Basically every release we look at if it's possible to get us to tabs in that release window. If it's not, then usually we'll do some architectural work to get us closer to that goal. Part of the problem is that most of the codebase is from 1993, so there's a LOT of architectural work between where we were when Windows 10 first launched, and proper tab support.
We're working hard on that architecture stuff now, because we want tabs just as bad as the community.
I'm curious: could you explain briefly why tabs are so difficult? I would think that every tab could have its own process space for its own shell, but obviously there's something big I'm missing here.
If this is more than could be enumerated in an HN comment, I'd love to have a blog post about it. This stuff is fascinating.
Hi Zadjii I really appreciate you answering. If it's a 25 year old code base, wouldn't a rewrite be easier? What's the process of taking something like that and trying to modernize it?
This XKCD is equally applicable to this problem - just replace "standard" with "Console" (or any other app for that matter) ;)
https://xkcd.com/927/
And, no, simply rewriting the Console is not an option: Entire businesses' core systems depend on the Console, its specific behaviors, and even its bugs.
If we break existing behaviors we get to hear about who we've broken very, VERY quickly ;)
I get that, but there's the Paint/Paint3D option: keep existing codebase and app, for people who need exact behaviour, and rewrite a new cleaner app.