Microsoft may be just a few weeks away from revealing the next version of Windows, according to a new report. Windows 9, currently code-named Threshold, is expected to be announced on the 30th of September and could be delivered in beta form to developers and testers straight after the reveal.
According to sources "familiar with Microsoft's plans" speaking to the Verge, the company has earmarked the 30th of September for the announcement event, although that could change at the last minute and it isn't expected to refer to the new version of its operating system as "Windows 9" - it will instead stick with the Threshold codename until it is ready for the public.
Threshold would be the first official chance to try out the new smaller Start Menu, which is expected to arrive as an alternative to the full-screen Start Screen seen in Windows 8. The Charms Bar may also be removed, with all the features including power, settings, devices and Start moved back into the Start Menu, and several UI elements are expected to be changed for the new release too.
According to the report, Microsoft is also working on a version of Threshold with an early prototype of the Cortana voice assistant, currently available on Windows Phone handsets running the latest version of the mobile OS. A desktop version may not be ready in time for the technology preview, but it is expected to appear when Windows 9 finally launches.
Finally, the company could use a part of the event to focus on a new mobile operating system, which takes parts of Windows Phone and elements of the arguably failed Windows RT tablet OS, although again the source says this may or may not be ready to reveal to the public in September.
We don't have very long to wait to see if the rumours are true, and based on customer feedback regarding the Windows 8 Start Screen, Microsoft will want to get a new version of the OS into consumer hands as soon as possible.
