Windows 9 Preview May Arrive Later This Year
Up until now, we've referred to the next big Windows release as "Threshold." This version is expected to appear in Q2/Q3 of 2015, arriving after what's currently dubbed as Windows 8.1 Update 3 in Q1 2015. Right now it's unclear whether the Threshold platform will be officially called Windows 9 or branded as Windows 8.2.
Unnamed sources have told ZDNet that Windows 9 will address Windows 7 users by adding a whole set of new features for desktop users. Windows 8.1 Update 1 began to address this, but the news coming from those sources point to an even larger desktop-oriented focus. Windows Threshold will work and look differently on a desktop than it will on a touch-based device.
For example, when running Windows Threshold in a mouse and keyboard environment, the desktop will be the platform's main focus. If Windows Threshold is installed on a 2-in-1 device, the interface will depend on whether the keyboard is connected (desktop) or not (Start screen).
On devices like tablets and smartphones, "Threshold Mobile" will not have a desktop environment but will still support having apps side-by-side. This SKU is expected to run on ARM-based Lumia phones, ARM-based Windows tablets and possibly even Atom-based tablets.
Sources have also said that the Windows/Laptop SKU will feature the returned "Mini" Start menu, and the ability to run Windows Store apps in windows on the desktop. There's a possibility that Windows Threshold will have a toggle to completely turn off the Start screen as well as the live-tile interface on the Start Menu.
The big news here is that Windows Threshold may go into public preview mode this fall. ZDNet's report throws out the possibility of Update 3, and moves Update 2 to the end of July -- two weeks before August 12, aka August Patch Tuesday. Because the Mini Start Menu was pushed back into Windows Threshold, sources are now saying that Update 2 won't be anything major like Update 1.
The report states that Microsoft is pushing Windows 7 users to install Service Pack 1 and Windows 8 users to install Windows 8.1 Update 1 so that they'll be ready for Windows Threshold when it's released next year. Sources claim that Windows Threshold will be a free upgrade for Windows 8.1 customers and possibly even Windows 7 Service Pack 1 customers.
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Just what makes you think those of us on Windows 7 will run out and buy windows 9 without real value adds anyway? After the debacle that is Windows 8 on a notebook or desktop without all the features and clean run of Windows 7 I'm simply not convinced I "need" or "want" Windows 9.
I am certainly convinced that I do not "need" and sure as hell don't "want" windows 8. A substantial number of us still on Windows 7 were sold on it because it is largely the successor to XP which was a great OS and also got burned by Vista which was not an improved experience over XP.
Show me some stuff about Windows 9 that will get me excited Microsoft. Metro aint it. Flipping between desktop and table OS isn't' it either.
Tom's was wise to finish with this sentence, cause if it didn't, it's where I would of stopped reading. I find it very unlikely that MS would give either an updated Windows 8 or possibly a new OS 9 for free to W7 users (not that my Windows 7 desktop would be complaining!).
I expect Microsoft to come out with a monthly fee based OS some time in the future. Like $5-$10 a month for an up to date machine.
Just what makes you think those of us on Windows 7 will run out and buy windows 9 without real value adds anyway? After the debacle that is Windows 8 on a notebook or desktop without all the features and clean run of Windows 7 I'm simply not convinced I "need" or "want" Windows 9.
I am certainly convinced that I do not "need" and sure as hell don't "want" windows 8. A substantial number of us still on Windows 7 were sold on it because it is largely the successor to XP which was a great OS and also got burned by Vista which was not an improved experience over XP.
Show me some stuff about Windows 9 that will get me excited Microsoft. Metro aint it. Flipping between desktop and table OS isn't' it either.
I really, really hope Windows 9 is the release to push me off 7, because I hate being a laggard.
Just what makes you think those of us on Windows 7 will run out and buy windows 9 without real value adds anyway? After the debacle that is Windows 8 on a notebook or desktop without all the features and clean run of Windows 7 I'm simply not convinced I "need" or "want" Windows 9.
I am certainly convinced that I do not "need" and sure as hell don't "want" windows 8. A substantial number of us still on Windows 7 were sold on it because it is largely the successor to XP which was a great OS and also got burned by Vista which was not an improved experience over XP.
Show me some stuff about Windows 9 that will get me excited Microsoft. Metro aint it. Flipping between desktop and table OS isn't' it either.
So many months later and people are still bitching about the lack of a start button, while many many others understood that Win 8 is actually better than 7 and even started getting along with the new Start screen that you get to see only once in a while... instead of crying about it or giving negatives to Win 8 and it`s users how about give it a try.
Funny thing is that at launch Win Xp was greeted with hate as well, it had higher hardware requirements, many users praised Win 98 SE back then like the holy grail... fast forward in time ... and everybody loved Xp... and contrary to popular belief even Vista ran well on the right hardware, but Win 7 had even lower system requirements thus putting Vista in the shadow as a fail OS. Same here with 8 but this time the complains are only for the Start menu/screen ...
Note: the major complaint is not about the engine underneath, but about the obvious touchscreen implications that MS has been forcing users to adopt. In the future, with a perfectly functioning substructure (voice activation etc., etc.) then yes. Definitely not now.
As an OS, W2012 has awesome improvements over W2008, but the interface puts me and many of my co-workers off. We want to configure our server as efficiently as possible, not spend hours trying to figure out how to do things we used to do in a few clicks. Even the text-only servers are more intuitive and less time-consuming that this POS.