14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 9 is going to be a really big game-changer for Microsoft, not only because it would represent a major step towards reconciliation with users after the Windows 8 disaster, but also thanks to the fact that it might push the company towards a completely new approach for the OS market.
A report by Reuters reveals that Windows 9 might after all launch with a completely different name, as Microsoft is looking to create the foundation for an entirely new brand.
Specifics are at this point really vague, but this isn’t the first time when we’re hearing that Windows 9 might actually have a different name when it hits the market in spring 2015.
Previous reports on the matter suggested that Microsoft might rename Windows 9 to just “Windows” and thus drop the old numbering naming scheme not only on the desktop, but also on tablets and smartphones. The plan is as simple as it could be: capitalize on the popularity of Windows and boost the number of Microsoft tablets and smartphone buyers.
Just Windows or no Windows at all?
The Reuters report, which doesn’t mention any sources at all, says that “Microsoft will unveil a new name for its best-known product on Tuesday when it offers the first official glimpse of its latest Windows operating system.”
As we’ve already told you, the first testing build of the upcoming OS version is very likely to be called Windows Technical Preview, which could bring it in line with the Windows naming strategy that we detailed above.
But Reuters continues by adding that “the name change is symbolic of a new direction and style for Microsoft, which is veering away from an aggressive focus on Windows and PCs, the hallmark of previous Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer.”
And yes, the new strategy could indeed be Satya Nadella’s very own way to get closer to buyers, but at the same time, it could also represent an intention to step away from the trouble that Windows 8 caused in the last couple of years.
Press-only press event on September 30
Microsoft will hold the very first Windows 9 event on September 30 as part of a conference where only select journalists are invited.
Surprisingly, the company won’t live stream the event online, but it promised to publish a detailed blog post and other information on its websites when the conference comes to an end.
Windows Technical Preview, however, won’t be unveiled on September 30, with sources saying that Microsoft keeps the unveiling for early October.
The full version is expected to see daylight in spring 2015, and according to people familiar with the matter, RTM is scheduled to be reached in any of the first three months of the next year.