Windows 9

Multiple Windows 9 reports have suggested that Microsoft is considering releasing the upcoming platform as a free download to certain existing Windows users. Some said that Windows 8 will get Windows 9 free of charge, while others claimed the company is also considering some sort of special offers for existing Windows XP users. A report Continue Reading →

Microsoft is aiming to deliver a “technology preview” of its Windows “Threshold” operating system by late September or early October, according to multiple sources of mine who asked not to be named. And in a move that signals where Microsoft is heading on the “servicability” front, those who install the tech preview will need to Continue Reading →

Rumors have been circulating for a while that Microsoft is planning to incorporate its personal digital assistant, Cortana, into the next major version of Windows. On August 11, those rumors turned up a notch, with Neowin.net reporting that internal “dogfood” builds of “Threshold,” aka Windows 9, include Cortana integration. Windows Threshold is expected to arrive Continue Reading →

Microsoft is busy preparing a second update to Windows 8.1, but the company is largely focused on a larger “Windows 9” release due next year. ZDNet reports that a preview of codename Threshold — which may or may not be named Windows 9 once it’s released — will be available later this year. The public Continue Reading →

Microsoft won’t be delivering a new Start Menu for Windows 8 with its coming Windows 8.1 Update 2, after all. That recent change in plans comes courtesy of a couple of my sources who’ve had good track records on Windows information. Up until recently, Microsoft was hoping to make a new “Mini” Start Menu part Continue Reading →

Rumors of the next major Windows release codenamed “Threshold” have been circling for some time now, but Paul Thurott has now revealed further details on the next version of Windows. Threshold will reportedly bring a number of major changes to Windows 8, such as the return of the Start Menu and the beginning of a Continue Reading →

Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin, known for some of his accurate tips on the mobile industry in the past, said on Twitter that Windows Phone 9 will launch at some point in the second half of 2014 (third or fourth quarter) without the iconic Metro user interface that’s currently present on all Windows Phone handsets and Continue Reading →

As we noted last week, Windows 8 is a very polarizing operating system. While many Windows users find it much faster and more stable than earlier versions of Windows, other users simply hate the Metro UI and wish it would go away forever. Paul Thurrott reports some good news for desktop users who feel spurned Continue Reading →

The launch of a new version of Windows is always a critical moment for Microsoft; the operating and its market dominance forms the first layer of its business foundation. The release of Windows 8, however, is special. There hasn’t been a release this large for Microsoft since Windows 95. Here at TNW we’ve been banging Continue Reading →

It’s now too late to whine about the user interface changes in Windows 8. They may be “confusing” and put a “cognitive burden” on ordinary users, but for now at least, these changes are there to stay. That means it’s time to put down the pitchforks and flaming torches and help people get used to Continue Reading →