Still holding onto your trusty copy of Windows 7 with a steely kung-fu grip? Well partner, it looks like Microsoft's next operating system, codenamed "Threshold," or, Windows 9 in the common tongue, is aimed right at you. The OS will apparently ship in three different flavors (desktop, tablet and mobile) and recognize the hardware its running on and adjust the experience accordingly, as ZDNet's Windows-leak queen Mary Jo Foley writes. Meaning, if you're on a traditional desktop or laptop using a mouse and keyboard, Threshold will boot directly into the Windows desktop you know and love. The Live-tiled Start screen may return for people using touch-based machines like tablets and convertible laptops, although there will supposedly be an option to switch between the two environments if Threshold detects an attached keyboard. What's more, Foley's sources also say that if you're itching to get your hands on the new OS ahead of its reported launch next spring, there'll be a public preview version this autumn.

[Image credit: Associated Press]