Rumor: Microsoft working on new OS 'Windows Blue'

[JJ_]

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.

Originally unveiled by ZDNet, the 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 specifically for Windows 8, pushing developers to create apps for Blue. Windows 8 apps will continue to run on Blue despite the planned SDK changes.

Yearly upgrades will be the norm for Windows soon

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: http://theverge.com/2012/11/28/3693368/windows-blue-update-low-cost

UI change, sounds interesting. Perhaps Microsoft have finally got the message that desktop consumers don't want a tablet UI.

[TPreston]

Its funny that you jump to the conclusion that they're killing metro

[JJ_]

I don't see why a desktop UI and metro can't work in harmony. If the story is too be believed, a mid 2013 update seems pretty rushed.

[MorganX]

I don't see why a desktop UI and metro can't work in harmony. If the story is too be believed, a mid 2013 update seems pretty rushed.

If the story is to be believed, then they're not putting as many resources into fixing the current release as I'm sure we would all like.

[MidTxWRX]

Windows 8 (8.0)

Windows 8 Blue (8.1)

Windows 8 Red (8.2)

Windows 8 Yellow (8.3)

Windows 8 Green (8.4)

Could maybe keep going with different colors up to 8.9... but if they're gonna release one per year and provide a complete upgrade to a new OS within about 5 years, then they'll just stop at 8.4 and move to 9.0. ....just a guess.

Windows 9

Windows 9 Blue

Windows 9 Red

Windows 9 Yellow

Windows 9 Green

:p

[Aethec]

One of the most important things Microsoft has to do right now is a WinRT desktop, and more WinRT APIs to kill Win32. If they figure out a way to virtualize Win32 apps, they can then switch the OS to a completely different one (Midori) and apps won't notice.

[MidTxWRX]

If the story is to be believed, then they're not putting as many resources into fixing the current release as I'm sure we would all like.

Windows 8 Blue will be an extension to Windows 8. Probably like a service pack but with added features.

[Stoffel]

My guess is that it will be free for Win8 users and the usual price for anybody else, maybe still around $40 to make sure everybody switches

I read somewhere they are working to make the start screen more customizable, like WP8, more different tile sizes,...

I think the SDK change will be just an update to the new Metro API, after all it's only a v1.0 release, we should be happy if they upgrade this as much as possible

There is no way they are going to make people get used to yet another API after this reboot with Win8, like some are thinking

[pack34]

I don't see why a desktop UI and metro can't work in harmony. If the story is too be believed, a mid 2013 update seems pretty rushed.

Not if they are planning yearly point releases in between major ones.

[Buzz99]

Changes will happens 22/12/2012...

I don't see why a desktop UI and metro can't work in harmony. If the story is too be believed, a mid 2013 update seems pretty rushed.

No, we must choose wich we want to use. Hybrid OS is just something made not to loose money for Microsoft.

[Growled Member]

Yearly upgrades will be the norm for Windows soon

Me and a billion other business folks ain't going to approve of that.

[pack34]

Me and a billion other business folks ain't going to approve of that.

If application compatibility doesn't break, who cares?

[Skin]

If application compatibility doesn't break, who cares?

doesn't matter. legacy and regression testing will still take place, and most companies don't like to be on the bleeding edge anymore. Those yearly updates will be rolled out the following year or two in medium-larger companies....and even skipping whole years to keep budget (for testing and maintenance fees) down...effectively defeating MS's reasons for doing this.

[Growled Member]

doesn't matter. legacy and regression testing will still take place, and most companies don't like to be on the bleeding edge anymore. Those yearly updates will be rolled out the following year or two in medium-larger companies....and even skipping whole years to keep budget (for testing and maintenance fees) down...effectively defeating MS's reasons for doing this.

Agreed. And updating thousands of computers plus retraining and testing is going to be a nightmare. Heck, it might be cheaper and easier to move to a Mac.

[Stoffel]

Agreed. And updating thousands of computers plus retraining and testing is going to be a nightmare. Heck, it might be cheaper and easier to move to a Mac.

Why would it be cheaper/better to move to mac? They also have OS updates every year? What would be the difference?

