Windows 9 will build on the
touchscreen nature of Windows 8
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With and now Windows 8.1. Microsoft tried - not
entirely successfully - to make tablets part of a continuum that goes from
number-crunching workstations and high-end gaming rigs through all-in-one
touchscreen media systems and thin-and light notebooks down to slender touch
tablets, all with the same OS, aiming for the best of both of today's computing
worlds. What will it do for the next version of Windows?
Despite rumours of an aggressive
development and shipping schedule, there's no official word about what's in the
next version of Windows, but there are plenty of rumours (many of them from
Chinese enthusiast sites that claim to have leaked builds), plus more reliable
information from job adverts for the Windows and Windows Phone teams.
There are also patents, which may or
may not be relevant, and some rare comments from developers on the Windows
team. Here's what we've heard about Windows 9 and what we think is happening.
Windows Blue turned out to be
Windows 8.1 rather than a completely new version of the Windows OS, which is
what we'd expect Windows 9 to be.
There's certainly a new development
cadence, where Microsoft puts out new releases of Windows, Windows RT and
Windows Server every year, the way it already does for Windows Phone.
The next version of Windows is being
referred to by Microsoft people who post their details on LinkedIn as Windows
9; as usual, that will be a codename that might change.
While still just a codename, Windows
9 has also been referenced by Microsoft in a job posting, spotted by MFST
Kitchen on 13 March 2013.
The ad, for a Bing Software
Development Engineer, says that the team will be delivering products "in
areas including Windows 9, IE11 services integration, touch friendly devices
including iPad and more."
