14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will hold a new private press event today to discuss about its tablet plans and efforts to expand the Surface product lineup, with pundits indicating that Surface Mini and a larger device with a 12-inch screen are both likely to be unveiled during the show.
Some people across the web are also saying that Microsoft is also expected to break the news on Windows 9 and Windows 8.2 (the second Windows 8.1 update that could be released this year), but we're hearing from our own sources that this isn't the case and the company would instead focus on Surface exclusively.
While work on Windows 9 and the second Windows 8.1 update continues, the company also bets big on Surface tablets, so it wants today's press event to bring its new models in the spotlight and avoid sharing any other details on the two operating system versions.
There is no doubt that both Windows 9 and Windows 8.1 Update 2 or Windows 8.2, whatever its name will be, are both very important projects for users across the world, so they could easily steal everyone's attention if Microsoft starts talking about them during a press conference supposed to witness the introduction of new Surface models.
Windows 8.1 Update 2 is very likely to see daylight this year in order to bring some very important changes to the desktop, including the addition of a Start menu. Users have been asking for a Start menu ever since the company first introduced Windows 8, so Microsoft now had a change of heart and designed a new version that combines traditional elements available in Windows 7's menu with a modern style inspired from the Start screen.
The Start menu will thus come with a search box, live tiles, power controls, and quick access to installed apps, which should clearly come in handy to all people still using a desktop.
At the same time, Microsoft is also working to bring Metro apps right on the desktop thanks to a new option that would allow users to launch them in their own dedicated windows. This would basically mix the desktop and Modern UI for a new working environment that could actually boost the adoption of the modern operating system, but also pave the way for even more improvements which might be introduced in Windows 9.
People familiar with the matter said Windows 9 is expected to debut in spring 2015, with a beta version to be released in February next year.