14 DAY TRIAL // The world is getting ready for the launch of Windows 9 preview, so Microsoft is now giving the last touches to the testing builds that shall be released to users in just a few days.
As we’ve already told you in our previous coverage on the launch of Windows 9, the preview version of the operating system would be all about feedback, and just like any other unfinished product, it could come with some bugs and performance issues that don’t make it appropriate for everyday use.
But Microsoft still wants to hear from users trying Windows 9, so today the company has launched the very first online community dedicated to individuals who installed the operating system and have suggestions on how to improve the product.
As you can see in this leaked screenshot, the forum is published on the TechNet page, but it’s currently unavailable to regular users and will likely remain so until the public unveiling on Tuesday.
All in on consumer feedback
Windows 9 preview will include several feedback forms in the most important areas and menus, as Microsoft wants to make sure that consumers get the chance to submit their opinions without searching too much for a way to do that.
What’s more, Windows 9 preview will prompt users to submit their thoughts on specific features after performing certain tasks, such as sending emails or setting up reminders.
A feedback form will also be included in the Start menu, so if you wish to get in touch with Microsoft, just two clicks should be enough to quickly send feedback on a specific feature.
Nadella: We need to become obsessed over customers
Windows 9 will be the very first product designed fully with Satya Nadella at the helm of the company, and the new CEO said from the very beginning that he wanted Microsoft to be obsessed over customers. As a result, consumer feedback will play a key role in an attempt to get closer to users and tweak the operating system in a way that would better tackle their needs.
“We will obsess over our customers. Obsessing over our customers is everybody's job. I'm looking to the engineering teams to build the experiences our customers love. I'm looking to the sales and marketing organizations to showcase our unique value propositions and drive customer usage first and foremost,” Nadella said in February, when he was appointed Microsoft CEO.
“In order to deliver the experiences our customers need for the mobile-first and cloud-first world, we will modernize our engineering processes to be customer-obsessed, data-driven, speed-oriented and quality-focused.”
Windows 9 preview is expected to launch in early October, while the stable build should see daylight in spring 2015, most likely in April, one year after the debut of Windows 8.1 Update.