Windows 12 is Here but It’s Not the Work of Microsoft

• Someone has re-branded Linux Lite into Windows 12 and is trying to sell it for $20.
• The software promises to be immune to ransomware, a lot faster than Windows, and better in every way.
• People are advised to grab a legitimate Linux distribution instead of paying for these “scam” OSes.

When the next version of a product is so much better than the previous one, companies tend to bump a version number and go right to the next. Maybe this is exactly what the creator of "Windows 12 Lite" may have thought when he created this operating system. The system was spotted by a Reddit user at a local computer fair and decided to share it for the laughs. However, older people who are non-tech-savvy could very easily be tricked by the offering, or at least confused about what exactly it is.

Credits: u/hexsayeed | Reddit

As the description of the software points out, there will be no upgrading in the middle of your work, and no failures forcing you to buy “more Windows 10”. There are no licenses, no activation keys, no personal data flying over to Microsoft’s servers, and no adverts being pushed to you. In addition to all that, Windows 12 promises immunity to viruses and ransomware attacks and claims to be three times faster than Windows 10. Finally, the launch menu offers the option to find and install over 80000 applications, while gamers can get their fix through Valve’s Steam and official Nvidia drivers.

What these DVDs contain is actually a heavily themed version of “Linux Lite 4.8 LTS”, which uses Windows 10 wallpapers, icons, fonts, etc. So, it’s essentially Linux with Windows skin, although of course it still looks more like Linux rather than Microsoft’s latest OS. The bad thing about it is that the creator is selling Windows 12 for around $20, and while it’s not illegal to sell free software, it is definitely unethical. Sure, the creator could claim that he has done some tuning and theming work, but in the end, he hasn’t done much to justify the price.

If you’re really sick and tired of Windows 10 and on the look for an alternative, Linux Lite could be a good choice indeed, as it has been built around the notion of being a “Windows gateway” operating system. Another good choice of this kind is Zorin OS. Finally, there is the classic choice of Ubuntu Linux, its amazing forks Mint and Elementary, and the Arch-based Manjaro. All of these are great alternatives to Windows 10, are generally faster, safer, and potentially a lot more private and secure too. If you can afford to say goodbye to the Windows ecosystem, don’t do it with Windows 12, but instead, pick one of the legitimate choices mentioned above.