Windows 9 ?

More Windows 9 Details Leak, And It Sounds Like Microsoft Is Slowly Gutting Windows 8

The Charms sidebar may be excluded from Windows 9, according to Winbeta and ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, who has an excellent track record when it comes to breaking Microsoft news.

The Charms menu is a sidebar that offers shortcuts to certain functions within the operating system, such as the search bar, the Settings menu, and the Devices page, among others. It's one of the primary means of navigating Microsoft's software.

Instead, the company will supposedly include some of these buttons in title bars for Windows' "Metro-style" apps. It's unclear whether this will be the case for all versions of Windows (including tablets, PCs, and hybrids), or just for mobile devices. Winbeta says this will apply to desktops only, while Foley says the Charms bar will disappear from all Windows iterations.

Microsoft is also expected to add support for virtual desktops in Windows 9, according to Foley. This would allow a user to store his or her website on a server rather than locally on the device, meaning it can be accessed anytime from another computer as well.

a public preview could arrive in fall 2014, although the final build isn't expected to launch until spring 2015.

Even better, Microsoft is planning a surprise for multi-taskers with the addition of multiple virtual desktops.

Microsoft hasn't released any official details, but multiple news sites report these changes are for real.

On Wednesday, WinBeta reported that the Charms bar was on its way out in Windows 9, at least for desktop users. A few hours later ZDNet Windows watcher Mary Jo Foley said her sources were also confirming that the Charms bar was effectively dead. Then early Thursday, The Verge's Tom Warren piled on and said he'd also heard the same thing. (Foley and Warren were the duo that broke the news about Windows 8.1.)

The Charms bar is the pop-out side bar on the right-hand side of Windows 8 and 8.1 that contains options such as search, share, and settings.

The Charms bar was always problematic since there were no visual cues within the UI to hint at its existence. For desktop users, it was a huge pain to use because it required an awkward mouse gesture.

More desktops for your desktop

Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux users have had virtual desktops for years, and the feature is finally coming to Windows, Neowin reported on Tuesday. Foley also said that virtual desktops were on the docket for Windows 9.

Virtual desktops are just multiple versions of the same desktop you work with every day. The only difference is you can switch between them quickly, allowing you to have different set-ups on each. You could, for example, have one desktop dedicated to Web browsing, one for writing in a distraction-free environment, or basic work and play set-ups.

Source: ZDnet