Microsoft’s secrecy is fueling rumors about the next full Windows release

Jul 29, 2014 08:47 GMT  ·  By

If you’re searching the web for information on Windows 9, there’s no doubt that you could come across lots of details, even though the Redmond-based software giant has until now remained completely tightlipped on the next full Windows version.

The funny thing is that with so many rumors swirling around, it’s pretty hard to find some information that actually makes sense, especially when it comes to the release date.

Now a number of sources are using an old tweet posted by WZor, who has a pretty good track on information regarding future Windows projects, to report that Windows 9 might arrive sooner than expected. October or November 2014 could witness the introduction of Windows 9, some say, which is only one year after the official debut of Windows 8.1.

While this could make sense at some level, there are several reasons why Microsoft cannot launch a new Windows version so soon.

First of all, Microsoft is expected to debut a second update for Windows 8.1 sometime next month, most likely on August 12, which is the same day when the company is introducing new Patch Tuesday fixes for its software. Windows 8.1 Update 2 will come with minor improvements in terms of performance and stability and almost no new features, as Microsoft is fully focused on Windows 9 right now.

People close to the matter have said that Windows 9 is expected to steal Windows 8.1 Update 2’s thunder and get all the features that have been rumored to be part of this release, including the Start menu and options to run Metro apps in dedicated windows on the desktop.

Of course, just like it’s the case with any other full Windows release, Microsoft is also expected to launch at least one beta version of Windows 9 (sources say that two preview builds could be released to users), as the company needs to collect feedback and repair any potential issues before the public launch.

In order to bring Windows 9 to the market in October, Microsoft would pretty much need a beta version to already be out there for testing, which isn’t the case right now.

As far as other sources are concerned, Windows 9 should be here by April 2015, which is clearly a rumor that makes much more sense and appears to be closer to Microsoft’s plans. The company however doesn’t want to comment on future projects, so we still have to wait a little bit longer to hear something official on the next full Windows release.