Here's what Microsoft has planned for Windows in 2016
Microsoft is busy working on the update to Windows 10 - internally codenamed "Redstone" - that will refine many of the features and improvements that were introduced in 2015.
Here's everything you need to know.
Release date: It is rumoured that "Redstone" will be released in two halves: One in June and then one later in November. Microsoft has given no indication of when the update will be introduced beyond a vague 2016 time frame. Given the time it takes to code, test, and roll-out an entire operating system, the June timeframe makes sense.
A small update in June: According to reports, there will be a small update earlier in 2016 that will include a new Skype app, extensions for Microsoft Edge, and various other smaller - but essential - changes.
A hub for your life: Microsoft has really worked on making Windows 10 the digital hub for all your activities. The operating system works on almost any device - from the Internet of Things to a PC to a server - and this theme will continue in the "Redstone" update.
It will not be called Windows 11: Microsoft skipped on Windows 9 and it looks like it will skip on Windows 11 for the time being, according to ZDNet. The smaller update to Windows 8 was given a "point" name - 8.1 - and its likely that Microsoft will take the same tact for Windows 10.
Windows 10.1 will likely be free: Microsoft has shifted to a "Windows-as-a-Service" model which means the operating system is free and all of the services that come with it - such as the Windows Store - are used to make money. This, in many ways, is similar to how Apple delivers OS X, the operating system for Macs.
The best of Windows 10, but more: Microsoft will likely continue to work on its new Windows features, such as Universal Windows Apps and Microsoft Edge, the replacement for Internet Explorer.
More information about HoloLens: Since Microsoft's futuristic headset is set to launch to developers in 2016 and will runs Windows 10, just like a PC, Microsoft will likely be looking to optimised Windows Holographic apps - which is every app - to work on the headset.
To summarise, the "Redstone" update to Windows will be an attempt by Microsoft to make the operating system better, without changing everything around. The Windows 8 and 10 updates took away and introduced a lof of features but it seems Microsoft has found a formula - part tablet-optimised, part PC-optimised - that it likes.
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