Rumor: Next Windows will have a completely different taskbar

The next version of Windows will have a completely different taskbar, claims the generally well-established site Neowin. The icons in the taskbar would be ‘mini live tiles’, while the desktop would be more than a static image.

Neowin can’t say whether widgets, which Microsoft supported in a sidebar in Windows Vista, will make a comeback, but at least the desktop should be more than a static image with no further information. The same goes for the icons in the taskbar: they should be able to display more information than just a logo, but how that will happen is unclear.

Neowin is relying on anonymous sources who have had access to the test versions of Threshold, the codename for the next generation of Windows. Neowin is known as a reliable site for rumors about Microsoft. According to the site, the new desktop interface is mainly intended for desktops and laptops, while tablets and smartphones will continue to show the home screen with tiles.

The information indicates that the desktop will become more focused on ‘glanceable’ information, data about apps that are immediately visible without having to click. That’s in line with the focus on productivity that emerged from a recent memo from CEO Satya Nadella.

The design of Windows would be flatter, but it is unclear what that will look like. Neowin emphasizes that this is an early test version and a lot can change before the release. Threshold is slated for a spring 2015 release, according to previous rumours.

Mockup: Windows 8.1 taskbar with live tiles from Windows Phone 8.1