[jiggawatts]

The equivalent OS for desktops is the Windows 11 Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release, which is what you described but with desktop pricing and a few minor differences.

I once used an older LTSC version for a virtual desktop fleet because it’s a lot better behaved at scale. You don’t want to use a “normal” release because Microsoft will randomly push a critical 4 gigabyte update… to Minecraft. When 60K VMs update at once on a single SAN array, it’s not pretty.

That, or Microsoft will randomly decide to install TikTok by default on virtual desktops used from terminals in operating theatres.

I had a Microsoft consultant review our system and I swear his report said “we don’t recommend LTSC, you should use Current Branch” at least fifteen times.

That’s when I realised that there was some serious KPI pressure within Microsoft to get users onto the full-telemetry, riddled-with-ads version.

[mardifoufs]

Wait, they released the windows 11 LTSC?! or was that a typo? Because I actually really like windows 11 as an OS, I just hate the stuff that comes with the pro version (ads, weird update patterns, driver updates that override your manually installed drivers...). Windows 11 LTSC would be awesome, but from what I read on the Windows blogs, Microsoft doesn't seem to like the whole concept of an LTSC release anymore.

[jiggawatts]

Microsoft likes to delay LTSC availability longer and longer in a futile attempt to wean customers off it. They just don't understand why not everybody likes to take the abuse they dish out.

[farmin]

Well there you go. News to me.