Microsoft program manager claimed in multiple tweets that “Windows 12 doesn’t exist.” The reason for these tweets being deleted is unclear, adding a layer of mystery to the story. The employee may not have known that Microsoft plans to name the next generation of Windows ‘Windows 12’.
Why talk about Windows 12? Here’s a little background: Developer Rafael Rivera found a hint pointing to “Windows 12” in a piece of VMWare software called ESXI Version 8.
When people on Reddit took a closer look, they realized that the software had been hinting at “Windows 12” for more than six months. So, does this confirm the existence of Windows 12? Not so fast. Normally, such hints in software such as VMWare are meaningless. A former employee of tech giant Oracle also chimed in. They mentioned that VMWare developers sometimes add such hints in “future planning and testing”. Just because a name is there doesn’t mean it’s finalized.
The former VMWare Workstation developer wrote in a tweet, “I’m not there anymore, so I can’t speak to this particular situation, but I’m not shocked to see it.”
However, the Microsoft program manager’s quick deletion of the tweet only added fuel to the fire.
While the Windows giant has been tight-lipped about the arrival of the next-generation Windows, a mention of the next-generation Windows did appear at the Build 2023 conference.
As we previously reported based on a job posting, Microsoft is working on a web-centric version of Windows designed to challenge the dominance of Chrome OS. Web-centric Windows 12 won’t replace the traditional desktop environment, but it will complement it.
