Some posts that appeared online yesterday claim that Microsoft could release a new updated version of Windows 8.1 this fall, while Windows 9, the next major version of the company's operating system, could be released in early 2015.
ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, citing inside sources, reports that Redmond could release the second update to Windows 8.1 as soon as this August, as the company is already working on new features that could be part of this new version.
No further details were given, so we can't say for sure whether the new update is called Windows 8.2 or Windows 8.1 Update 2. But one thing is for sure: Microsoft is trying to make changes to the controversial operating system to make it work better on desktops.
Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft's OS team, said at BUILD 2014 in San Francisco that a future Windows 8.1 update could also bring back the Start menu, which was removed from Windows 8, in order to force users to discover the new Start screen.
Myerson also revealed a mockup of the upcoming Start menu, explaining that it is aimed at desktop computers, which means that touch devices, such as tablets, may not have it as a feature.
However, since the release of Windows 8, the company has received a lot of negative comments for the removal of the Start Menu. Since then, it has released two major updates, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Update. Everything indicates that the feature that fans of the operating system want is not among the company's priorities.
