14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will officially break the news on Windows 9 tomorrow, but thanks to screenshots and information that got leaked in the last 48 hours, we already know quite a lot of details about the builds that should be released to users in just a few hours.
Contrary to what some reports have recently stated, Windows 9 will work on both 32- and 64-bit systems, and the screenshot you see here is living proof.
People close to the matter indicated that Microsoft might make another significant change in Windows 9 and tweak the operating system to work only on 64-bit and 128-bit systems, thus giving up on the 32-bit architecture that continues to be really popular these days.
Somehow, such a decision would have made some sense given the fact that the PC industry is slowly migrating to 64-bit configurations for increased performance and better stability, but 32-bit systems still represent an important side of the industry for the majority of tech companies out there.
32-bit and 64-bit Windows 9 Preview builds prepared
The leaked screenshot that has reached the web today via PCBeta indicates that Microsoft has prepared testing builds of Windows 9 in both 32- and 64-bit forms, with multiple languages currently supported, including English, Chinese, and Portuguese.
There’s no word whether more languages could be released in the coming weeks and months, but the English version should be the right choice for the majority of users.
The 64-bit version of Windows 9 Preview will have around 4.10 GB in size, while the 32-bit will come in the form of a 3.16 GB ISO, all available from Microsoft’s servers.
Official name still unknown
A very interesting aspect of the new Windows 9 preview is the name that Microsoft plans to use when the product becomes available, as several sources from within the company indicated that the company might choose a completely new designation that would help create a brand based on the operating system.
While some suggested that Windows 9 could launch as just Windows, a recent leak has revealed that Microsoft calls the operating system Windows TH, an abbreviation for Threshold, the current codename of the project.
Of course, this could change before the launch actually takes place, and Terry Myerson, head of the OS unit at Microsoft, has recently rolled out a teaser to suggest that a new name is indeed under consideration.
More information will, however, be provided tomorrow, after the Windows 9 preview demo comes to an end. The event won’t be streamed online, but the company has promised to publish full details in a blog post afterwards.