Windows 11 is at a turning point, according to a former Microsoft developer. Instead of more AI features, the system needs an update in the style of Windows XP SP2 – without bloat and without new features.
Former Microsoft developer Dave Plummer, who is known for his work on the Windows Task Manager, among other things, is attracting attention with a clear demand: Windows 11 needs its own “Windows XP SP2” moment.
What he means is a major update that consistently dispenses with new features and AI and focuses exclusively on security, stability, and performance. His central message: “No more AI, no more features, just fixes.”
Microsoft should take a cue from Windows XP SP2
In his statement on YouTube, the developer refers to his experiences from the Windows XP era. At that time, the infamous Blaster worm forced Microsoft to make a radical change in focus.
Instead of new features, the Windows XP team spent several months working almost exclusively on security improvements. The result was Windows XP Service Pack 2, which was often perceived internally and externally as a kind of “XP 1.5.”
Windows XP SP2 was less of a classic patch and more of a partial reworking of the operating system.
- The focus was on basic security features and a modified security model for an increasingly permanently networked Windows – especially for private households without professional firewalls.
- New convenience features, on the other hand, played a secondary role; the focus was on closing security gaps and securing the system.
Plummer is now calling for exactly this type of update for Windows 11. In his opinion, it is “time to pause all feature development” and concentrate all efforts on stabilizing and optimizing the system.
Criticism of the state of Windows 11: bugs, AI bloat, and frustration
Specifically, the former developer objects to the current course of equipping Windows 11 with ever-new functions and AI features. The criticism is thus directed less at AI itself than at the prioritization that apparently places new functions above fundamental reliability.
- The portal Windows Latest agrees with this assessment and notes that other platforms such as macOS and ChromeOS also integrate AI features without any reports of serious stability issues on a comparable scale.
- In principle, it is therefore possible to combine AI and stability – but many problems in Windows 11 are currently seen as a symptom of an overloaded system with too many parallel construction sites.
The former developer’s criticism comes at a time when Windows 11 is repeatedly making headlines due to bugs and inconsistencies. In recent months, there have been increasing reports of new bugs after cumulative updates.
For example, one update is said to have led to unexpected frame rate drops, while another caused the Task Manager to become unresponsive.
Windows Latest sums up the frustration of many Windows users: In its current state, many simply want a stable Windows 11 without bloatware. This refers to a system that is less characterized by additional services, pre-installed applications, and changing experiments, and more by reliability and clear functionality.
Consequently, Microsoft should invest more heavily in quality assurance again and, among other things, build up testing capacities that have been reduced in recent years. A major update designed exclusively for bug fixing and optimization could send an important signal – and thus provide the SP2 moment for Windows 11.
