Windows Client and IE Overview

The current Windows client releases are Windows 8 and Windows RT, which became generally available in Oct. 2012. Windows 8 is designed for devices based on the AMD or Intel x86 or x64 processor architectures. Windows RT, a new member of the Windows family, is designed for devices based on the ARM architecture and therefore has no predecessor, although like Windows 8, it is derived from Windows 7.

Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) is included with Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012; therefore, its general availability date is Oct. 2012. IE10 for Windows 7 was made generally available in Feb. 2013.

To ensure Windows 8 and Windows RT remain competitive for rapidly evolving devices, such as tablets, Microsoft may begin deploying more frequent updates on an annualized basis (shown in the illustration as 8.1). These versions are expected to release to manufacturing in Aug. 2013. Another update is likely within one year (8.2), with the next major release (Windows Next) occurring approximately three years after the release of Windows 8 and Windows RT. If Microsoft’s plan for annualized updates is successful, there might not be a major release in 2015.