Redmond is already working to tweak its Windows platform with new features

Jul 5, 2014 12:01 GMT  ·  By

Windows 9 is clearly a hot topic these days since so many rumors are swirling around and pointing to all kind of features that might be part of the future operating system, so there's no doubt that Redmond is hard at work to tweak its flagship product in order to make it more successful than the existing Windows 8.

Basically, the rumors that we've heard so far are suggesting that Microsoft is working to restore the full functionality of the desktop and make it work more like in Windows 7. In fact, the software giant is most likely trying to develop a mix of modern and traditional elements that would in the end lead to the creation of an excellent package which no one can refuse.

The Start menu would indeed be brought back, Cortana for desktop could also see daylight, options to disable Metro might also be there, but there's one single thing that Microsoft should focus on in order to make sure that Windows 9 is a hit from the very first days of availability.

Windows 8 was a pretty controversial operating system, not only because it came without a Start menu, but also because it mixed two things which at that time could not coexist under the same umbrella.

Microsoft wanted to make the switch from the classic mouse and keyboard to touch all of a sudden, so many users who actually moved to Windows 8 blamed Microsoft for trying to implement both of them in the same operating system.

In fact, many said that Windows 8 only comes with "some" features of the touch and PC worlds, but it fails to achieve what Microsoft probably wanted from the very beginning: offer people the power of choice and let them decide which one they wanted to use.

Instead, Microsoft forced everyone who installed Windows 8 to use the Start screen, a feature that was obviously designed from the very beginning for touch-capable devices, but which could also be used with a mouse, of course with some drawbacks.

In Windows 9, Microsoft has a chance to fix this major issue by building separate versions of the operating system for PCs and tablets and not mixing their features in a single SKU.

And according to sources, this might indeed happen if Microsoft's current plans go through.

It appears that the software giant is at least considering multiple versions of Windows 9 that would better separate the touch-optimized environment from the desktop and implement several options which could allow users to tweak the operating system in such a way that it would work better on the device they own.

For example, if you are still on the desktop, touch options might not be offered at all. A Start menu could be available from the very beginning when Windows 9 is installed on a PC, while users might be provided with some tools to completely disable the Metro UI. This means that those who do not want the Modern UI no longer need to access it, because they don't have other options.

This time, they do have options and this could be Microsoft's smart(er) way of doing business.

Touch-capable devices, on the other hand, such as Surface Pro 3s or laptops with such a display, could have both the desktop and the Modern UI, but again, with options to allow users to choose the way they want to work.

ARM tablets and small devices where a desktop doesn't make sense will only come with the Modern UI, sources say. And this is clearly a pretty smart choice because using the desktop on a 7-inch tablet is damn hard, so nobody should actually miss it. But in case someone really misses it, Microsoft has a backup plan.

Many 7- and 8-inch tablet owners are using the desktop for Office, which comes free on Windows RT devices. Since the desktop won't be there anymore, Redmond is developing a touch-optimized version of the productivity suite that would allow users to create and edit documents right in the Modern UI.

Basically, it all comes down to the power of choice. Windows 9 might be that operating system that finally gives users the chance to decide what's better for them, and this could actually become the secret ingredient that Microsoft needs to finally kill Windows XP and convince Windows 7 users to upgrade.

Consumers are smart enough to decide what's best for them, and many do not need Microsoft to tell that touch is better than the classic mouse and keyboard combo or that the Start screen is more advanced than the Start menu. People can decide for themselves, and unless Microsoft gets this point, it might really have a hard time keeping its leading position in the desktop OS market.