24 replies to this topic

[+Mephistopheles]

Windows Blue is Microsoft's future low-cost OS with yearly updates

Microsoft is busy preparing its next-generation Windows client, shortly after shipping Windows 8 in October. The Verge has learned from several sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans that the company is planning to standardize on an approach, codenamed Blue, across Windows and Windows Phone in an effort to provide more regular updates to consumers.

The new update on the Windows side, due in mid-2013, will include UI changes and alterations to the entire platform and pricing. We’re told that Microsoft is aiming to make Windows Blue the next OS that everyone installs. The approach is simple, Microsoft will price its next Windows release at a low cost or even free to ensure users upgrade. Once Windows Blue is released, the Windows SDK will be updated to support the new release and Microsoft will stop accepting apps that are built for Windows 8, pushing developers to create apps for Blue.

We understand that you will need a genuine copy of Windows to upgrade to Windows Blue. Built-in apps and the Windows Store will cease functioning if a copy is upgraded that is pirated. Sources tell us that Microsoft will likely keep the Windows 8 name for the foreseeable future, despite the Windows Blue update. A big part of Windows Blue is the push towards yearly updates for Microsoft’s OS. Microsoft will kick off an annual upgrade cycle for Windows that is designed to make it more competitive against rival platforms from Apple and Google.

We reached out to Microsoft for comment, however a company spokesperson refused to discuss Windows Blue.

Source: The Verge

[n_K]

Rent an OS and updates?
Sounds pretty dire.

[+Chris123NT]

I wonder what this means for licensing, specifically Volume License customers. I can see yearly KMS key updates becoming a real bitch lol

[aionaddict]

what? surely this date is wrong. they are spending all this time and money to market Windows 8 and it will be replaced and then unsupported from an apps standpoint in 6 months?

Edit: no source for this info either.

[+nesl247]

aionaddict, on 28 November 2012 - 14:46, said:

what? surely this date is wrong. they are spending all this time and money to market Windows 8 and it will be replaced and then unsupported from an apps standpoint in 6 months?

Edit: no source for this info either.

What I think the article is trying to say is they are going to start doing point releases like Windows 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, etc. Every few years they will do the major OS update like Windows 9. Rather than waiting 3 years for feature changes, they are going to do these point releases. Once a new point release is out though, you can't develop for an older version. Basically you have to develop against the latest SDK and that is it.

[Arceles]

Apple-ish indeed May as well go to hackintosh...

[TheLegendOfMart]

No surprises there, they had stuff like this planned post-Windows XP, codenamed Blackcomb which was supposed to be a modular OS that you could purchase subscriptions to programs like office, etc.. before they scrapped it and went with Longhorn (Vista)

[vcfan]

theverge is a complete joke. they are just rehashing the rumors that have already been out for awhile.

-windows blue is an update that will make changes (duh)
-low cost or free
-updated API

[Growled]

Quote

The approach is simple, Microsoft will price its next Windows release at a low cost or even free to ensure users upgrade.

So how do they make any profit by giving away their OS?

[The King of GnG]

You know we are approaching the end of the "personal" computing when news outlets start to refer to Windows as the " next-generation Windows client". At this point, I'm looking forward to use a more mature ReactOS project and a DOSBox build capable of running the older (pre-NT) Windows version with ease.

[jakem1]

The King of GnG, on 29 November 2012 - 11:15, said:

You know we are approaching the end of the "personal" computing when news outlets start to refer to Windows as the " next-generation Windows client". At this point, I'm looking forward to use a more mature ReactOS project and a DOSBox build capable of running the older (pre-NT) Windows version with ease.

Why stop there when you could go all the way back to using an abacus and a slide-rule? Your posts are getting more and more ridiculous.

[Growled]

The King of GnG, on 29 November 2012 - 11:15, said:

You know we are approaching the end of the "personal" computing when news outlets start to refer to Windows as the " next-generation Windows client". At this point, I'm looking forward to use a more mature ReactOS project and a DOSBox build capable of running the older (pre-NT) Windows version with ease.

Just give me a Chromebook and I'm good to go.

[Stoffel]

The King of GnG, on 29 November 2012 - 11:15, said:

You know we are approaching the end of the "personal" computing when news outlets start to refer to Windows as the " next-generation Windows client". At this point, I'm looking forward to use a more mature ReactOS project and a DOSBox build capable of running the older (pre-NT) Windows version with ease.

Why are you even a reporter at a tech site, it seems you hate everything that's newer then the year 2000
You should find something better to do, because trolling these forums is getting boring for all of us!

[ArialBlue]

A chance to quickly address some W8 criticism

[RandPC]

Growled, on 29 November 2012 - 01:56, said:

So how do they make any profit by giving away their OS?

Metro. Why do you think it's a closed ecosystem?
To ensure they get money from every piece of software anyone uses.

The potential revenue from getting 20-30% for every single software anyone buys, plus advertising built into the platform plus native tie-in's to all of Microsoft's other platforms (Music, Xbox etc etc. to help ensure people go there first for all of their games, music, videos etc.).
It's effectively subsidizing the operating system through the software. Not radically dissimilar to how smart phones are subsidized by the contracted plans.

As long as people use Metro you can ensure they have to go through you for anything they want to buy, and you have complete control over what anyone can do on the OS. No software runs you don't explicitly approve of. Radically decreased piracy.
The potential profit margins there will vastly exceed anything OS licensing has ever brought in the past.

Apple has succeeded doing the exact same thing for years.

The downside to this is users that use the desktop which remains an open uncontrolled platform with no service tie-ins, no advertising, purchases from anywhere. That'll kill profits, but as long as they can get a sufficiently large number of people to primarily use Metro it'll work out. Moving more traditional desktop functionality like explorer/file browser to Metro and off the desktop will help there.

Even if some people primarily use the desktop it's not crippling, Android is an open OS too but they survive quite giving the OS out free and subsidizing it via software through Google Play... because most people don't use the open aspects and don't get software from anyone except Google even if they can so the lost revenue from those few that don't partake in GooglePlay or Google's various other services are covered by the majority who do.
I suppose removing the desktop obviates this issue, but that's obviously not viable for the foreseeable future.

In any case, OS licensing is a pittance compared to other new revenue sources through the OS.
If higher windows costs prevents people from buying and using Windows 8, that means fewer people in Metro. And anything that prevents people from accessing Metro is costing them money, as the alternative is the desktop on Win7.... which benefits Microsoft not at all, there is no profit margins from people using the desktop. Or competing platforms, be it Linux, iOS/OSX, Android.

They NEED and smartly are ensuring that absolutely everyone can get onto Windows 8 and Metro. As long as they have that then they can work on converting people to using Metro itself rather then the desktop and driving revenue from the new revenue streams therein.