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Is Microsoft Revealing Windows 9 In September?

By - Source: The Verge | B 17 comments

Unnamed sources recently informed The Verge that Microsoft plans to reveal Windows 9 "Threshold" at a special press event on September 30. These sources indicated that Microsoft will release a technical preview of the upcoming OS to developers on that date, or shortly thereafter. The sources did not mention the rumored customer preview.

According to the report, the technical preview will include the new Start Menu, which will have both standard links and animated Start Screen tiles. The preview will also see the removal of the Charms bar on the desktop, and possibly an early version of Cortana, which in recently leaked builds materialized as a Start Screen app.

News of the technical preview surfaced last week, reporting that the Windows 9 end user will be required to accept automatic monthly updates if they choose to install the preview build. Rumors also indicated that the technical preview would be open to the public. However, Microsoft customers will likely be encouraged to wait for a consumer preview that may or may not launch in December or early 2015.

In addition to the new Start Menu and the removal of the desktop Charms bar, Windows 9 "Threshold" is also expected to introduce floating, resizable, windowed Modern UI apps on the desktop. Windows 9 will also boot directly into the desktop if the customer doesn't have a touch screen, or boot into the Start Screen if a touch screen is detected. Based on leaked builds, Windows 9 "Threshold" will also provide virtual desktops.

So far, rumors claim that Windows 9 may not cost a dime for customers upgrading from Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. That sounds a bit far-fetched, but it could make sense for Microsoft to release the rumored "barebones" version for free (Windows with Bing?), and a premium version that can be bought outright or consumed as a monthly subscription, similar to what Microsoft does with Office 2013.

Currently, Windows 9 "Threshold" is expected to go retail in Q2 or Q3 2015. Rumors have pointed to Spring 2015, but that could change if Microsoft runs into a snafu caused by developer and consumer feedback. Still, all the rumors and reports seem to point to a familiar pattern that Microsoft followed with the original Windows 8 platform: The developer preview (Sept. 2011), the consumer preview (Feb. 2012), and the RTM version (Aug. 2012).

Using that timeline, Windows 9 may not see a consumer preview until March 2015, and the RTM somewhere around July or August 2015, which fits into previous rumors that the updated OS may not launch until Q2 or Q3 2015.

Follow Kevin Parrish @exfileme. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

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  • 5 Hide
    lelutinbanni , August 21, 2014 10:49 AM
    Dislike my comment
  • 0 Hide
    bluestar2k11 , August 21, 2014 11:08 AM
    Oddly, I have a good feeling about windows 9, it might just be the next best.

    My intuition has yet to be wrong, but it's up to microsoft to not make crappy decisions and screw up what may be a good thing in the making.

    You have a great chance here microsoft, don't blow it.
  • -7 Hide
    therogerwilco , August 21, 2014 11:11 AM
    Hopefully they release it soon so all these morons can quit complaining about their precious start menu being taken away so Microshaft can get back to working on real features..
  • Add your comment Display all 17 comments.
  • 5 Hide
    dstarr3 , August 21, 2014 11:53 AM
    Yes, let's hope they rush it out the door and give us a crippled OS because everyone demanded it sooner than it should be released.
  • -1 Hide
    Zunair Butt , August 21, 2014 12:40 PM
    Microsoft is going to launch its first cloud based operating system very soon..
    http://geekthem.com/windows-9-release-date/
  • 1 Hide
    red77star , August 21, 2014 1:58 PM
    They will blow it. Metro apps have no place on PC. They will bring that crap to Desktop. Once Metro GTFO from Windows I will say it has a great chance for success.
  • 3 Hide
    dextermat , August 21, 2014 2:41 PM
    nope, pay per month or pay per year for an os is not a good idea. Probably just be a windows 8 buff up
  • 0 Hide
    SteelCity1981 , August 21, 2014 7:14 PM
    and yet ms still wants metro to be apart of windows no matter what. notice how there isn't any mention of disabling metro altogether in windows 9. windows 9 seems like it's is basicly going to be windows 8 with a start menu.
  • 0 Hide
    captaincharisma , August 21, 2014 7:38 PM
    i think MS with apps in windows is a good thing. companies were getting too lazy with their services just making you log into a website to use them noe with apps its like everyone is making software again
  • 5 Hide
    mrmez , August 21, 2014 9:52 PM
    3.11 - Good
    95 - Bad
    98 - Good
    ME - Aids
    XP - Good
    Vista - Ebola
    7 - Good
    8 - Bad
    9 - History points to GOOD!
    (i hope)
  • 1 Hide
    coolitic , August 22, 2014 3:44 AM
    Microsoft is just following the cycle of having a bad OS after a good one, and a good OS after a bad one.

    Windows XP Good; Windows Vista Bad; Windows 7 Good; Windows 8 Bad, Windows 9 (hopefully) Good.

    Besides Microsoft knows it would be very bad if they messed it up again.
  • -1 Hide
    coolitic , August 22, 2014 3:44 AM
    Microsoft is just following the cycle of having a bad OS after a good one, and a good OS after a bad one.

    Windows XP Good; Windows Vista Bad; Windows 7 Good; Windows 8 Bad, Windows 9 (hopefully) Good.

    Besides Microsoft knows it would be very bad if they messed it up again.
  • -1 Hide
    ern88 , August 22, 2014 5:22 AM
    Windows 8.1 was a lot better then Windows 8. Just sayin!!!
  • 2 Hide
    thundervore , August 22, 2014 5:44 AM
    Quote:
    Hopefully they release it soon so all these morons can quit complaining about their precious start menu being taken away so Microshaft can get back to working on real features..



    Is was never about the start menu being removed it was the stupid Metro implementation on non touch devices. The start screen was a joke in a mouse and keyboard environment, it works great when a touchscreen is used but when you have dual 16:9 24" monitors it is a PIA.
  • 0 Hide
    mariusmotea , August 22, 2014 6:40 AM
    Don't expect windows 9 to have a lot of new futures and to be very fast. 90% from their work is put on metro. Read the changelog from 8 -> 8.1 -> 8.1 update1 and see where is the hard work. It will be a less aggressive metro implementation. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/whats-new
  • 1 Hide
    hannibal , August 23, 2014 9:37 AM
    Quote:
    and yet ms still wants metro to be apart of windows no matter what. notice how there isn't any mention of disabling metro altogether in windows 9. windows 9 seems like it's is basicly going to be windows 8 with a start menu.

    Of course. Win7 was Vista update. Win9 is win8 update. Win10 is next "new" os and probably has more problems in the beginning because of that... Tik tok by MS...
  • 0 Hide
    ToineF , September 3, 2014 8:52 AM
    windows 8 is so horrible with the metro apps and no start button... but it seems like the metro apps is the way MS wants to go. I think they realized that no one is really releasing new applications for the traditional windows. The money is on mobile apps now. They need a way to blend both together.

    Windows8 was a crappy attempt at blending the mobile world and the desktop world, but eventually they will have to find a way. Windows 9 is probably the answer.
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