Leaked Download Page Confirms Start Menu, Multiple Desktops

[Petrovic]

Content source

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Leaked-Windows-9-Preview-Download-Page-Confirms-Start-Menu-Multiple-Desktops-460216.shtml

Microsoft will officially talk about Windows 9 plans publicly next week during a press event in San Francisco, but it turns out that the company has already completed development of the very first testing build aimed at the masses.

A post on PCBeta forums reveals a screenshot from Microsoft Connect which allegedly allows users to download Windows Technical Preview build 9834, but it’s not yet clear at this point whether the download links are indeed active or not.

Of course, users cannot access this section, so the download link doesn’t work for anyone beside partners who have to log in with their credentials before getting access to this page.

Surprisingly, the date when the listing was published is September 8, which means that the download link has been available for a while, so many partners might already be running the preview.
Build 9834 could be the public preview
A few weeks ago, leaked Windows 9 screenshots provided us with a detailed glimpse at the feature lineup of the next Microsoft operating system, confirming that Redmond was working to bring back the Start menu, multiple desktops, a PC version of Cortana, and other features.

The leaked screenshots were made on Windows Technical Preview build 9834, which is exactly the one that appears in this photo, so they were most likely coming from a partner build.

What’s more, these screenshots reached the web on September 11, only two days after the download link was published on Microsoft’s servers.

This could be a sign that the public build might actually be the very same 9834 that leaked in screenshots a couple of weeks ago, so users may in the end get access to the majority of the features rumored to be part of the final product.
Public download links in early October
While partners can already download Windows Technical Preview, users won’t have this chance until early October.

Microsoft will indeed hold a press conference on September 30 to discuss its Windows 9 plans, but the company will only reveal the download links in early October, sources say. This means that we shall be able to try out the new OS version in approximately 10 days.

The Windows 9 press event won’t be streamed online, but Microsoft apparently promised to post detailed blogs and articles on its official websites once the conference comes to an end, in an attempt to keep everyone up to date with what’s next for Windows.

Windows Technical Preview download links will also be available from Microsoft’s servers, while new versions and updates will be delivered through a new built-in update system.

 

[الشمس]

source : https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/515673123606503424

 

[Exterminator]

Microsoft is set to unveil the very first preview of the next Windows operating system next week, but the company has already prepared the download page for this eagerly-awaited release.

Unsurprisingly, the Windows 9 Preview download page was revealed earlier than expected, so we can finally get more information on what could be either called Windows Technical Preview or Windows TH.

As you can see in the screenshot here (the page has since been removed for obvious reasons, but is likely to be brought back online on September 30), comes with information on how to download the Windows Technical Preview, but also with a photo of the desktop included in the next OS.

While the download instructions provide general information on what you need in order to get the preview build up and running, more gems are hiding in the adjacent screenshot.
Start menu and multiple desktops included
Even though the screenshots is quite small, we can all see the Start menu available on the desktop, along with options such as live tiles and a search box. The design is very similar to what we’ve seen in April at the BUILD 2014 developer conference, but also with the one included in the leaked screenshots published to the web recently.

In addition to the Start menu, the photo also shows the new multiple desktops icon on the taskbar, confirming that this new option will indeed be part of the release.

The notification center is also likely to be there, but no information can be spotted in this screenshot regarding the existence of such a feature.
How to download Windows Technical Preview
The leaked page also comprises details on how to download Windows Technical Preview, recommending users to check out system requirements before anything else.

Unfortunately, system requirements aren’t yet available for us, but we do know that the 64-bit version will come in the form of a 4GB ISO, while the 32-bit build will have around 3GB in size. There’s no yet clear how much space you need for the actual installation of the operating system.

If you PC is ready, you only need to click the download link (which isn’t yet available), transfer the ISO file to installation media such as DVD or USB flash drive, and launch the setup.exe.

The page also reveals some other critical details for those who want to install the OS:

“If you want to stop using Windows Technical Preview and return to your previous version of Windows, you’ll need to reinstall your previous version from the recovery or installation media that came with your PC – typically a DVD. If you don’t have recovery media, you might be able to create a USB recovery drive.”

Additionally, the page states that you won’t be able to use the recovery partition on your PC after you install Windows Technical Preview.

 

[Petrovic]

Microsoft will officially break the news on Windows 9 tomorrow, but thanks to screenshots and information that got leaked in the last 48 hours, we already know quite a lot of details about the builds that should be released to users in just a few hours.

Contrary to what some reports have recently stated, Windows 9 will work on both 32- and 64-bit systems, and the screenshot you see here is living proof.

People close to the matter indicated that Microsoft might make another significant change in Windows 9 and tweak the operating system to work only on 64-bit and 128-bit systems, thus giving up on the 32-bit architecture that continues to be really popular these days.

Somehow, such a decision would have made some sense given the fact that the PC industry is slowly migrating to 64-bit configurations for increased performance and better stability, but 32-bit systems still represent an important side of the industry for the majority of tech companies out there.
32-bit and 64-bit Windows 9 Preview builds prepared
The leaked screenshot that has reached the web today via PCBeta indicates that Microsoft has prepared testing builds of Windows 9 in both 32- and 64-bit forms, with multiple languages currently supported, including English, Chinese, and Portuguese.

There’s no word whether more languages could be released in the coming weeks and months, but the English version should be the right choice for the majority of users.

The 64-bit version of Windows 9 Preview will have around 4.10 GB in size, while the 32-bit will come in the form of a 3.16 GB ISO, all available from Microsoft’s servers.
Official name still unknown
A very interesting aspect of the new Windows 9 preview is the name that Microsoft plans to use when the product becomes available, as several sources from within the company indicated that the company might choose a completely new designation that would help create a brand based on the operating system.

While some suggested that Windows 9 could launch as just Windows, a recent leak has revealed that Microsoft calls the operating system Windows TH, an abbreviation for Threshold, the current codename of the project.

Of course, this could change before the launch actually takes place, and Terry Myerson, head of the OS unit at Microsoft, has recently rolled out a teaser to suggest that a new name is indeed under consideration.

More information will, however, be provided tomorrow, after the Windows 9 preview demo comes to an end. The event won’t be streamed online, but the company has promised to publish full details in a blog post afterwards.

 

[Ink]

Microsoft should consider dropping 32-bit for home users, at least.

 

[jackuars]

Too many Softpedia news on Windows 9...All should be merged to a thread to keep track

 

[الشمس]

a recent leak has revealed that Microsoft calls the operating system Windows TH

cool kinda like windows xp definitely better sounding than windows 8.1