Neowin has rooted-up what its sources allege is an early build screenshot of the Windows 9 desktop, containing evidence pointing toward the return and metro-izing of the start menu. The screenshot is of Windows build 9788 (still branded internally as Windows 8.1 Pro), an alleged new iteration of the Windows desktop OS.

The resurrected start menu shows what we’d expect: A few key programs on the left bar, a search function, “All Programs,” and some right sidebar options. The right sidebar is changed from previous issues of the OS, primarily in that it uses a more Metro-like UI – tiles and hard colors, namely.

We don’t know much about Windows 9 yet, but it sounds like it’s going to be a lot closer to Windows 7 than 8. I am reminded of the Windows XP / Windows Vista split, though the gap between the two felt much larger.

Stewart "stewpot" Brooks.