Microsoft just teased Windows 9 by mistake

by Tom Warren

Via cnbeta | Source Microsoft China (Weibo)

Sep 2, 2014, 8:11 AM UTC

Tom Warren is a senior correspondent and author of Notepad, who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years.

Microsoft hasn’t officially discussed Windows 9 yet, but its Chinese division is keen to get people talking about the upcoming OS. In a Weibo posting today, Microsoft China asked “Microsoft’s latest OS Windows 9 is coming soon, do you think the start menu at the left bottom will make a come back?” A Windows 9 logo, mocked up as a wallpaper earlier this year, accompanied the post before it was quickly removed, and Chinese site Cnbeta spotted it. It was clearly a mistake, but the wording suggests Windows 9 is indeed “coming soon.”

Microsoft is currently aiming to hold a press event to introduce Windows 9, currently known as Windows Threshold, on September 30th. This date may change, but a Technology Preview of the operating system will be distributed to developers and enterprise users in late September or early October. The early Technology Preview should provide a first look at the new mini Start Menu, the removal of the Charms bar feature, and several UI changes to the way the desktop operates with Windows 8-style applications. Future versions are expected to include a version of Cortana, alongside other new features that Microsoft is working to complete ready for release in spring next year.

Update 7AM ET: article updated to confirm the Windows 9 logo that Microsoft used is simply a mockup.

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