Microsoft Renames Patch Tuesday As It Switches to Monthly Windows Updates

[Matsuda]

Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, might get a completely new name starting with August 12, as the company is switching to a new approach that would bring not only security patches to users, but also new features and performance improvements.

Starting this month, Microsoft is referring to Patch Tuesday as Update Tuesday and the reason behind this change is as simple as it could be.

August 12 is the date when the company is rolling out security fixes for its software, but also the new Windows 8.1 August Update, which would bring three major improvements to its modern platform.

As a result, the company said in a blog post that “Update Tuesday” is that moment of the month when consumers would get more than security patches, although it’s not yet clear whether the company would introduce new Windows improvements every month.

“Rather than waiting for months and bundling together a bunch of improvements into a larger update as we did for the Windows 8.1 Update, customers can expect that we’ll use our already existing monthly update process to deliver more frequent improvements along with the security updates normally provided as part of Update Tuesday,” the company said in a statement.

Patch Tuesday has never been an official name, but Microsoft itself has used it with several occasions to describe the security fixes rolled out for its products. Patch Tuesday takes place on the second Tuesday of each month and although it was supposed to improve the company’s software, there were several cases when botched updates turned this update rollout into something causing more harm than good.

But Microsoft’s new strategy of shifting to a faster cadence for Windows updates pretty much makes sense when taking into consideration the fact that the company is looking to move users to its modern platforms as fast as possible.

The same strategy could also be at the core of Windows 9, the next big operating system version prepared by Microsoft which could arrive in early 2015. In order to convince users of old Windows builds to upgrade, Microsoft might offer them Windows 9 free of charge and then switch to the same rapid update release cycle as part of Update Tuesday.

This month, however, Update Tuesday is going to bring us only three new improvements for precision touchpads, better support for Miracast, and changes in the way login prompts for SharePoint Online are handled.



Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Renames-Patch-Tuesday-as-It-Switches-to-Monthly-Windows-Updates-453894.shtml

[locoJoe]

bla bla bla (not @ OP but @ MS) You say tomato I say tomahto.

[lildudespider]

This type of positive outlook could get microsoft back on track for their windows 9 release. I like when a company like microsoft ups their game (offering not only patches to existing components but also new features on a more regular basis). I am considering a full transition to linux (xfce manjaro) however these windows impovements are certainly keeping me happy enough. Hopefully windows 9 or a future update will bring us the start menu as to shut the haters up and the linux community will continue to keep rolling forward with an easier transition for windows users and especially windows gamers. when that day comes windows as we know it will forever be changed.

[dcs18]

Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, might get a completely new name starting with August 12, as the company is switching to a new approach that would bring not only security patches to users, but also new features and performance improvements.

:wtf: I thought all that was exactly what was supposed to be deployed under the previous name - Patch Tuesday. :wtf:

[eddman]

Here is an excerpt from the blog post itself:

As we said at the time, our goal is to continue to deliver improvements to Windows through regular updates in order to respond more quickly to customer and partner feedback. After all, we already have a regular monthly update process that includes security and non-security updates.

With the above in mind, rather than waiting for months and bundling together a bunch of improvements into a larger update as we did for the Windows 8.1 Update, customers can expect that we’ll use our already existing monthly update process to deliver more frequent improvements along with the security updates normally provided as part of “Update Tuesday.”

Translation: Instead of providing big updates every few months, they're going to do it in smaller sizes but every single month. This is a good thing.

[LeeSmithG]

What do they mean monthly?

It's been monthly now for years.

It's the second Tuesday in the month, it's on the 7th (if 1st Tuesday), 8th, 9th etcetera.

13th will be the latest.

[oliverjia]

I see some negative side of the new approach. Sure it sounds more positive and beautiful, but, the more constant, relatively big patches will sure have a larger chance to break the existing working system. Ever heard of "if not broke, don't fix it" in IT industry? There is a reason behind that.

[oliverjia]

I actually prefer the previous Service Pack method, because I prefer clean install of a system, not a system that is patched heavily every single month, which will sure leave tons of old files and garbage, and as a result, the system will be getting larger and larger. If you are using an SSD, then I'm sure you'll feel the hit soon.