Windows 9 accidentally plugged by Microsoft China

Windows 9 got some press early Tuesday from Microsoft itself, although it wasn't exactly intentional.

In a posting on Chinese site Weibo, Microsoft China posed the question: "Microsoft's latest OS Windows 9 is coming soon, do you think the start menu at the left bottom will make a come back?" A Windows 9 logo used as a mockup also popped up on the page, according to The Verge. The post and logo were soon removed, but not before Chinese site Cnbeta managed to take a screenshot.

With consumer response to Windows 8 lackluster at best, Microsoft is likely striving to ramp up Windows 9 as quickly as possible. Currently known as Threshold, the next generation of Windows will bring back the Start menu and offer other features designed to win back traditional PC users. A technical preview version of Windows 9 will reportedly hit the market following a press conference on September 30, while the final edition is rumored for release in April 2015.

Beyond reviving the Start menu, Windows 9 will purportedly get rid of the Charms bar, offer the ability to run Modern apps in resizable desktop windows, add support for virtual desktops, and integrate Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant.

:story: c|net