Windows 9 preview could come next month
Although the old Start menu was expected to return in Windows 8, it seems this will only happen once the next Windows version comes out. Windows 9, also known as "Windows Threshold," promises to adapt automatically to the user's platform, but what most Windows 8 users are waiting for is the return of the Start menu.
ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley got fresh information from multiple industry insiders who told her that Microsoft will bring a technology preview release of Windows 9 "by late September or early October." Users of this early version will have to agree to automatic updates of the operating system.
Next to the return of the Start menu and the adaptive interface mode mentioned earlier, Windows 9 is also expected to come with virtual desktops, Cortana integration, windowed Metro-Style apps that run on the desktop, as well as the removal of the Charms bar introduced in Windows 8.
Earlier rumors mentioned that Microsoft could release a public preview of Threshold by the end of the year, but company officials have declined to comment. The commercial name, availability and pricing of the upcoming Windows version still have to be confirmed by the Redmond giant.