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 and Intel x86 and 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 (IE) 10 is included with Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012; therefore, its general availability date is Oct. 2012. IE10 for Windows 7 is still undergoing final testing and is expected to be released in the first half of 2013.

To ensure Windows 8 and Windows RT remain competitive for rapidly evolving devices, such as tablets, Microsoft may begin deploying minor updates via Windows Update on an annualized basis (shown in the illustration as R2 and R3 versions), with the next major release (Windows Next) occurring approximately three years after the release of Windows 8 and Windows RT. If there were no interim releases, the next version of Windows would likely occur in 2015 (Windows Next).