Microsoft announced today the free Windows 10 May 2019 Update is rolling out now. For those keeping track, this update is Windows 10 build 18362 and will bring Windows 10 to version 1903. You can grab it from Windows Update when it’s served to you, or try to download it manually.
Windows 10 is being developed as a service, meaning it receives new features on a regular basis. Microsoft has released seven major updates so far: November Update, Anniversary Update, Creators Update, Fall Creators Update, April 2018 Update, October 2018 Update, and now May 2019 Update.
As you can see, Microsoft stopped naming Windows 10 updates last year. The company is now simply sticking with the month and year of release (two free feature updates per year). You’ll notice that this latest update is coming out a month later than expected — that’s because of previous quality assurance issues. In that vein, Microsoft has also launched a Windows health dashboard to track the current rollout status and known issues (open and resolved).
The Windows 10 May 2019 Update brings a new light theme, separates Search and Cortana in the taskbar, and introduces the Windows Sandbox (a lightweight desktop environment tailored for safely running applications in isolation). Compared to previous free updates, this one doesn’t have as many significant features.
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Windows 10 adoption started out very strong, but naturally slowed as the months progressed. Microsoft was aiming for 1 billion devices running Windows 10 in two to three years but backpedaled on that goal.
The operating system was installed on over 75 million PCs in its first four weeks and passed 110 million devices after 10 weeks. Growth was fairly steady afterwards: 200 million in under six months, 270 million after eight months, 300 million after nine months, 350 million after 11 months, and 400 million after 14 months. It naturally tapered, though: 500 million after 21 months, 600 million after 28 months, 700 million after 38 months, and 800 million after 44 months.
