A concept designer’s ‘Windows 12.1’ illustration demonstrates the minimalistic Start menu we’ve been begging Microsoft for on Windows 11 with less AI chaff

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A concept designer's 'Windows 12.1' illustration demonstrates the minimalistic Start menu we've been begging Microsoft for on Windows 11 with less AI chaff

What you need to know

  • While Microsoft remains mum about its next-gen operating system, a concept design echoed avid Windows users’ dreams for the OS in a new illustration dubbed Windows 12.1.
  • The concept features a minimalistic Start menu featuring essential apps with an interactive layout and functions. 
  • The File Explorer features a sidebar with icons for easy navigation, and the taskbar adopted Apple’s Dock-style for MacBooks. 

As an analyst with over two decades of experience in the tech industry, I must say that the concept design for Windows 12.1 by AR 4789 is nothing short of intriguing. Having seen my fair share of operating system evolutions and revolutions, I can appreciate the minimalistic approach and the focus on functionality over flashiness.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft has announced they will stop supporting Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. This decision is being made despite many users expressing their concerns and even a petition from a public interest group urging them to reconsider and continue providing support for the operating system.

The petition suggests that if Windows 10 is moved to Microsoft’s discard pile, it could result in a massive increase in discarded computers, potentially causing significant harm to environmental and sustainability objectives. It’s worth noting that despite Microsoft’s aggressive efforts to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 11 through intrusive full-screen multipage advertisements, Windows 10 remains the market leader.

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One way of rephrasing the given statement in a more natural and easy-to-understand manner could be: The strict system requirements for Windows 11 set by Microsoft, along with certain design flaws, are hindering many users from upgrading to this newer OS. The company claims that these stringent requirements are necessary for security reasons, but they make it challenging for users to run the OS on incompatible devices. For instance, Microsoft has recently closed a loophole related to TPM 2.0, which further restricts users from installing Windows 11 on unsupported devices.

Windows 12? What say you Microsoft

Microsoft hasn’t said much about what might follow Windows 11, possibly Windows 12. However, they might have more pressing concerns, such as addressing the security issues with Windows Recall and the impact of the CrowdStrike incident on around 8.5 million Windows devices.

It seems likely that the system specifications for Windows 12 will become more significant, potentially necessitating a specialized Neural Processing Unit (NPU), given Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to integrate advanced AI capabilities into their Windows OS.

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Designer AR 4789 is recognized for imaginatively depicting a perfect world where the Windows Phone continued to operate on an updated version of Windows 12, known as Windows 12.1. Despite Microsoft keeping a low profile, this designer has recently shared their vision of what an improved Windows 12 (version 12.1) might resemble, according to Beta News.

Around two minutes into the YouTube video’s eight-minute duration, I was fully won over by the sleek layout and consistent design (Fluent Design) across the applications, which made the entire idea appealing to me. Notably, you can engage in games or web browsing while simultaneously installing the operating system onto your computer.

In simpler terms, the updated Start menu in Windows 12.1 is streamlined and primarily highlights essential applications. It’s been nicknamed as “comically bad” by some Windows 11 users due to its minimalistic design. The layout is interactive, offering functions without any observed advertisements.

The File Explorer appears to be more streamlined and organized. It comes complete with a side panel for effortless navigation and supports the simple drag-and-drop function. Additionally, the taskbar has taken on a layout similar to Apple’s dock on Macs, which frees up more screen space for other tasks and activities.

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According to what was shown, Microsoft’s primary AI offering, Copilot, was included in the demonstration. However, during the presentation, it didn’t appear to be a significant component of the operating system as the designer focused more on outlining its main features rather than delving deeply into its integration with the system.

It’s worth noting that a survey on Windows Central found that over half of the participants weren’t making full use of the AI tool. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced they would slow down the rollout of new Copilot experiences and focus on refining and upgrading existing ones instead. However, just this week, they introduced their next phase of Copilot experiences, which includes Copilot Pages and Copilot agents.

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2024-09-19 19:39