What is next Operating System after Windows 8?

Update as on 25-May-13 : Finally Microsoft has revealed the release of next operating system of Windows 8. However, they dropped the name Windows Blue and named it Windows 8.1. Tami Reller, CMO and CFO of Microsoft's windows division, mentioned the same, while addressing JP Morgan's Technology, Media and Telecom conference. Reller didn't mention the launch date, though hinted that it would be launched during the holiday season. The upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 will assumed to be free.

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Update as on 28-Dec-12 :It has just been a couple of months that Microsoft has launched its Windows 8 operating system. The windows 8 sales has not been impressive in the first couple of months. And now the rumor in the air is that they are working in full-fledged for their next operating system, Windows Blue. It has been heard that Windows Blue will be released sometime in summer in the next year.

 

Well, how this rumor was aired? The initial news came from ZDNet in the month of August, when they stated in one of the articles that Windows blue would be the interim version for Windows before Windows 9 gets released. It has been known that the change will consists of UI changes. The price of this Window's next operating system same will be much cheaper than that of Windows 8 operating system. The tech website “The Verge” has mentioned that once Windows blue is released, the Windows 8 SDK will be updated to support the new release. As a result, the built in apps, which are specifically created for Windows 8, need to be upgraded to be compatible with Blue. Windows app will continue to run in Blue even after software up-gradation.

 

The news of Windows Blue has got more weightage off late while a news broke up in a Taiwanese forum. The forum user claimed that he was already running a Windows operating system with alpha build 9622, whereas the Windows 8 build was 9200. Though he has referred it as Windows 9, we cannot rule out the possibility of Windows Blue. According to him, there’s only some difference in the kernel and it is expected to be 6.3. The general UI of this next operating system is still the Metro UI and the start screen will continue to be the same. It means that the users will not get default start button and menu in the next version as well.