Windows 11 is unlikely to make an appearance. Unless Microsoft suddenly changes course after spending the past five years getting Windows 10 installed on more than 1.3 billion monthly active devices (the last official figure by Microsoft). Regardless, Windows 10 will continue to evolve. To that end, several job postings indicate that some major changes are headed for Windows 10, in addition to the upcoming Sun Valley update.

These days, Microsoft's operating system follows a service model, with twice-yearly updates that add new features and functionality. Some updates are more extensive than others. For example, the just-released Windows 10 May 2021 Update (21H1) is relatively slim, with only a handful of features and bug fixes. But the 21H2 update, codenamed "Sun Valley," coming later this year, will be the biggest overhaul yet for Windows 10, with a completely refreshed look and feel.

However, that may only be the beginning; Windows Latest staff has found several job postings over the past few months that talk about a "multi-year journey" to dramatically change Windows 10.

"We are now on a multi-year journey to revolutionize the Windows UX platform by delivering the best interactive experience while introducing cutting-edge hardware," one of the job postings states.

Another job posting, which has since been removed, describes the multi-year journey as an attempt to "reimagine" Windows 10, and yet another job posting mentions "radical" design changes heading to the OS.

"Your work will influence and shape the look and feel of Windows.

None of the listings mention the specifics that all of these changes might entail, perhaps because Microsoft does not yet have it fully figured out, and therefore program managers and will be directly responsible for shaping Windows 10 in the future other positions.

Change is scary, remember Windows 8" Microsoft's attempt to shove a tablet-friendly Metro UI down our throats was met with bitter resentment, leading to Windows 8.1 and then Windows 10.

To Microsoft's credit, however, most of the changes in Windows 10 were not shocking. While it is true that buggy updates frequently break something, the overall feel and functionality of Windows 10 is consistent, with some welcome improvements in the process. The GPU monitoring in Task Manager and the revamped Edge browser are quite nice (side note: rip of Internet Explorer).

So I'm cautiously optimistic that Windows 10 won't be the worst after 2022, and unless I switch to Linux or move to a Mac, cautious optimism is my only option.