14 DAY TRIAL // Everyone knows that Windows 9 is just around the corner, and a beta version of the operating system is expected to be released on September 30, during a press-only event, but the software giant has until now remained completely tight-lipped on this new and exciting project.
The very first confirmation that Windows 9 is almost here comes from Microsoft France President, who confirmed during a recent event in his natal country that “in the next few days, we’ll be releasing Windows 9.”
This is pretty much the first signal that recent rumors pointing to an early October launch for the new Windows Technical Preview are accurate, even though the Microsoft France official clearly wanted to keep all specifics secret.
The September 30 event will take place in San Francisco, and contrary to what most of us expected, it won’t be streamed online, so only those attending it will actually be able to see the new operating system at work.
Microsoft continues the secrecy
Windows Technical Preview is the official name of the very first Windows 9 beta and will most likely launch in early October, a few days after the September 30 event.
Microsoft’s decision to keep this conference private surely raises some questions, and although nobody can find a reason for all this secrecy, the company says that it will keep users up to date with news on Windows 9 via blog posts and other information posted on its website.
The technical preview, on the other hand, will be available to everyone early next month, most likely in the first week of October, and will be aimed at users willing to send feedback and help Microsoft not only fix some of the bugs they find, but also to add new features based on their opinions.
Feedback forms will be included pretty much everywhere in the operating system, including the Start menu, and will pop out whenever you perform a certain task that Microsoft wants to hear your opinion on, including searching the web and sending emails.
RTM expected by the end of the year
People close to the matter suggested that Windows 9 could reach RTM by the end of the year, but this scenario has already been denied by Microsoft watchers who claim that this won’t happen until early 2015.
The final version of Windows 9 is very likely to come out in April 2015, one year after the debut of Windows 8.1 Update and approximately six months after the first beta.
Of course, a lot could change until Windows 9 indeed gets the green light, but more information will be provided by Microsoft itself in just a few days.