Microsoft is rumoured to be removing the desktop mode from Windows 9 for mobile devices, while PCs running the operating system could be sold with the Metro view disabled.
A lot of talk around Windows 9 has centred on the return of the classic Start Button, taking a step back from the unpopular Metro menu introduced with Windows 8.
Rumours suggest the live tile view will even be disabled by default, though the apps will still be available to users.
For phones and tablets running Windows 9, however, it is rumoured the traditional desktop could disappear completely with the next iteration.
Hybrid systems will offer both modes, and which one displays will depend on whether the keyboard is attached.
Windows 9, or "Threshold", is expected to arrive sometime in 2015, with Windows 8.1 Update 2's release imminent and Update 3 set for April next year.
This third update could delay the release of Windows 9, with the rumoured launch date moving from April to June 2015.
The troubled launch of Windows 8, the first to move away from the traditional desktop and Start Menu, has served to put many people off of Microsoft's operating system, and Windows 9's reinstatement of these features is likely to pique the interest of hesitant late adopters.
