Windows 9 To Get Cortana and New Taskbar Functionality

Windows Threshold will be the next major update to the Windows platform. So far we anticipate that it will be called Windows 9 but this is not confirmed and so anything could happen in terms of the naming for the next Windows OS. So far we know the desktop version will be overhauled with the Start Screen being disabled by default for desktop users while mobile users will not get a desktop but instead a permanent modern UI overlay. Now some new details have emerged about Windows 9 courtesy of Neowin. These new details suggest there will be a totally distinctive UI that looks nothing like Windows 7 or 8.X. The main change will be with the taskbar, theis is expected to house “interactive” features such as icons which are “mini live tiles”. Microsoft is reportedly toying with a glance-and-go style functionality for the taskbar. The aim is to create a more productive operating system: if you can see what is going on in each app without having to open them all individually then this is great for productivity.

The next major update is that Microsoft’s Cortana assistant, currently on Windows Phone, will arrive with Windows 9 Threshold. Microsoft’s digital assistant will get some presence along the taskbar, whether that be a quick-launch implementation or something more sophisticated. Another final change is that we may see the return of desktop gadgets or widgets. Not much is known about what this might entail but they are certainly on the agenda to some degree. Many of these features may not even make their way into the leaked testing builds until a much later date. However, over the course of the year we should expect to see many more leaks coming out of Microsoft about Windows 9 Threshold so stay tuned for those.

Source: Neowin

Image courtesy of Neowin