14 DAY TRIAL // The preview version of Windows 9 is almost here and lots of details about the operating system are already known, mostly thanks to people close to the matter, who provided information on the features that might be part of this release.
As we reported yesterday, one of the features that could be part of Windows 9 is a notification center that would allow users to stay up to date with everything that’s going on in the Modern UI, but new information provided by The Verge also reveals a few tidbits about the behavior of this option.
The Windows 9 notification center will be very similar to the one that’s already available on Windows Phone 8.1 and will most likely be accessible via a touch-based gesture. Most likely, you will be allowed to access it by swiping down from the top of the screen, but a dedicated charm that could be placed on the Charms bar is also possible.
As you might have heard, the Charms bar could be removed from the desktop, but Microsoft is expected to improve it in the Modern UI, so a dedicated shortcut that would allow users to access the notification center also makes sense.
The notification center will display information regarding app downloads and installation, but also alerts whenever you receive a new message on a social network, such as Facebook and Twitter. New Skype conversations will also be available in the notification center to quickly reply a specific contact.
The Windows 9 Preview build that’s expected to be released to users in late September or early October is unlikely to come with a notification center, but Microsoft is obviously planning to add it at a later time with the help of a built-in update system.
Still, do not expect this notification center to come with too many features, as the company will most likely stick to the design and options currently available in Windows Phone 8.1. Given the fact that Windows 9 is rumored to merge the smartphone and RT platforms, it shouldn’t be too difficult to integrate it, but it’s still a challenge to make this new feature as effective as possible on a tablet and PC.
The notification center might only be available in the Modern UI, so those who stick to the desktop and keep using a mouse and keyboard may not get it. As a result, this is clearly an improvement that would appeal to tablet users exclusively.