Next Version Of Windows To Be Called ‘Blue’ Instead Of Windows 9, Releasing Next Year?
After Windows 7 and Windows 8 would come, naturally, Windows 9, but Mary Jo Foley
– renowned as a very well-connected individual, thinks there may be
something else in the pipeline. Sure, we should gearing ourselves up to
dive in head-first with Windows 8, but there’s nothing wrong with speculating on what’s coming next, now is there?
Foley suspects the next edition to be operating under the codename
Windows ‘Blue,’ and although she offers little in the form of genuine
detail, there’s enough there to make note of. Citing "a couple of
contacts," an update is said to be arriving next year, although it’s not
yet known whether Windows Blue is a feature-rich release of just un
update filled with the usual array of bug fixes and general performance
enhancements.
Even if it is just a service pack,
Foley reckons it’ll be out in a year’s time, and although we’re led to
believe Windows 8 is the finished article, it might be that the software maker is just getting started, building the OS through the next few years.
Still, having used the Release Preview build of Windows 8, I have to say it works
fairly smoothly, but it’s not without its shortcomings. Therefore, if
Microsoft does decide to release a series of bug fixed next year with
this Windows Blue, it’ll probably also add a couple of nice new features along with it, in order to keep the people happy.
A bit more info on Windows Blue?
Even though Windows 8 has only been on the market for a short time we
already know Microsoft is hard at work on the next version of the OS.
The project is codenamed “Windows Blue” and is expected to launch next summer bringing improvements and new features to Windows 8 as well as debuting a new yearly update cycle for Microsoft’s OS.
There now seems to be a bit more info on the next version of Windows
due to someone that posted on a Taiwanese forum. Members of that forum
have identified the user as a Microsoft official so there might be some
truth to what he’s saying but of course you should take this with a
grain of salt.
He is supposedly running an alpha version of the next Windows with the
version number 9622. Surprisingly he calls this Windows 9 though judging
from that version number ( currently Windows 8 is at 9200 ) we think
he’s actually talking about Windows Blue, which is supposed to retain
the Windows 8 branding once it hits markets.
According to him this next version of Windows will keep the Metro
visuals and Start Screen, so no surprises there. However, we are
expecting some changes, with users being able to customize their Start Screen more easily with more resizable tiles a la Windows Phone 8.
Another tidbit of info on the UI front is that the Desktop will still
be present but it will undergo even more flattening, so perhaps the
taskbar will finally stop being translucent and the whole thing will be a
bit more cohesive.
Lastly he mentions there will be an update to the kernel which will
reach version 6.3. Windows Blue is supposed to bring a few deep changes
to the OS and upgrading the kernel does indeed fit the bill.
As we mentioned before we can’t be sure of the accuracy of this info
though it is certainly plausible. If we are right though, then this
means we only have about 6 months to wait until launch so there are
bound to be many leaks, and a lot more info by then.
Windows Blue: A boon or bane for developers?
Since Microsoft maintains
tight control over its core ecosystem, moving to more frequent OS
updates shouldn't cause the same fragmentation woes that plague the
overall Android experience. In fact, reports (however murky) say that
Windows Blue will introduce an SDK that either merges or standardizes
software development for Windows desktop and Windows Phone 8. All
current-gen Windows devices already share a common kernel core to
streamline cross-platform development. Theoretically, the Windows Blue
SDK will bind Windows Phones, tablet and PCs even more tightly together,
and the rumors say modern-style Windows 8 apps will continue to work
just fine on Windows Blue.
"I think it is crucially
important that Microsoft aligns the SDKs and platforms for Windows Phone
and Windows," Miller says. "I think the dissonance between the Windows
Phone 7, Windows Phone 8, and Windows RT platforms aren’t helping developers to make great apps.
Unification, or at least closer alignment, could really help build a
stronger application story and make it easier for developers." Enderle
echoes the sentiment.
In theory, introducing a
standardized SDK should make it easier to create a Modern-style app that
translates easily across the various hardware form factors Windows
supports. That could potentially be a major boon for Microsoft, which
has had trouble swaying developers to the Windows Store and the Windows
Phone Store. Both app marketplaces offer far, far, far fewer apps than
iOS or Android.
"I don’t think developers
are ever fans of big shifts in their platform—but so much of it depends
on how much the APIs underneath forcibly change, and how much the tools
help them navigate or migrate through those changes," Miller continues.
"If Microsoft keeps the
SDK stocked with similar languages, it shouldn't cause too much ire,"
Moorhead says. However, he cautions that the possible specter of yet
another new SDK looming so shortly after the release of the Windows 8
SDK could convince hesitant developers to sit on the sidelines until
more details emerge—especially since Microsoft will allegedly stop
accepting apps programmed for Windows 8 alone when it releases Windows
Blue's SDK.
Sacre blue!
Windows Blue may or may not be real, but the ideas behind the alleged
upgrade hold some real potential for Microsoft's future—if the company
plays its cards right. The folks in Redmond need to prove they have the
institutional flexibility to implement worthwhile yearly changes, and
more importantly, Microsoft absolutely, positively, utterly, indubitably
must implement any new SDK changes in such a way that doesn't alienate developers.
If Microsoft can manage that, and if the Windows Blue
rumors prove true, a ubiquitous cross-platform SDK combined with yearly
OS releases could just be the shot in the arm Microsoft needs to finally
gain a foothold in the vaunted mobile market.
If the rumors are true, however, it's also another sign that Microsoft
won't be turning away from the divisive modern UI, no matter how much
desktop enthusiasts bemoan the finger-focused interface. Deepened ties
between Windows 8 and Windows Phone no doubt rely on Live Tiles being
universal.