Windows 8 has been here for a bit now, and that means that inside of Microsoft’s headquarters attention is already turning towards the next “big thing”.
With that in mind, what do we actually KNOW about Windows 9? Very, very little at this stage. Still, let’s attempt to gather what we’ve heard and draw a bigger picture here.
Keep in mind some of this will be more speculative than anything, given our limited knowledge so far.
Windows 9 will build upon the new Start UI.
Okay, this isn’t confirmed per say, but it is common sense. Microsoft has drawn the sand in the line, and the “desktop mode” will increasingly become more and more like DOS.
In Windows 95, DOS was still there for the most part and provided a reasonably functional experience. From then on, each version of Windows moved further away from a true DOS experience. What we have today isn’t DOS, it’s Command Prompt and it is nothing more than a shell for non-GUI commands.
Try to run old-school DOS programs on modern Windows without something like DOS box. Good luck.
The future of Windows is the Start UI, and that means Windows 9 will not remove it or go backwards. If anything, they will find ways to make it possible do more and more of the advanced functions of Windows without ever going into “desktop mode”.
There is no Sinofsky, and that could mean a more collaborative and cooperative Windows development process.
Steven Sinofsky was a big part of making Windows 8 what it was. Whether you consider that a good or bad thing is up to you. That said, he was often criticized for trying to control every aspect and keep too many hands from getting involved.
With Julie Larson-Green as the Windows boss, collaboration and cooperation could be key here. Whether this will hurt Windows 9 or help it remains unseen.
It Could Be Many Years Away…
Alright so we don’t KNOW this for fact, but if Windows 8 Blue is real, Microsoft could be releasing several versions of Windows 8 over the next few years. This means that a true Windows 9 sequel might not show up until 2015 or later. Again, it really depends on what Blue really is.
Windows 9 will be about learning from successes and mistakes in Windows 8.
Building an OS is a learning process, like everything in life. They did some things right with Windows 8, they did some things wrong– like perhaps locking it down too tight and making the learning curve TOO steep for some.
Windows 9 will need to address these complaints found in Windows 8, and I’m confident that it will.
Admittedly, this article tells us nothing new, but it gathers up a few thoughts that we’ve hit on in the past. Windows 9 is probably AT LEAST a year and half or more away, maybe 2-4 years. We don’t have much to go on, but speculation can be fun.
What do you think Windows 9 will bring to the table?