Microsoft is all set to leave behind the disaster that was Windows 8 and move into the near future with its all-new Threshold, also commonly known as Windows 9.
Sources told The Verge that the Windows maker is planning to hold a Sept. 30 media event where Microsoft will officially introduce the much anticipated latest iteration of its desktop operating system.
"Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell The Verge that the software maker is tentatively planning its press event for September 30th to detail upcoming changes to Windows as part of a release codenamed 'Threshold," writes Tom Warren of The Verge.
This comes hot on the heels of a report by well-connected Microsoft follower Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet that Microsoft is getting ready to release a technology preview of Threshold sometime in late September or early October.
Both reports emphasize that the release will involve only a near-final version that will most likely be available in beta for intrepid souls who know how to deal with the last remaining bugs and kinks before Microsoft smoothens them out in the final version.
Numerous speculations about Windows 9 have been going through the head of technology enthusiasts who cannot sit still while waiting for the new Windows platform. The biggest change we will most likely see is not a revolutionary leap into the future, as we can see how Microsoft's bold changes with touchscreen-friendly Windows 8 flopped, but a move back to post-Metro features coupled with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's overall strategy of shifting from desktop to cloud-based platforms.
Among the notable features we can expect is a push-back to the much-loved Start Menu, which Microsoft completely pulled out from Windows 8, angering most of its loyal customers. This time, the new Start Menu, said to be called a Mini Start Menu, looks pretty much the same as the Start Menu as we know it but with the option to include newer Metro-fied tiles. Also worth noting is the supposed removal of the charms bar, the inclusion of a separate windows for Metro-style apps and, remarkably, the integration of a desktop version of Microsoft's smart personal digital assistant Cortana.
Whenever Microsoft plans to actually make Windows 9 public, it is expected that those who agree to download the preview version will have to accept the regular updates Microsoft will push to them every month, a move that some believe lays the groundwork for pushing not just Microsoft's Office 365 and Azure to the cloud, but also its operating system.
"We'll all simply pay Microsoft a $20-a-year subscription for updates, new features, and perhaps some online storage," writes ZDNet editor-in-chief Larry Dignan. "Microsoft's Windows future could resemble a SaaS model with twice-a-year feature releases that serve as an onramp to other services."
