Windows 9: The empire's last hope
JULY 02, 2014
Windows 9: The empire's last hope
Microsoft looks to reboot the franchise with a morphing
Start-enabled take on the troubled two-faced Windows 8
By J. Peter Bruzzese | InfoWorldFollow @JPBruzzese
Reviving a franchise is a big deal. They've done it with
"Star Trek" and "Spider-Man." They're hoping to do it with
"Star Wars." But can Microsoft do it with Windows? As Yoda might say,
cloudy the future is.
Perhaps you've seen the chatter this week about Windows 9
"coming soon" to a system near you. If Microsoft has learned anything
from its "one OS to bind them all" approach, it should know a revival
won't likely work in its current form. I'm still a believer in a common
underlying OS, but I strongly believe users want different UIs riding on top of
that OS depending on the form factor they choose, whether it be desktop,
laptop, or tablet. That's exactly what Windows 9 has to be if Microsoft expects
to come raging back.
What to expect from Windows 9 -- and when to expect it
Windows 9 (aka Threshold) will be able to detect the
platform on which it is running, note the peripherals connected, and morph into
a more traditional desktop flavor or a more touchscreen-focused variation as
necessary. Users will be allowed to choose a different UI for their device if
they prefer, which is perfect for two-in-one devices (like Surface) where some
users have expressed a preference for the new Windows UI, while others prefer
the traditional desktop interface. Apparently the modes will change depending
on whether a keyboard is attached.
With the traditional desktop mode, the Start menu will
return as a Start mini-menu, although based on concepts shown at this year's
Build developer conference it doesn't look "mini" at all. If
anything, it seems like a fusion of Start screen features and Start menu
options. In addition, the idea is to have Windows Store (Metro-style) apps
running on the desktop when in desktop mode.
You may be wondering why Microsoft didn't do this with
Windows 8. The answer is obvious: bad advice from trusted advisers. It's how
kingdoms have fallen throughout history. Windows ME, Vista, Windows 8 -- how
many more miscues does Microsoft have left before it falls?
We'll have to wait and see what Windows 9 officially
brings and, more important, how it will be received. As to the question of when
we should expect it, Microsoft is working on another update to Windows 8. Some
might question the wisdom of bothering with an update to Windows 8, but with
another school year and holiday season coming up and Windows 8 the only option,
Microsoft has to make sure it's ready for new hardware.
Windows 8 Update 2 is expected to arrive in August. That
might substantiate the talk that a public preview of Windows 9 will be released
by year's end, with a spring or summer 2015 official launch, putting Windows 9
in line with the next school and holiday cycle for 2015.
Windows 8 is a dead OS walking. In less than a year, Microsoft
will launch Windows 9 (final name to come) and do all it can to win back the
hearts of Windows users before they do something drastic like switch to Mac --
or worse, Linux -- if they haven't already.
If rumors hold true (often they do not), Windows 9 will
be free for Windows 8.1 users and possibly Windows 7 SP1 users. Consider this a
mea culpa to Windows 7 users for making them wait so long for a functional UI
and for Windows 8 users who made the switch. But Microsoft must get this one
right.
What are your thoughts? Are you confident that Microsoft,
under Nadella, can win back the Windows faithful? Or have the missteps of
Windows Vista and Windows 8 have you doubting a full-fledged comeback for the
Windows franchise?
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