Windows 9 news recap: Start menu, virtual desktop, and notification center shown off on video

Ron

Windows 9 news recap: Start menu, virtual desktop, and notification center shown off on video

This week has been quite interesting in terms of Windows 9 (codename Threshold) news. The recent leak of a number of new screenshots from build 9834 of Windows 9 confirms a number of claims which WinBeta as well as a number of other people have stated in the past. Let’s take a look at what transpired this past week in the world of Windows 9.

Let’s start off with the Start menu. A video, leaked from WinFuture.de, demonstrates use of the new Start Menu and the ability to re-enable the Start Screen. WinBeta understands that the ability to re-enable the Start Screen isn’t permanent, and could be removed from the operating system before RTM. If users give feedback asking to keep the Start Screen however, Microsoft may opt to keep this option intact.

Another video, coming from WinFuture.de, has shown off the new virtual desktop feature coming in Windows 9 (Threshold). The video comes from build 9834, which is a very early pre-release build of the Windows Technical Preview coming later this month. As the build is so early, the virtual desktop feature itself is very basic. Animations aren’t there and a few bugs are riddled throughout it.

For those that did not know, the virtual desktops feature allows users to have more than one desktop with different windows at a time. The feature allows users to look at all the windows open in that particular desktop and close them right from the virtual desktop switcher. You can add multiple desktops if you wish, we’re not sure if there’s a limit as to how many you can add, as the feature in build 9834 is buggy and the “add new desktop” button gets pushed away once you open multiple desktops.

This feature will come in handy for desktop enthusiasts who deal with multiple programs at one time. Each desktop could be categorized if needed, which would help organize desktops around the world. Check out the video below and let us know what you think.

Another video was leaked this week showcasing the much-anticipated notification center. The notification system that Windows currently uses shows the notifications on the top right, but if you miss it, you are left wondering what in the world it was. The notification center solves this problem by putting a center for your notifications in right corner of the taskbar.

Keep in mind that what you have seen so far is from build 9834 of Windows 9. This build has yet to leak and changes to the interface will most likely happen by the time the operating system is released. Microsoft is set to talk more about Windows 9 on September 30th and likely release a public preview of Windows 9 on that day.

Stay tuned to WinBeta for your comprehensive Windows 9 news coverage!

‘Windows 9 news recap’ is a weekly feature which we started a few weeks ago. You can follow all our Windows 9 related news directly at our dedicated page here.