Here’s what Windows 9 could look like

With Windows 8.1 just out the door, Windows 9 is slated for a late 2014 release. With little to go on except sheer creativity and a bevy of ideas, designers and enthusiasts have published what they think the next-generation desktop, notebook, and tablet software should look like.

With a new release cycle of roughly each year, Microsoft is slated to supply its next-generation version of its desktop operating system, likely named Windows 9, by fall 2014. Recent reports suggest the software giant will slim down its line-up down from three versions — Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone — to two or fewer.