We haven’t even seen Windows 10 hit the shelves, but already Microsoft has penned a date for its next major updates to the long-awaited operating system that many believe will right all the wrongs of Windows 8.

The news, confirmed by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, is that “Windows Threshold”, the codename for Windows 10, will be released in summer of this year, with a major update to follow just months later this fall. After that, Microsoft will roll out further updates, codenamed “Redstone”, in June and October of 2016, according to a leak published at Neowin.

What it means is that Windows is all set to follow the path of the major Linux distros like Ubuntu and Fedora with semi-annual updates. Microsoft is making good on its earlier promise to speed up its software release cycles.

As for what the updates will entail, that remains anyone’s guess. We don’t even know for sure what the final Windows 10 will look like, though it’s expected to come with a glut of ‘enterprise friendly’ features, Cortana integration, the return of the ‘Start button’, and a new web browser to replace the outdated Internet Explorer, among other improvements. The most likely guess is that the updates will be mostly stability and security improvements, and perhaps the odd new feature thrown in – much like the old Service Packs we get with older variants of Windows. Which means that we probably won’t see a Windows 11 anytime soon – in fact, ZDNet’s Foley suggests we might never see one, as Microsoft moves to embrace a Windows-as-a-service business model.

For those who’re keen to see the Redstone update as soon as possible, it’s also being reported that Microsoft is planning to keep its Windows Insider program up and running even after Windows 10 is launched. If so, we can assume that testers will be able to get a sneak peak of whatever Redmond has planned almost immediately after the new OS arrives.

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