Microsoft might unveil Windows 9 in April to end Windows 8 woes

The Inquirer ^ | 01/13/2014 | Chris Merriman

[SeekAndFind]

SOFTWARE COBBLER Microsoft might be ready to abandon Windows 8 earlier than it planned in an attempt to reverse the slide in its fortunes.

The company might announce Windows 9 as early as April, reports claim, as it tries to distance itself from the poorly received Windows 8.

We reported on Friday that the Threshold project was being tipped as a major update for Windows 8, however according to Winsupersite it will instead be billed as a new Windows operating system version slated for release in April 2015.

Although the launch of Windows 8 has not been the disaster that Windows Vista was, this would confirm that Windows 8 has been another failure for the company and make Windows 9 another "do or die" product for Microsoft like Windows 7.

Big changes are likely to be in store for the new "Modern" interface that has been criticised for its lack of integration with the traditional Windows desktop environment. Many aspects of the "Modern" user interface have a tacked on feel to traditional Windows PC users, but without enough innovation to lure new ones.

Other major changes that have alienated users include the withdrawal of support for DVD playback out of the box, which is now a premium feature limited to Professional Edition users. Perhaps the most discussed change, however is the removal of the traditional Start Menu, which Microsoft considered uncecessary but has been the subject of a continuing campaign by users lobbying for its return.

A Start Button was reintroduced in Windows 8.1 along with a host of other features designed to answer the many critics of the operating system, however the new Start Button is simply a toggle switch between the "Modern" and traditional Windows Desktop interfaces and has failed to placate most users.

Paul Thurrott, the blogger who runs Winsupersite said that work on Windows 9 has not yet begun, so there will be no early version of it available at Microsoft's Build conference in April, although it's likely that there will be opportunities to work with the upgrade that's been leaked for the Windows 8.1 service pack.

[catnipman]

“probably just some crap a blogger is throwing out, but gives us a place to bash MS some more. lol”

Actually, Paul Thorrott is essentially an unofficial mouthpiece for Microsoft.

[Dead Corpse]

Works on a tablet, not a laptop or desktop.

The goofy front-end, yes. I completely agree. There are more changes on the back-end when you start looking at a Win desktop from a management/roll-out/deployment view.

[NewHampshireDuo]

C’mon man..No shout out for Microsoft BOB??

That was my absolute favorite /sarc

I couldn't believe that MS fielded that one.

[kevkrom]

99% of tech punditry is laughably wrong in hindsight. Any piece that starts out "Company XYZ might do ABC" is just a vehicle for the writer to say, "if I was in charge of company XYZ, I'd do ABC".

[NewHampshireDuo]

Yup. Me too. That's why I'm sticking with WinXP (disconnected from the internet) for utility and application use with Linux Mint15 running in a VM for internet access and email.

I like my current hardware. Runs great.

Ditto. All of my important home office stuff is on an XP machine, now off the internet. I just got a refurbed PC on which I have Mint 16 (alongside Win 7 Pro which isn't being used). A KVM switch lets me go back and forth as needed.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I don’t like it. It’s on my wife’s pc. It’s too hard to find anything.

[The KG9 Kid]

Connectivity shines brightest when you have OSX, iOS devices, and AppleTV working in concert.

Just wait for iOS in the car with Siri Handsfree. I have it mocked-up in my vehicle now, only without steering wheel button control and HUD until the stereo head units finally make their appearance.

In contrast, I know PC users who still email .TXT notes as attachments to their home desktop email accounts via Outlook from their workplace. This is 2014!

[Red Badger]

LonIX?......................

[GeronL]

lol

[Paladin2]

"Connectivity shines brightest when you have OSX, iOS devices, and AppleTV working in concert."

'Till ur unreplaceable batteries krap out.

[Paladin2]

"I hear tell gov't computers are on Win 7. "

What do the new warships run on?

[The KG9 Kid]

That’s just not happening. :-)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Neato.

[Paladin2]

"A KVM switch lets me go back and forth as needed. "

I have an old 8x Compaq rack mount KVM (that somehow handles 1920x1080 analog) that cascades through a 4x and another 4x to a buncha old 486's.

[tacticalogic]

I still have a brand new 486DX4/100 CPU, still in the shrink wrap.

[Paladin2]

"I still have a brand new 486DX4/100 CPU, still in the shrink wrap."

Running a well written app, those puppys rocked.

[GeronL]

my first computer was 25mhz TANDY, I loved it. It had 100mb hdd and almost no RAM, I got it up to 28mb RAM and added a 28.8 modem and soundcard.

I loved that thing though.

[tacticalogic]

I’m still convinced whoever was in charge of naming the 386 and 486 processors suffered from some kind of multiple personality disorder.

[Paladin2]

Sounds like a Marketing Guru....

[tacticalogic]

I have a saying: “There is no project so effed up it can’t be made worse by Marketing getting involved.”