Windows 9 may get virtual desktops, ditch the Charms bar

The next Windows 8.1 update might prove to be a modest one, but Microsoft has plenty of changes in store for Windows 9. According to insiders, Windows 9 may dump the Charms bar and add support for virtual desktops.

The plan, apparently, is to move Charm functionality into the title bar to make Metro apps a better fit on the Windows 9 Desktop. The move to eliminate the Charms baris a surprising one, but it’s not the first about-face Microsoft has made since introducing Windows 8. The Start Button was unceremoniously killed only to be resurrected in a neutered form, and now we know it’s going to be wired to a full Start Menu again in Windows 9.
We’ve also seen Microsofttweak button layouts on the Start Screen to make powering off and rebooting more obvious. They’ve laid the groundwork for windowed Metro apps by making them appear on the taskbar in Desktop mode and adding a title bar with close button in Metro.
They’re clearly taking user feedback to heart and working to make Windows 9 the new Windows 7 — and squash any Vista-ness that’s been lingering in Windows 8.
It also sounds like power users may finally have official first-party support for virtual desktops in Windows 9. Linux and OS X users have been able to set up multiple desktops for years, and it’s been possible on Windows, too, with the help of third-party software.
With Windows 9, you’ll no longer need a helper app. The plumbing for virtual desktop support has been buried in Windows all along, and it’s great to hear that Microsoft is finally going to give Windows users the option to configure more than one workspace. No, it’s not something that the average user is ever going to bother with, but organized geeks will be all over virtual desktops. I’m willing to bet that a lot of users who hate the Metro interface will applaud the addition.