Microsoft's Windows Blue may have just hit milestone 1
Summary: Alleged screen shots of Windows Blue have hit the Web just as Microsoft is said to have reached the half-way mark in the development of the Windows refresh expected this year.
The Windows team at Microsoft just completed the first milestone build (M1) of Windows Blue, the first full-fledged update to Windows 8, according to a couple of sources of mine.
One of my contacts said that M1 marks the half-way point in the Windows Blue development schedule. The last and final milestone build of Windows Blue will be M2, said this contact, who requested anonymity.
It's hard to know what will come next, given Windows Blue is the first Windows release to be on an accelerated schedule. Will Microsoft deliver a developer preview of Blue? A consumer preview? Or just go straight from internal milestone builds to final? (I'm thinking it's likely to be the last option, if the Windows team sticks to an earlier leaked target ship date of August 2013.)
Making the Milestone 1 talk more believable is the fact that alleged screen shots of Windows Blue leaked to the Web on February 19, the day after M1 was supposedly complete.
According to one of the screen shot leakers, the WZor team (via Winaero.com), there's a rumor that Windows Blue is based on Windows 6.3. I'm hearing from one of my sources that this information is correct. It's version 6.3 for the same reason Windows 7 was version 6.1: It's the version number reported to apps when they query the new platform so that apps know they are running on a new Windows release.
Windows Blue is believed to be the first of a number of annual operating system updates to Windows 8. There also is a Windows Phone Blue in the works that is expected to have the same core code as Windows Blue. (But, just like the Windows Phone 8 operating system, which was version 8.0, the Windows Phone Blue core build number will likely be something different from Windows 6.3.)
Microsoft officials are not commenting on anything having to do with Windows Blue.
Microsoft is expected to position as a Windows 8 refresh, not as Windows 9. Even though there are Microsoft employees out there who have noted on their LinkedIn profiles they are working on Windows 9, it sounds as though the Windows team is entirely focused on Windows 8 and its coming refreshes. It's not clear to me when and whether Microsoft will roll out something known as Windows 9, given the new plan to deliver Windows operating system updates annually, rather than once every three years.
Microsoft recently posted job openings for new Windows and Windows Phone team members to work on the Blue release, but have since removed those posts.
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Talkback
I am so blue
FYI. Check for 'updatest'
@MJ
how many is one
The accelerated schedule for the first update tells us MS realised things are not right.
I put it down as the worst windows version ever. ME was weak vista a bit a mess but this time round its a wreck. It must be the same team who thought of "charms" who decided we needed a dancing paper clip.
What makes things worse is that underneath there are some good things and it should work. It is as far as I can see about the first time upgrades mostly work.
The problem that that someone has not had the job of joining the dots. Where the heck is kinect to bring gestures to mainstream PC's. What is the purpose of the "metro" interface on anything other than a touch based system. Who gave the apps store project to an intern. Who though getting rid of the start menu would work ...at least on a PC.
Perhaps
I guess we'll find out when MS removes Charms and the entire Modern UI in their first Blue release. If they don't, you are wrong.
"Who though getting rid of the start menu would work ...at least on a PC."
I know, if personal computer OS doesn't have a start menu then it sucks. So when exactly did you start thinking os x sucked so bad?
we will see
So in answer to your question about the lack of a start button. The problem is not that you need one the problem its that its still an O/S designed around the fact that one existed.
type more
It doesn't suck because it doesn't have a start menu.
And yes, I'm still calling it Metro because it is what it is.
middle ground
Touch is the key
As for the app store, you are right, that is an absolute debacle.
Ha
I don't think you understand. Windows 8 is as fast or faster than Windows 7. How about doing some reading? People read the initial anti-Windows 8 headlines [before anyone had actually used it for a decent period of time] and forgot to think for themselves.
Here's one example of Windows 8 performance vs. Windows 7:
http://usabilitygeek.com/windows-8-vs-windows-7-speed-and-performance-testing/
Here's a Windows 8 vs. Windows XP test, albeit not entirely "scientific"
http://www.troyhunt.com/2013/02/operating-system-smackdown-windows-8.html
Please, read about it. It's a really solid operating system, and if I had to sum up the bad hype, it'd be this: "omg one part of it looks difrnt!"
Yes
Not "hardware" in the performance sense
You can get a sub-$200 touch screen,
omg one part of it looks difrnt!
Sadly when you go to any Microsoft website now it is the same 2 dimensional pale color ugliness. Hmmmm. 2 dimensional and pale. Maybe this also describes...
Except..
And the real kicker is, the one area that win 8 was supposed to excel at (tablets) I still prefer 7 because it handles pen/touch input better, and takes up far less space (which is most often somewhat limited on a tablet).. I mean wow the surface pro 64gb comes with barely 20gb usable space..
I mostly agree
Totally agree
I just bought a Dell Inspiron 17R laptop, consisting of a corei5 CPU, 6GB RAM, 750GB hard drive, bluetooth, wireless, ethernet, USB '3' ports, all with a 17"
NON-touch screen. Windows 8 is, in a word, fantastic!
Once you get the hang of the corner mouse gestures, it is very fluid and easy to navigate. Use this laptop and understand just how cutting-edge the operating system truly is.
I bought this laptop for my daughter, but, after seeing it in action, I have ordered another one for me, arriving tomorrow via Fedex (thank you Dell).
In a way, you almost have to feel sorry for all the naysayers, who feel compelled to cut something down because they may have heard others dismiss it out of hand, because it's evil Microsoft, don't you know.
doesn't work for everyone..
Have You Tried a Touch Screen?
That question is what drove me, against my better judgment, to attempt to use a MS product (Win8) before a Service release.
I have not used Win 8. I tried, the upgrade failed on my machine.
Although I have heard from a number of Win 8 users with a touch screen, the reason people bitch is they do not have a touch screen.
MS has a vested interest in touch. It is coming and you are some day going to use it. Not a matter of IF but a matter of WHEN.
One other thing. The complaints about Win 8 are very similar to other Windows releases e.g. 95, 98 and XP.
Why Windows 8 is bad
Switching back and forth between Desktop and Start screen is jarring
Some things that were great in Win7 are harder in Win8
Did I mention that Win8 on a computer is stupid? The tasks and way of using the computer are DIFFERENT than with a phone or tablet. I don't want Full Screen Apps, I like Windows. We are not simpleton iOS users.
Try touching your desktop screen for more than 2 minutes and tell me how great it is.
Examples:
Win7 Shut Down = two mouse clicks
Win8 Shut Down = who knows, who can find it?
Search - Much better in Windows 7
Search = takes more clicks to find the same thing in Win8
try searching for Power Options in both, Win7 is much better
Win8 Feels inconsistent when going back and forth from pictures for example, why no "Back" option when it's really needed and it's very confusing looking at a PDF for example using Adobe. Start screen - Desktop and back again.
Two different Internet Explorers? Are you kidding me? People already can't tell the difference between "the internet" and a web browser, now you have to try and explain why favorites in Internet Explorer don't show up in the Other Internet Explorer!
Need I go on?