We are hearing stories about the development and immanent release of Windows 9, as early as November or December 2014 – that’s right – THIS year! After caving to users demands for the return of the Start Menu, it looks like they have decided that the Windows 8 Experience has to end.
This was Microsoft’s “New Coke” moment. Since Windows 95 introduced the Start Menu concept, Microsoft has gone one to dominate the desktop PC world, and create generations of users who came to understand the way that Windows worked, always had worked, and it seemed, always would work. So they decided to scrap the single feature that identified the brand, and give us something that nobody wanted. Despite the technical brilliance and superb operability of the Windows 8 OS, the radical changes to the user interface, with the “Metro” Start Screen Live Tiles and missing Start Menu, just made consumers angry and confused. Corporate clients completely rejected the upgrade cycle to Windows 8, preferring Windows 7’s more familiar classic start menu. Computer manufactures who took a big hit in unit sales over this blunder were not pleased either, and Microsoft has some fence mending to do with this new release.
Early information is sketchy, but it looks like we will get the Start Menu Back, and be able to launch the Metro/Smartphone style apps in the traditional desktop, instead of having to slip back and forth between productivity areas. The are also going to be enhancements to touch and gesture based controls. We also hear that there will be improvements for mouse users, and as one of those people who never warmed to the laptop touch pad and wonders why anyone wants their monitor surface covered with fingerprints, streaks, and smudges, I am looking forward to this.
Beta copies of the OS will be available in May, with a Release Candidate expected in September. Yes, 2014 – THIS year.
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About the Author:
I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com