Microsoft’s Announced Decision to re-name Windows 9 to the next version, 10.

It has only been three days, but the dust is starting to settle from Microsoft’s announced decision to re-name Windows 9 to the next version, 10. Why the change was made is still subject to speculation, but appears to have something to do with not laying the old nomenclature on what Microsoft considers such an evolutionary advance in operating systems. And Windows 10 has a nice ring to it, given that other operating system (notably Apple) have already moved to that designation.

Microsoft itself won’t say. What they will say is that this release will be so fabulous you won’t even ask, for what that is worth. Window 10 is supposed to return to the elegance and simplicity of Windows 7, but with additional features and enhancements. Note that it is early to assume all of the following will make it through to the final version, but features under consideration include:

• Philosophically, Microsoft will split its operating system in two. One will be for desktop/mouse, the other for touchscreen and tablets. Windows Mobile for Phones will fall somewhere in the middle. It recognizes that millions of users and most corporations soundly rejected to whole single-operating-system structure, though the new system will provide a single operating system with many different user experiences.
• The return of the Start button. It won’t be exactly like the old one, but will be pretty close. The left-side bottom corner will look like Windows 7, and it will be possible to get rid of the “Metro” look entirely.
• A new Task Manager. The Task Manager, one of the more useful administrative tools, has become so incomprehensible for novice users that it was no longer useful. This is aimed at changing that.
• The death of the “Charms Bar.” That obnoxious bar on the right of the screen that gets in the way of almost everything you want to do can be sent away.
• You can get rid of the “Metro” interface completely, but... There will be an effort made to port some metro-style apps to the desktop, but efforts to make this transition have so far proven unsuccessful.
• The “Cortana” Digital Assistant will be ported to the desktop. Microsoft’s response to the Apple Siri will appear in all versions of Windows 10. It’s a possible game-changer for novice users.
• Virtual desktops. The new system will support multiple virtual desktops on a single machine, a capability high prized among UNIX users and others.

Two other things are worth noting. First, the “Technical Preview” (beta version of Windows 10) is available from Microsoft at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso. It is too close to tax season to install this on any production computer, so we advise that tax preparers and CPAs wait for the final release version.

Second, in spite of the rampant rumors, it is unlikely that the new operating system will be offered for free to users of Windows 8 or 8.1. Highly unlikely, but expect to see some short-term deals. We will attempt to notify Drake Software customers when we see such deals.

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Source: Supersite for Windows at http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/microsoft-announces-windows-10; Microsoft at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso