14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 9 Preview will be released for download later this month, but the very first screenshots showing the upcoming build in action are already here.
As you can see for yourselves by browsing the screenshots in the gallery, the preview build of Windows 9 indeed includes many of the rumored features, among which a notification center and multiple desktops.
German site computerbase.de has published the screenshots earlier today, claiming that they are part of Windows 9 Technical Preview build 9834.
While nobody can confirm whether they’re real or not, chances are that they do show the upcoming OS build, as Microsoft is said to be giving the final touches to the testing version.
Start menu and multiple desktops
Even though it was rumored that Windows 9 Preview might not come with a Start menu, it appears that it’s already there in build number 9834, featuring a design that’s very similar to what the company itself presented at the BUILD 2014 conference in April.
The Start menu mixes the classic Windows 7 design with modern elements such as live tiles, thus helping users adapt faster to the new operating system, no matter if they like Windows 8 or Windows 7 more.
At the same time, the leaked screenshots also show the new multiple desktops in action, with a switcher at the bottom of the screen allowing users to jump from one desktop to another.
Chances are that some keyboard shortcuts or possible mouse gestures could be also be implemented, but it remains to be seen whether the full functionality will be available in the Preview or not.
The notification center is also available in the testing build, playing the same role as in Windows Phone 8.1 and promising to keep users up to date with what’s happening on their computers.
More features to be added at a later time
Windows 9 Preview will launch at the end of the month, but at this point it’s not yet clear whether the company is planning to make all the new features that you can see in these screenshots available to all users or whether they could be released at a later time.
Word is that the company will, however, introduce new options as it completes their development, with a new update system implemented in Windows 9 to help deliver fresh features to users.
At the same time, it appears that Microsoft is working to create user subsets depending on the feedback they send and deliver features only to specific customers, in order to make Windows address their needs better.
Keep in mind that although they might seem real, nobody can guarantee that these screenshots are not fake. As usual, Microsoft doesn’t want to comment on such reports, so consider yourselves warned.
