14 DAY TRIAL // As we’ve reported to you yesterday, work on Windows 9 is expected to begin in late April, soon after the company unveils the Windows 8.1 Update 1 earlier that month.
But what’s more interesting is that if this is true, Windows 9 will actually be the first post-Ballmer product, as Microsoft’s outgoing CEO is scheduled to retire in early 2014.
While no details have been provided recently on Microsoft’s CEO search, it’s believed that Redmond would have a new CEO in place by April, so his first appearance in front of the media and the public would take place in April at the BUILD developer conference in San Francisco.
Windows 9 would also be another proof that Microsoft is listening to users, as the company is planning to bring back the Start Menu and make Metro apps run on the desktop in their very own windows.
As for the one that can replace Steve Ballmer at the helm of the company, cloud boss Satya Nadella is said to be in pole-position to take over the job now that Ford CEO Alan Mulally publicly ruled out the possibility to switch to Microsoft before late 2014.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Windows 9 would put the focus on cloud services, but the upcoming operating system would clearly introduce several new features, including a revamped Metro UI which some people call Metro 2.0.
The main feature of this option would be the support for desktop windows, which offers another chance to the Modern environment to succeed after the Windows 8 flop.
Windows 9 is also projected to bring together the Windows Store in another attempt to offer a seamless experience across all devices, including desktop PCs, tablets, and smartphones. The app store merger is expected to be started by Windows 8.1 Update 1 in April.