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from the does-it-have-funny-toy-story-names? dept.
From an essay at howtogeek.com:
Did you know there's a version of Windows 10 that doesn't get big feature updates, and doesn't even have the Windows Store or Microsoft Edge browser? It's called Windows 10 LTSB, short for Long Term Servicing Branch.
There are several "branches" of Windows 10. The most unstable branch is the Insider Preview version of Windows 10. Most Windows PCs are on the "Current Branch", which is considered the stable branch. Windows 10 Professional users have the option to "Defer Upgrades", which puts them on the "Current Branch for Business". This branch will only get new builds of Windows 10, like the Anniversary Preview, a few months after they've been tested on the "Current Branch". It's like the stable, consumer branch–but slower moving.
But businesses don't want all their PCs to constantly get big updates, even if they are delayed a few months. Critical infrastructure like ATMs, medical equipment, and PCs that control machines on a factory floor don't need whizbang features, they need long term stability and few updates that will potentially break things. A PC operating medical equipment in a hospital room doesn't need new Cortana updates. That's what Windows 10 LTSB–the "Long Term Servicing Branch"–is for, and it's only available for the Enterprise edition of Windows 10.
While this is a branch of Windows 10, you can only get it by installing Windows from Windows 10 LTSB installation media. You can get other branches of Windows simply by changing an option within Windows 10 itself, but that isn't the case here.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday December 15 2017, @05:05PM
It's all about the money. When people decide their computer is running too slow and they go to Best Buy or Amazon to upgrade, Microsoft gets paid. Which means that if they put out a version that lets you get more life out of your existing PC, they lose money. There's only two ways I see that changing, and both are highly unlikely to happen any time soon. The first is real competition from Apple/Linux, to the point that MS can't just depend on default installs anymore. The second would be MS switching entirely to a subscription model, which it's clear they'd love to do, but that would get so much consumer backlash I don't see it happening until traditional PCs have pretty much vanished.
Linux/BSDs generally have the opposite incentive -- if they can help you get more life from your PC, they get a new user. And users sometimes become developers or advocates or supporters.