Windows 9 is already on the radar, and Microsoft could introduce the very first beta of this operating system later this month, but it appears that the company is actually preparing something that’s as surprising as it is unexpected.
Starting with Windows 9, the company might actually adopt a simpler naming scheme for its operating system lineup, trying to fight confusion created by the numerous versions that are available across devices these days.
As The Verge is reporting, in the very latest commercials published by Microsoft for new devices, including HTC’s One M8, Lumia 530, Lumia 730, and Lumia 830, as well as videos showing Cortana in action, the operating system powering them is simply referred to as “Windows,” even though they are powered by Windows Phone.
Microsoft’s strategy called “Windows everywhere” would thus get an important revamp that would bring us a different naming schemed for future products as well, but it’s not yet clear whether the company is ready to make this official or it’s just experimenting to see how this one goes.
Windows 9, which is expected to be released in April 2015, has recently been teased by Microsoft China, who in turn has referred to this new operating system using the “9” build number. But this could change soon if this strategy is fully embraced by the company.
At this point, Microsoft is offering several Windows versions, including Windows RT for tablets, Windows Phone for smartphones, and Windows 8.1 for desktops and tablets, which clearly makes it a bit confusing for customers who are trying to buy a new device.
It’s no secret that Windows RT actually caused some controversy after the October 2012 launch because it couldn’t run desktop applications but it was still called “Windows,” so Microsoft will most likely try to address these problems with a name change.
"Windows will become the core of every Microsoft device."
The idea is simple but could actually cause more problems for the company.
Bringing more platforms together is the thing that needs to be done, and sources say that Microsoft could actually merge Windows RT and Windows Phone as part of the Windows 9 release cycle to create a single platform that runs on both smartphones and tablets. This way, the company could remove the confusion caused by the RT SKU and instead bring to the market a new OS version that runs on all its mobile platforms.
At the same time, Microsoft is also planning a really important change that could come into effect after bringing Windows 9 to life. People close to the matter said that Windows 9 might actually be the very latest stand-alone operating system seeing daylight, as the company would instead switch to big OS updates released every once in a while. The numbering scheme might actually be used internally or only for large updates, in the same way Apple currently does with OS X.
Nothing is confirmed so far, but Microsoft is clearly trying to benefit from the Windows brand appeal and make the most of it once Windows 9 comes out.
In the end, we could still get several versions of the operating system that would run on tablets, smartphones and PCs, as is the case of the existing SKUs, but a single name that’s at the core of everything: Windows.
