Windows Start Menu Shown Off in New Leaked Image, Experts Differ on Authenticity

A new image purportedly that of the new Windows Start menu has been doing the rounds of late. Initial reactions to the new image which does bear a lot of similarity with the one Microsoft had showed off during the BUILDS conference range from hugely positive to completely dismissive.

Among those who are loathe to rule out the image completely include Neowin's Brad Sams who claim they have got somewhat of an approval from a "source close to Microsoft" that believes the image could well be genuine. The source is believed to have further revealed that "these builds inside of Microsoft still use this branding, so this is not a big deal."

The image which first made an appearance in the My Digital Life forums shows the Start menu that carries a lot of traits of the Windows 8 Metro UI. The My Digital Life forum user who posted the photo is claiming the screenshot to be that of Build 6.4.9788 of Windows 9 that had made an appearance in Windows Store logs.

However, The Verge's Tom Warren is skeptical of the image claiming it to be a huge Photoshop endeavor. "Is likely to be a giant Photoshop though," tweeted Warren.

Microsoft is reported to have contemplated introducing a mini Start menu in the next update to Windows 8.1, presumably Windows 8.1 Update 2 expected to be out in the August September window. That seems to have been put off, according to a new report from ZDNet claiming Microsoft to have put off the re-launch of the Start menu to the Windows 9. It's not known for sure if the postponement has anything to do with the company not being able to fully bake the feature before the expected launch schedule.

Codenamed Threshold, Windows 9 is pegged to be the one time solution to all of Microsoft woes that the company is facing right now and will let it have a better foothold in both the mobile and PC computing segments with equal elan.

Microsoft has not commented on the authenticity of the image leak as of this writing.