Citing sources familiar with the company’s plans, Windows Central is reporting that Microsoft plans to upgrade its Windows 12 platform to help it compete with its more modern rivals.
Under the project codenamed ‘CorePC’, Microsoft is building a “modern” version of Windows with artificial intelligence (AI), faster updates, and improved security.
The current version of Windows is not a state-separated platform, meaning the entire system is installed into a single writable partition.
With CorePC, Windows will offer state separation for faster updates and better security via read-only partitions that are inaccessible to third-party apps, similar to iPadOS.
State separation also enables faster and more reliable system reset functionality, which is important for Chromebook devices.
“My sources tell me CorePC will allow Microsoft to finally deliver a version of Windows that truly competes with Chromebooks in OS footprint, performance, and capabilities.
A version of Windows that only runs Edge, web apps, Android apps (via Project Latte) and Office apps, designed for low-end education PCs is already in early testing internally.”
Lastly, Microsoft is also said to be experimenting with a version of CorePC that is “silicon-optimized,” designed to focus on AI capabilities and improved software experiences.
Some AI features being developed include the ability for Windows to analyze content on display and provide contextual prompts to jumpstart projects.
As for when Microsoft plans to release the Windows 12 CorePC experience remains unknown at this time, although earlier reports hint at a 2024 rollout.
Last month, Microsoft added the new AI-powered Bing to the taskbar for Windows 11 PCs. The search box sees over half a billion users interact with it monthly, says the company.
With so many eyes on the Windows feature, Microsoft is taking advantage of that by placing its AI-powered Bing at the forefront of the taskbar.
