Day after day after day, Windows 11 has been getting worse and worse, mainly due to the vibe-coded AI updates. Around a month ago, Microsoft finally decided to recognize the poor conditions us consumers have to work with (slow File Explorer being the tip of the iceberg), and although they obviously didn’t say Windows is bad, they decided to finally lock in and improve it by pulling high-RAM recommendations, making AI features opt-in, and promising to fix bloated UI elements.
Over the past couple of weeks, a new project called Windows K2 is reportedly being discussed internally. However, this is not a new version of Windows, but rather a development strategy to fix major issues, in an effort to win back consumers. It was about time reality slapped them in the face after seeing such a downward trend (as shown in the graph below).
Source: StatCounter Global Stats – OS Market Share
Improvements
Performance
Performance is a priority while rolling out Windows K2 updates. They’ve finally acknowledged complaints about Windows 11’s bloat. To fix this, Microsoft claims they will be completely scrapping the current start menu and re-writing it using WinUI 3. Reports suggest this will make it 60% faster, even when the CPU is under heavy load.
On top of this, Microsoft says that your computer will feel more responsive. Additionally, the File Explorer in Windows will be able to handle file operations faster.
They also claim that gaming is a priority, while aiming for performance similar to SteamOS, a gaming Linux distro created by Valve. Personally, I still have doubts about this unless they explicitly say they’ll be removing all the junk that comes pre-installed with your computer.
Better-quality updates
This is the part I want to talk about the most. Before Windows 11, updates were somewhat exciting. You wouldn’t know what to expect, but quality was never compromised: you would get better security, new features, improved UI…the list goes on! After the 24H2 update was released, from SSDs that failed overnight, to start menus solely customised by AI, to loads of emergency updates that broke brand-new features, things only went downhill. Thankfully, the Windows K2 updates will allow us to pause updates for as long as we want. Even if we resume them, they will be rolled out once a month, making them less invasive and more useful as they once were.
Taskbar positioning is back
Luckily the taskbar positioning never affected me. I like to keep my taskbar on the bottom of my screen, simply because I’m used to it. If you like to position your taskbar, you’re in luck! Windows K2 will finally give you that ability again. They also claim to give you the ability to change the taskbar thicker to your liking.
These aren’t all the updates Windows K2 will push out, but I have listed some of the best features you will soon see on your Windows computer.
My opinion on this update
Personally, I think Microsoft is pointing in the right direction with Windows K2, but I think it’s hard to fully gain the consumers’ trust back. I have also been a victim of Microsoft’s restrictive ways, and still today I just have to switch to Linux for some use cases. I would be happier to use Windows if they paid more attention to what AI spits out, as it really seems like the QoS team aren’t putting in too much effort, especially if it gets to the point of breaking firmware.
If Microsoft delivers on these promises, Windows K2 could mark a turning point, otherwise users may continue looking elsewhere.