Microsoft may soon reveal the new Windows 9 operating system at a special unveiling event scheduled for Today, Sept. 30. This development was first revealed by Re/code, which often leaks insider information. Unfortunately, Microsoft will not provide live stream for the unveiling event.
Dubbed Windows 9 within tech gossip circles, this software is believed to be the successor to the Windows 8 software. It is not clear if Microsoft will refer to the new operating system as Windows 9, upon the day of launch.
So far, there has not been much official information regarding the Window 9 specifications and release date details. However, a number of purported leaks have surface over the past few days ahead of the Sept. 30 event.
Recently, the Indonesia-language site Detik interviewed Andreas Diantoro, president of Microsoft Indonesia. The senior executive said that Windows 8 users will get a free copy of Windows 9 installed automatically on their computers.
Meanwhile, Windows observer Paul Thurrott released details regarding the Start menu on Windows 9. Thurrott pointed out that the design follows Windows 8 by having "pinned items appear on the right side of the menu as tiles." Each tile can be resized and repositioned according to the user's preference. Similar to Windows 7, the Windows 9 Start menu can still be accessed by clicking the Start button on the Windows taskbar.
Thurrott's observations are more-or-less consistent with a series of leaked videos by German-speaking YouTube poster WinFuture. The footages show the start menu, notification center, and the multi-desktop feature.
One notable rumor that has attracted much attention is the possibility that Windows 9 will integrate the Cortana digital assistant function. Named after the artificial intelligence character from the popular Halo videogame series, Cortana features a natural female voice that speaks directly to users. The digital assistant answers questions using Bing search engine results, as well as sending important reminders to users.
For now, there is no official information regarding when Windows 9 will start reaching stores. Based on the most recent rumors, the estimated arrival date may occur sometime between April and September 2015.
