Next version of Windows will likely be a free upgrade for Windows 8 users

In practical terms, Windows 8 was the evolution of an operating system looking for a problem to solve. On the desktop, Microsoft had no problems getting people to buy-in to upgrading from Vista to Windows 7.

Windows 8 was not received as well though, despite its aim to be more form factor agnostic, with optimizations that favored either desktop or tablet, some of the features that traditional users regarded as a mainstay, such as the Start Menu, went AWOL.

During Build 2014, Microsoft said that the Start Menu would be coming back for those that used the desktop, and it would incorporate the Live Tiles that can also be harnessed via the now established Start Screen.  The next generation of Windows is also expected to bring Cortana into the environment, support for multiple and separate desktops, and a notification center, among other features.

Shortly after the debut of Windows 8, Microsoft confirmed that the update to Windows 8.1 would not cost anything to the early adopters. It looks as though the update to Windows 9, or whatever it ends up being called, will also not cost existing users of Windows 8 anything.

That is based on comments made by the president of Microsoft Indonesia, Andreas Diantoro to a local online news outlet. What is not known is if Microsoft will be sweetening the pot get people to ditch Windows XP, now four generations old, and now no longer supported.

We will learn more about the next generation of Windows, and the new features it brings to the desktop and tablet, on September 30th.

source: PCWorld