The end of September is just around the corner, and October brings with it the promise of cool weather, candy apples, and a new version of Windows. After the divisive reception of Windows 8, Microsoft is rumored to reveal details regarding the next version of Windows, codenamed Windows Threshold, on September 30.
What’s different? Until the official reveal nobody can say, but several new and altered details have featured heavily in early rumors. The Start menu is likely to return, for one thing. More substantially, there are said to be a number of dramatic overhauls to desktop functionality. Virtual desktops, one of the rumored new features, will allow users to manage more than one desktop at a time. The Modern UI may be reduced—or possibly even eliminated—for desktop users, retaining some of the visual style but reducing the challenges of using a touch-oriented interface with a mouse-driven interface. A variety of minor tweaks to the UI tops off the predicted desktop alterations.
New and revised features for touchscreens and mobile devices are more mysterious at this point. It’s possible that desktop functionality will be reduced or eliminated for these devices. It’s also possible that Cortana will find new integration features for this version of Windows.
Regardless of what features are included, the newest iteration of Windows will be significant for developers. With a greater split between desktop and mobile devices, new challenges may appear for dedicated Windows developers. However, the advances that Microsoft has made in the mobile arena and the lessons they have learned from Windows 8 make it likely that a number of powerful new features and tools will be available as well. For now, we can only speculate. What do you think will be revealed at Microsoft’s official announcement? What changes and new features would you like to see? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter @syncfusion.