[PGHammer]

One of the most important things Microsoft has to do right now is a WinRT desktop, and more WinRT APIs to kill Win32. If they figure out a way to virtualize Win32 apps, they can then switch the OS to a completely different one (Midori) and apps won't notice.

Why would (or should, for that matter) WinRT kill (as opposed to compliment) Win32? Yes - Win32 is an older API; however, there are still things that the Win32 API does that the WinRT API and its progeny can't, don't and (most importantly) won't be capable of doing - ever. While WindowsRT doesn't support Win32, it's not supposed to! WindowsRT is a *subset* OS, while Windows 8 (you know, that *flop* that's grabbed 40 million licenses since RTM) is a a *superset* OS.

Here's some food for thought (for the detractors) - could it be that the reason *why* Windows 8 has that many licenses already is *because* it's a superset OS - that it's more than Win32?

[George P Global Moderator]

I don't think WinRT should kill Win32 but it should be extended to the desktop side at least. Once developers can take advantage of the desktop as well with their WinRT apps then it will get very interesting. Hell I should be able to pin winrt apps to the taskbar if I want to.

As for the enterprise knee jerk effect, this is a non-issue. They don't have to upgrade, hell they don't have to install service packs for quite some time so they can test them. If they upgrade to Win8 and want to skip blue then that's just the norm for IT. They skipped Vista for years and stayed on XP, I don't see a difference here. If you think of these as beefier SPs then nothing has changed.

[0nyX]

I am not sure i have understood what Windows Blue is gonna be.

Is it gonna be a major update for Win8 like a service pack that will also add a lot of features? If yes then why pay for it as some say?

Is it gonna be a new OS build on the basis of Win8? And if yes that means that Win8 lifespan is going to be short or we are going to have 2 operating systems getting support from Microsoft side by side?

I am a little bit confused.

[Yogurtmaster]

Well, this is interesting. Is this due to the change of leadership in the Windows division?

[FaiKee]

If what the Verge reporting is true, it will still be a win8 - not a new OS. :)

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

If they drop the 8 which everyone pretty much regards as a big pile of poo, and call it Blue, or Green or whatever, and drop the touch stuff from the desktop version, then this update/upgrade would effectively be Windows 9, and the version that I would actually buy. Well maybe buy, depending if they added the stuff that should of been in Windows 8 in the first place and not dropped.

Im guessing thou that because its rushed (from the failure that is Windows 8, and how they want to get this out in 2013) - it will be more of a band-aid solution.

Hopefully, M$ will just scrap this whole silly idea of unifying the look of all devices, and just have a simple app on the desktop that says 'sync devices' and does exactly that.

[BajiRav]

I don't see why a desktop UI and metro can't work in harmony. If the story is too be believed, a mid 2013 update seems pretty rushed.

Imagine it is 2009 and Microsoft said = let's do Windows 8 in 2012 followed by an update in 2013 - we shall call it BLUE!

Now it's 2012, JJ_ learns about this plan and his reaction ZOMG Blue is the RUSHED!

Release planning is a multi-year thing man, it's not like they started planning next release after 8 was out.

Me and a billion other business folks ain't going to approve of that.

Enterprise will most likely get an equivalent of Firefox's ESR or whatever they end up calling it. In most cases, enterprise customers won't be upgrading to every Windows release anyway.

[Dot Matrix]

Metro isn't going anywhere. Those "UI changes", if anything, will be to fix any problems now with the UI, and possibly add more features to it. Not kill it. You're still not getting the Start Menu back.

[MorganX]

Metro isn't going anywhere. Those "UI changes", if anything, will be to fix any problems now with the UI, and possibly add more features to it. Not kill it. You're still not getting the Start Menu back.

While I tend to agree with all of that. From what I've seen, the current state of 8, it's reception, I can't say that absolutely at this time. If Christmas sales fall flat all bets are off.

[Growled Member]

While I tend to agree with all of that. From what I've seen, the current state of 8, it's reception, I can't say that absolutely at this time. If Christmas sales fall flat all bets are off.

True. It's more a wait and see what happens. If sales soar then obviously they won't do anything.