Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Reviews

Windows 9 public preview ‘likely’ coming this fall

By

A public preview of Windows 9, code-named Threshold, will be released sometime this fall, in preparation for release “around”  Spring 2015. This upcoming version of Windows will aim to lure desktop PC users to Microsoft’s newest version of its longtime OS after millions were put off by Windows 8 and its mish-mosh of concepts, According to ZDNet.

Details are a little hazy at this point, but the Windows 9 experience will reportedly differ depending on what kind of device you’re using, and could consist of multiple versions. On the flavor meant for traditional desktop and laptop PCs, the classic desktop UI will be the centerpiece of the OS, while hybrid devices will allow you to switch between the desktop and a tiled, Metro-ish mode.  One report suggests that users may be able to turn the tiled portion of the UI on and off in the final release of Windows 9.

Recommended Videos

On top of that, the desktop/laptop version of Windows 9 will allegedly feature a return of the Start menu, or some form of it. Users of this variant will also be able to run windowed Metro apps in the familiar desktop environment. These were expected, and unsurprising changes though, assuming they turn out to be accurate. Microsoft teased a new Start menu at Build 2014.

Related: 
Best new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max (HBO), and more

Microsoft has already started to make overtures towards desktop users with Windows 8.1, and with Windows 8.1. Update 1 as well. With those two updates, which arrived in October and this April, respectively, Microsoft has added a handful of smaller functions aimed at desktop users. They include a psuedo-Start button for the desktop UI, the ability to run Metro apps in the classic desktop UI, a dedicated button for shutting down, restarting, or putting your device to sleep in the Metro UIs Start screen, and more.

While Microsoft is expected to continue with this push to appeal to desktop users, there’s no guarantee that whatever changes they make with Windows 9 will have Windows XP and Windows 7 diehards flocking over to Windows 9 once it’s released. The Windows 9 public preview, should it be released sometime this coming fall, may go a long way towards telling us whether Microsoft is on the right or wrong path.

Konrad Krawczyk
Konrad Krawczyk
Former Computing Editor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

This Windows 11 update makes Start Menu much more desirable and usable again
The Dell XPS 13 on a table with the Start Menu open.

The Start Menu has been the central element in Microsoft Windows for nearly three decades. Though loved initially for its resourcefulness, the Menu went through some debatable -- I call them abhorrent -- changes with Windows 8, but eventually returned to occupying less space in the interface with Windows 8.1, and then Windows 10 and 11. Despite the rescuing, it is still reeling under the damaging changes in the form of recommendations and random automatically populating lists that reduce it to a mere glorified search interface. However, Microsoft may now be looking to resolve these issues and bringing back a more simplified interface with an upcoming update.

Microsoft is testing a new interface for Start Menu on Windows 11, reducing the existing clutter of randomly interspersed apps and files. X user @phantomofearth, renowned for testing new features in Windows Insider builds, gave us a good look at the new interface in a detailed video walkthrough.

Read more
How to install Windows 11 with an offline account
An iPhone linked in Windows 11.

Microsoft has been keen for all its users to use online, connected Microsoft Accounts for Windows logins for years and many versions of the operating system, but it's really kicked it into high gear in recent years. Now there aren't any official ways to decline using a connected account when installing Windows 11, but there are a few ways you can get around it.

Here's how you can use an offline account when installing Windows 11, to avoid Microsoft oversight.

Read more
Windows 11 users outsmart Microsoft once again with new local account trick
A screenshot of the Windows 11 Microsoft Account setup page

A newly discovered trick allows Windows 11 users to bypass Microsoft’s online account requirement during setup, raising questions around user control and privacy. The workaround, shared by X user @witherornot1337, lets users set up Windows 11 with a local account instead of being forced to log in with a Microsoft account.

This follows previous similar methods, highlighting an ongoing cat-and-mouse game between Microsoft and privacy-conscious users. Microsoft has been increasingly pushing online accounts as a mandatory requirement for Windows 11, particularly in Home and Pro editions. This change has frustrated many users who prefer local accounts for greater privacy and independence from Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Read more