Hate Windows 11? You're gonna hate Windows 12 even more

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We are at a rare moment in Microsoft history, when the company that defined the modern PC is supporting a single version of its flagship operating system. Windows 10 is officially unsupported as of October 2025. Windows 11 now stands alone in the market, with a billion active users, according to Microsoft's most recent quarterly earnings report. In October 2026, Windows 11 will celebrate its fifth anniversary -- which is traditionally the halfway point in Microsoft's 10-year support lifecycle.

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That all suggests that the next version of Windows -- let's call it Windows 12 -- will be here before you know it, ready or not. In fact, this week PCWorld, a reliable source of technology news ...