Looks like Microsoft will have to hire new gatekeepers to prevent all of its plans from accidentally slipping out. Earlier this year, Microsoft made an unintentional reference to a non-existent Surface Mini in a user manual intended for its Surface Pro 3 tablet. This week, Microsoft made the same gaffe after making its first reference to Windows 9.
In a post on China's Sina Weibo social network on Tuesday, Microsoft's Chinese division said Windows 9 was "coming soon" and asked users if they thought Microsoft would return the beloved and much missed Start Menu not seen in Windows 8. The post also included a mock-up Windows 9 logo in blue featuring 12 Metro-style tiles arranged to form the number nine.
"Microsoft's latest OS Windows 9 is coming soon, do you think the start menu at the left bottom will make a comeback?" asked Microsoft China.
Microsoft China took down the post and the mock-up logo shortly afterwards but not before Chinese website Cnbeta was able to take a screenshot.
Reports of a new Windows operating system first surfaced in December after Microsoft was reportedly not happy with the lackluster response for its made-for-touchscreen Windows 8. With consumers deriding the absence of the Start Menu and the Metro-fication of the Windows desktop, it is clear why Microsoft is rushing ahead to get over the Windows 8 speed bump.
Despite a recent uptick in sales of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, the two platforms combined make up only 13.37 percent of the PC market share, says a report released by Net Applications. Windows Vista, which also received the same fate as Windows 8, even enjoys a slightly larger share than both Windows 8 and 8.1. As of August 2014, Windows 7 remains the most popular Windows OS with 51.21 percent of the market share, while more-than-a-decade-old Windows XP still runs in 24 percent of all Windows computers. Earlier this year, Microsoft dropped support for Windows XP in an attempt to get users to upgrade to Windows 8 but has received a less-than-warm response.
Codenamed Threshold, Windows 9 is said to re-include the Start Menu, which will supposedly be named Mini Start Menu. Microsoft is also reported to add support for virtual desktops and the ability to run apps in resizable windows. PC users are also looking out for the integration of Cortana, Microsoft's smart digital personal assistant first introduced for Windows Phone this year.
Microsoft is widely expected to provide a "technology preview" of Windows 9 in a Sept. 30 media event, while the final release version is said to become available in April 2015.
