Windows 10 has been subpar design-wise for at least two years now. Microsoft hasn't yet published a roadmap for their investments in Windows 10's shell experience.
Since Windows 10 is a crucial part of Microsoft 365 (pictured above), this proposal requests that Windows developers announce the investments detailed in Panos Panay's "Accelerating Innovation in Windows" blog post to the public alongside the other important services which already publish this information.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why should the Windows team commit to deadlines for customers?
Answer: Other products at Microsoft routinely publish information to this blog and commit to release dates. Why should our experience using Windows be any different? It would help to publicly state why Windows Shell is different in this regard from-say-Outlook Web.
Aren't there already design changes and experience improvements flighting in the dev channel?
Answer: The dev channel model is an excellent way to test changes which aren't guaranteed by Microsoft. We would like to know when the rest of these changes will hit the dev channel before they actually do.
Isn't this revealing too much intellectual property which diminishes our strategic edge?
Answer: The strategic edge of Windows (being a proprietary operating system) should precede the announcement of changes to testers. This means that the current model is insufficient because the changes are flighted "out of the blue" with no prior announcement. The strategic edge should be similar to other operating systems where testers aren't viewed as potential leakers of internal plans.
Won't a commitment to releasing these changes result in false expectations in case we cannot deliver?
Answer: You won't commit to releasing these changes to the public, but instead being transparent about changing plans as they happen. Other services within Microsoft can commit to deadlines, but I understand that the Windows Shell is an exception.
Windows 10 has been subpar design-wise for at least two years now. Microsoft hasn't yet published a roadmap for their investments in Windows 10's shell experience.
Since Windows 10 is a crucial part of Microsoft 365 (pictured above), this proposal requests that Windows developers announce the investments detailed in Panos Panay's "Accelerating Innovation in Windows" blog post to the public alongside the other important services which already publish this information.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why should the Windows team commit to deadlines for customers? Answer: Other products at Microsoft routinely publish information to this blog and commit to release dates. Why should our experience using Windows be any different? It would help to publicly state why Windows Shell is different in this regard from-say-Outlook Web.
Aren't there already design changes and experience improvements flighting in the dev channel? Answer: The dev channel model is an excellent way to test changes which aren't guaranteed by Microsoft. We would like to know when the rest of these changes will hit the dev channel before they actually do.
Isn't this revealing too much intellectual property which diminishes our strategic edge? Answer: The strategic edge of Windows (being a proprietary operating system) should precede the announcement of changes to testers. This means that the current model is insufficient because the changes are flighted "out of the blue" with no prior announcement. The strategic edge should be similar to other operating systems where testers aren't viewed as potential leakers of internal plans.
Won't a commitment to releasing these changes result in false expectations in case we cannot deliver? Answer: You won't commit to releasing these changes to the public, but instead being transparent about changing plans as they happen. Other services within Microsoft can commit to deadlines, but I understand that the Windows Shell is an exception.