14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is working on Windows 9, a full new version of its operating system that’s expected to bring quite a lot of changes to the Windows platform as we know it, including a merger of the company’s mobile platforms, among which Windows RT and Windows Phone.
A short tweet by h0x0d and pointing to new posts on LinkedIn and Microsoft Careers reveals new evidence regarding a so-called “One Microsoft” OS which could in the end be internally codenamed “Windows OneCore” and merging the kernel for both the tablet and the smartphone platforms.
Of course, not much is known at this point, but a post on the Careers website comes to provide a few more details on what could the “One Microsoft” operating system actually be.
“The XAML team is building the UI framework at the core of the ‘One Microsoft’ OS. Our framework is used by hundreds of thousands of developers, including many teams at Microsoft. Our goal is to provide the best modern UI framework, which is integral to the success of our platform and ecosystem. Our charter includes: Enabling developers to create UI that works well across all of our devices: phones, tablets, PCs, and the Xbox,” the post reads.
Windows 9 is expected to be launched in early 2015, most likely in April, and could come with quite a lot of improvements, not only in terms of features, but also as far as pricing and licensing model is concerned.
Word is that Microsoft is planning to offer Windows 9 free of charge to a number of users, although it’s not quite clear whether the company is ready to make such a significant change to its business.
People close to the matter indicated that Windows 9 could come at no cost for users of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8.1 Update, in an attempt to move those who have already switched to its modern platform to the new release.
As far as the merged platforms go, Microsoft is reportedly trying to merge Windows RT and Windows Phone for the creation of a single environment that would help developers bring more apps in the store and increase the number of apps that are offered to users.
At the same time, consumers would also be provided with a similar app experience across multiple devices, no matter if they are using a PC, a tablet, or a smartphone running the latest version of Windows.