14 DAY TRIAL // Everyone knows that Microsoft is already working on Windows 9, even though the company has no intention to break the news on this project for the time being, so it’s no surprise that more and more information about the next full Windows version reaches the web.
Today, we have a brand new screenshot with Windows 9 in action, showing nothing more than the Start menu which is set to return in this particular OS version.
The screenshot, which was published by myce.com, reveals a Start menu design that’s very similar with the one presented by Microsoft earlier this year at the BUILD 2014 developer conference when the company officially confirmed that this feature would return in Windows sometime in the future.
Microsoft initially said that a future Windows 8.1 update would bring back the Start menu, but according to people close to the matter, the company has changed its plans and is now willing to wait until Windows 9 to reintroduce this feature in Windows.
As you can see for yourselves in this screenshot, the new Start menu mixes classic and modern design elements, such as the layout of the Windows 7 Start menu and live tiles that debuted in Windows 8 on the Start screen.
Microsoft clearly wants to use the new Start menu to offer users the best of two worlds, combining the traditional Start menu as we know it with elements borrowed from the Start screen.
The Start menu however won’t be available on all versions of Windows 9, as current rumors are pointing out that Microsoft is only planning to offer it on PCs and devices with a mouse and keyboard. Touch-capable devices, such as tablets, would stick to the Start screen, as the touch-optimized environment makes much more sense in this case.
The Start menu we’re seeing here is said to be part of build 9795 compiled on July 13, which means that it’s quite a recent version of the operating system which confirms that Microsoft is developing Windows 9 at a very fast pace.
If existing speculation is true, Windows 9 should be here by April 2015, with two different preview versions said to be prepared, including one that would be shipped to testers and developers later this year. Windows 9 is also expected to integrate many other new features, including a desktop version of Cortana, the personal assistant that is currently offered to Windows Phone 8.1 users exclusively.