Microsoft is about to unveil its next operating system, which is referred to by several users as Windows 9. There's also the hint that Microsoft is dropping the order of precedence by simply calling it Windows. Others are speculating that Microsoft will release an entirely different brand.
Currently, Microsoft refers to the upcoming Windows 9 as Windows Threshold or Windows X. The latter is more likely a placeholder, which means that it's not yet the final label. On a site dubbed "Windows Technical Preview for Enterprise," Microsoft listed the Windows TH name and gave out a hint on what users can expect in the next couple of days by adding the words that say "the next version of the Windows client operating system."
While it is confirmed that Microsoft will formally unleash the details of Windows Threshold at the Sept. 30 event in San Francisco, it is highly likely that the preview of the operating system will be released in early October.
The decision to change the name is one proof that the company is going on an entirely new direction and style. It is obvious that it is deviating from an aggressive focus on Windows and PCs, which are popularly associated with former CEO Steve Ballmer. This time, the company is placing a new and more subtle emphasis on selling services across all devices, something which is spearheaded by Satya Nadella, the company's new boss.
The wording choice and the event venue indicate that Microsoft is preparing to have a more humble, low profile under Nadella's leadership. The company aims to rebuild respect in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area as it drifts away from the PC and assumes a bigger role in the mobile computing world dominated by Apple and Google.
"This is a launching pad and catalyst for Nadella's holistic cloud vision over the coming years," said analyst Daniel Ives of FBR Capital Markets. "Windows 9 is a potentially game-changing product release for Microsoft."
Nadella is said to place more focus on selling high-quality services, such as cloud storage of documents and the Office suite of applications, which shall be available across any type of device or system. Perhaps Nadella accepts the challenge that in order to stay ahead, the company should come up with killer services and apps that users cannot live without.
The Windows Threshold Preview is speculated to include a notification center, new Start Menu, virtual desktop feature, and a slew of changes in the desktop's UI. Microsoft will also be launching the so-called "Windows Insider Preview Program" that will deliver the latest preview builds of Windows Threshold once they become available.
