14 DAY TRIAL // The very first beta version of Windows 9 is projected to be unveiled later this month or in early October, according to people familiar with the matter, and Microsoft has already started giving the last touches to the builds supposed to be shipped to users.
At the same time, the company is also sending out invites for a September 30 press event during which it will discuss plans for the next Windows operating system.
Not much has been said until now, but it appears that the event won’t be streamed online, which means that only those invited will be able to watch the new operating system at work.
Redmond hasn’t confirmed this until now, but sources close to the matter have indicated that after the September 30 event Microsoft could also roll out the beta for everyone who wishes to see what’s to come in the desktop operating system.
Why the secrecy?
At the first glance, Microsoft has absolutely no reason to present the Windows 9 preview behind closed doors, especially because several leaks have already reached the web, revealing most of the new features implemented in this revamped version of the operating system.
What’s more, the beta will be aimed at everyone who wants to install it with no cost whatsoever, so it’s hard to find a reason for this whole secrecy.
Probably the only viable explanation is Microsoft’s intention to stir up interest in its product, and there’s no doubt that showing Windows 9 only to a bunch of people would generate quite a lot of buzz in media worldwide.
Microsoft clearly believes that Windows 9 is an exciting product and expects lots of big words to be used during the press conference later this month.
Lots of changes and revised UI
We’ve talked quite a lot about the new features that will be part of Windows 9, so it’s no surprise that the Start menu is coming back along new options such as multiple desktops, Cortana, and Internet Explorer 12.
The preview build, however, won’t come with all of these from the very beginning, as Microsoft is still keeping some of these features locked in order to continue work on them. Some could be unlocked at a later time and delivered to users via the new built-in OS update system.
The stable version of Windows 9 is likely to be released in early 2015, so a lot of things could change until then, but there’s no doubt that the beta itself is going to be one of the most downloaded preview versions of a software app ever.