Further exerting his control on Microsoft after last week’s historic job cuts, CEO Satya Nadella has now graced fans of the tech giant with some good news instead.
Nadella has promised that Windows 9 will finally achieve convergence with all of Microsoft’s devices with universal apps for PCs, Windows Phone handsets and the Xbox One games console.
Speaking with analysts, Nadella said: “We will streamline the next version of Windows from three operating systems into one single converged operating system for screens of all sizes.”
The main way this will work is through the creation of universal apps that will be able to adapt to the device they are running on.
“An app that runs with a mouse and keyboard on the desktop can be in the store, and you can have the same app run in the touch-first [mobile devices],” said Nadella.
“[It] gives developers the entire volume of Windows, which is 300 plus million units as opposed to just our 4% share of mobile in the US or 10% in some countries.”
The move to unify its Windows OS should lead to more sophisticated apps on Windows Phone devices, for example, which up until now have been severely lagging behind their Google Android and Apple iOS counterparts.
It also puts Microsoft at odds with its rivals as both those firms are pursuing OS separation in regard to their devices – Apple with Mac OSX and iOS, Google with Chrome and Android.
Finally, Nadella also confirmed that Microsoft had recently scrapped plans to release another tablet – leading many to believe that he was referring to the rumoured Surface Mini that was believed to follow the release of the Surface Pro 3.
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