14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 9 is probably the hottest topic for the Microsoft community these days, even though the Redmond-based software giant is working on updates for many other products. But as it happens every time, everyone is interested in what’s to come for Windows, pretty much because Bill Gates’ “a computer on every desk” strategy actually came true.
At this point, 90 percent of the desktop PCs worldwide are powered by Windows, according to Net Application statistics, so the interest in this operating system and the features it could bring is enormous.
As a result, even though Microsoft hasn’t said a single word about Windows 9, we already have a feature lineup, a release date, and even pricing details. Of course, nobody knows if the information we have is accurate or not, but as it usually happens when speculation on a product reaches the world, there must be some truth behind every word.
There’s no doubt that Microsoft wants to let some bits of information slip through despite the whole secrecy that it seems to love these days, mostly because the company needs to hear what people think about the changes that it could make in Windows 9.
Redmond does not afford another flop after Windows 8, and Windows 9 is designed from the very beginning to be a game changer, one that could not only win back customers, but also boost sales of the continuously-collapsing PC market that’s losing ground at such a fast pace these days. And still, Microsoft has a much more ambitious plan and even though PCs are replaced by tablets and smartphones, the company shouldn’t lose the war.
Windows 9 will be an operating system that will be aimed at every single device, be it a PC, a tablet, or a smartphone, so no matter which industry business goes well, Microsoft wants to take the lion’s share in every sector.
But above all, Windows 9 is the going to be an operating system that you’ll love.
In the last few months, especially since Satya Nadella took over from Steve Ballmer and became the new Microsoft CEO, almost every single batch of improvements released by the company was said to be based on customer feedback. A motif that Microsoft used with every occasion and one that’s without doubt pushed forward by Nadella himself.
Ever since he replaced Ballmer at the helm of the company, Nadella said that Microsoft needed to be obsessed over customers, so that “based on customer feedback” tag isn’t surprising. The software giant is listening to users more than ever and is trying to build products based on what they need and want and this is the case of Windows 9 too.
We’re not going to discuss about the features that could be part of Windows 9 too much because I’ve written tens, maybe hundreds of stories on these, but it’s worth mentioning that the next big Windows release will come with two highly-anticipated options: a Start menu and multiple desktops. Users have been asking for multiple desktops for years, but Microsoft has never offered a clear explanation for why it refused to implement them into Windows.
It appears that the company has now decided to do it and it’s easy to understand why. This is the right time to cavalry because Windows 8 has disappointed so many users that it has no other option than to deliver an operating system featuring exactly what users want.
What’s more important, Redmond could do something that might be too good to be true: offer Windows 9 for free.
It’s no secret that Windows is at this point the most pirated software out there, not only because it’s the most popular, but also because your options are very limited when it comes to deploying a paid operating system on your computer. Linux is completely free of charge, while installing Mac OS X on a PC isn’t quite piece of cake, so Windows piracy skyrocketed in some parts of the world in the last decade.
But starting with Windows 9, you might not need to install an illegal version of Windows. Microsoft might offer it for free to those running XP, Vista, and 7 in an effort that’s obviously supposed to boost adoption of its new platform. Of course, you’d also need a genuine license of an older Windows version to get Windows 9 at no cost, but at least you won’t have to pay around $200 (150 euros) for a new product.
The bottom line is exactly the title of this editorial: Microsoft is finally building an operating system that you’ll love. Not only will Windows 9 have the features you expected to see in Windows since forever, but it could also come with a freeware license (or at least a more affordable price). This could be Microsoft’s totally surprising way to tell us “I’m sorry for Windows 8.”