Windows 9 Cortana, virtual desktops and more appear in action

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It seems some sort of public test of Windows 9 - aka Windows "Threshold," internally - may indeed be right around the corner, if all the recent leaks are any indication.

The next version of Windows, which is believed to be called Windows 9, has appeared in several video and screenshot leaks, all courtesy of German site WinFuture.de.

The videos show several important expected new Windows 9 features, including the OS's new notification center, the virtual desktops feature, and the new, more traditional Start menu.

Start with the clip below to see the Windows 9 multi-desktop feature in action, with a Mac OS X exposé like interface and a convenient button down on the Windows toolbar.

" width="420">YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF4Eva_4UNE

Cortana, where art thou?

Then there's the notification center:

" width="420">YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hG_0pLq49s

And finally the Start menu, which appears to smartly combine elements of the Windows 8 Modern UI and a more traditional, Windows 7-like experience:

" width="420">YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--wgAsHWNRE

WinFuture has been posting several screenshot leaks as well, including never-before-glimpsed images of Cortana hard at work in Windows Threshold.

This interface looks unfinished, and Cortana will not appear in upcoming test versions of Windows 9 until a later date when she's ready, according to The Verge.

But the virtual assistant will be married to the new search button in the Windows taskbar, reports say.

The Windows Technical Preview of Windows 9, supposedly being aimed at enterprise desktop users mainly, is expected to debut in a matter of weeks, followed by a public preview next year.

• Will Windows 9 be a free update?