Windows 9 Charms bar has been barred

WinBeta spreads the word that the pending Windows 9 operating system is likely to drop or significantly change the way the Charms Bar functions for desktop users. Windows Threshold is shaping up to be an operating system very different from its predecessor, with the desktop taking front and center again for desktop users, the Modern UI is in the rear-view mirror for devices that never needed it in the first place. 

As Threshold is putting the desktop back in first place for desktop users, a question still remains. If Microsoft is allowing Modern UI apps to run in desktop mode, how will the Charms bar work?

Before we begin, we must stress that we're talking about the Charms for the desktop only. We haven't heard too much about the Charms bar for tablets, however we believe the way they are accessed won't be changing from its current form.

Today, WinBeta can exclusively reveal that the Charms bar is going away for desktop users. No longer will Charms be accessible by navigating to either the top or bottom right of your screen. You may be wondering how this will work, considering some Modern UI apps are dependent on the charms.

We can confirm that Microsoft have been toying with multiple different ways they could implement a new charms menu which is fluent and makes sense for mouse users. One method that we heard about that stands out is having a button up near the window controls that once pressed, would reveal the Search, Share, Devices and Settings charms from the top of the window (there's no need for a Start Button for desktop users in the charms.)

Another idea Microsoft have been toying with is removing the Charms completely. While it's possible, we're not entirely sure how that would work. A number of Modern UI apps depend on the Charms for certain features, apps require the Settings button within the Charms to access app settings, and some apps require the Search charm to search within the apps. Microsoft could just tell developers to update their apps, but that seem unlikely.

Either way, if Microsoft stick to their plans, the Charms bar won't exist for desktop users like it does today. Of course, Threshold is currently in Alpha, meaning it's very early days and plans can easily change. Microsoft may decide to leave the Charms bar the way it is in the end, however that seems very unlikely as the current implementation of it in Windows 8.1 is rather poor and insufficient.

How would you like the Charms to work in Windows Threshold, and do you even want them to change? Leave us your thoughts below.