Windows 8.1 is here, but unfortunately for some users, it brings almost no visual improvements, except for a Start button that doesn’t do anything else than taking them to the Start screen.

Users who hoped to see an improvement in the way Windows looks like have now turned their attention to Windows 9, the upcoming full version of the operating system that’s expected to be launched next year.

While there’s evidence that Windows 9 is a work in progress at Microsoft, Redmond has remained completely tight-lipped on this project, so there are no clear details on the operating system.

And still, designers have been hard at work to create concepts that envision the upcoming Windows 9, a release that’s expected to address some of the complaints targeting Windows 8’s visual elements.

Most of these concepts comprise a fully featured Start button that actually launches a Start Menu, so it’s pretty obvious that users still hope to see such an option returning to their desktop operating systems.

Unfortunately, that’s unlikely to happen, as Microsoft has already pledged to keep the Start screen in future Windows releases.

The Start screen is here to stay, Microsoft’s outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer said with several occasions, while adding that it’s only just a matter of time until people really get used to it.

Sources claim that Windows 9 will stick to the flat look, so no Aero effects, while the Modern UI will still be there for touch-capable devices.