Windows 11 is only getting one major update each year

With Windows 10, Microsoft has been releasing two "feature updates" per year -- but with Windows 11, this release schedule is changing.In a move that will be welcomed by system administrators around the world, Microsoft will only be pushing out one big update per year.

While some people will mourn the loss of twice-yearly additions to the operating system, it will make life much easier for anyone managing large numbers of computers who is concerned about down time and problems. But this is not the only news about Windows 11's updates.

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Microsoft has also announced that updates for Windows 11 -- presumably features updates and regular updates -- will be 40 precent smaller. While metered connections are not something many people have to be concerned about, smaller updates still means faster downloads and faster installation, and this is something everyone can get behind.

Even better, Microsoft says that updates will be installed in the background, causing far less disruption and interruptions.

Halving the number of annual feature updates is probably the biggest news here, though. Reducing things to only one big update per year is something of a double-edged sword. While it means there are less frequent updates and therefore longer to wait for new things to play with, this could actually be a good thing... unless you're the sort of person who really craves new things more frequently.

The new schedule will give Microsoft -- in theory, at least -- longer to get things right. There should be longer periods of testing, less scope for things going wrong. This is great for all users, but particular businesses and organizations who have been irritated by problematic updates in the past.