Windows Blue may reach beyond Windows

[nsane.forums]

We have been hearing about Windows Blue for the past few months and what we initially thought would be an update to Windows 8 and possibly landing this summer but it may be much more than that.

We have been hearing about Windows Blue off and on for the past few months and what we initially thought would be an update to Windows 8 and possibly landing this summer, Mary Jo Foley has some dug up some new information about the update and it looks like it Windows Blue may extend beyond the Windows platform.

MJF, citing a well trusted source, says Blue is not only an update to Windows, but a wide swath of updates that will come across many platforms including Windows Phone, SkyDrive, Hotmail, and Windows Server.

In addition to the update to the major platforms, Windows Blue might be arriving via the Windows Store as opposed to a more traditional download and install based package. This makes sense as Microsoft would have more control over the distribution of the service through one integrated platform.



So what about Windows 9? It is apparently still on the roadmap but no timeline has been set. Many had thought that Microsoft would possibly kill the major branding updates in favor of waves (like Blue) to shorten release time between major updates.

With an updated release timeline such as Windows Blue, it would seem that Blue will be a package of small improvement to the platform as opposed to a major update and rebranding to Windows 9.

While we wait for Microsoft to come clean about its plans and the future of Windows 8, you can talk about Windows 8 developments in our Microsoft forum.

View: Original Article

[DKT27]

1. It's an Service Pack in a name of Windows Blue.

2. It requires Windows Store, which I'm not going to touch.

3. It can be a paid update.

4. It is said to have no enhancements for Desktop users.

5. It's said that it will remove transparency even for the task bar.

Enough reasons for me for avoid the upgrade.

[brain_death]

More and more, I am getting the feeling that the Windows domination of the software world has already had its day...

:why:

[nIGHT]

1. It's an Service Pack in a name of Windows Blue.

2. It requires Windows Store, which I'm not going to touch.

3. It can be a paid update.

4. It is said to have no enhancements for Desktop users.

5. It's said that it will remove transparency even for the task bar.

Enough reasons for me for avoid the upgrade.

So this much awaited fix that disgruntled customer been waiting for ages turns out not a fix for the desktop environment but a crippling armaments against the desktop user community which also further enhances, or worsen, the start screen dominance in your system? wahahahahaha! :lmao:

Is Microsoft giving users a wedgie? :wedgie:

More and more, I am getting the feeling that the Windows domination of the software world has already had its day...

:why:

It's not a feeling anymore as it is already happening. :tooth:

[psyko666]

Jesus guys... -sigh- :angry:

Why are you guys always so negative about Microsoft all the damn time, in every Microsoft update with news you guys start to whining...

I'm so fed up with it, don't you have enough of the same comment to make over and over again... damn...

Edit: If you tell the same over and over again it get's me really tired... <yawn>

I'm using Windows 8 Pro and still love it, don't miss the damn Start Button at all, all I read every time is; where is the Start Button, where is the Start Button blablabl... same old..same old...

If you don't want to use Blue then don't!!!

Start using Linux or buy Apple!!!!

[psyko666]

+1 psyko666 ;)

[Gabben]

Jesus guys... -sigh- :angry:

Why are you guys always so negative about Microsoft all the damn time, in every Microsoft update with news you guys start to whining...

I'm so fed up with it, don't you have enough of the same comment to make over and over again... damn...

Edit: If you tell the same over and over again it get's me really tired... <yawn>

I'm using Windows 8 Pro and still love it, don't miss the damn Start Button at all, all I read every time is; where is the Start Button, where is the Start Button blablabl... same old..same old...

If you don't want to use Blue then don't!!!

Start using Linux or buy Apple!!!!

Then don't read it. Move on.

[Zex]

Windows 8 has got no much improvement over Windows 7

So:

If you don't like having no Start Button, stay with Windows 7 (Like me)

or if you have no problem with it and like updated and faster(slightly) Windows, use Win8

For me, its stupid to have Win8 and have installed Start menu add-on(software)

[dcs18]

I'd like to reserve my opinion on something (Windows Blue) that's merely claimed to belong to the Microsoft stable . . . . . . until I see a Microsoft link (just a single link.)

[DKT27]

Jesus guys... -sigh- :angry:

Why are you guys always so negative about Microsoft all the damn time, in every Microsoft update with news you guys start to whining...

I'm so fed up with it, don't you have enough of the same comment to make over and over again... damn...

Edit: If you tell the same over and over again it get's me really tired... <yawn>

I'm using Windows 8 Pro and still love it, don't miss the damn Start Button at all, all I read every time is; where is the Start Button, where is the Start Button blablabl... same old..same old...

If you don't want to use Blue then don't!!!

Start using Linux or buy Apple!!!!

Whining? Sorry, but obviously you will enjoy all colourful and useless metro piece of shit. Metro is made for casual users, not nerds or geeks nor power users. I've been a Windows user from Windows 95 days and I'm used to the start menu from the first time I used a PC.

Why can't a person be negative about Microsoft?

• Microsoft is loosing Windows sales.
• Microsoft is killing our beloved Messenger so that they can whore Skype for more money.
• They killed our beloved Start Menu. Only because due to some shady "statistics" Start Menu wasn't used enough.
• Their default security solution is failing in every tests.
• Almost no one cares for Windows Phones.
• They are going to kill Xbox in future versions.
• Their Surface tablets are overpriced and their customers feel cheated for having very low space and inspite of being marketed as same as Windows on PC, it doesn't run desktop apps.
• Buying an UEFI PC/laptop kills Linux and other OSs.
• Their "Windows ecosystem" is extremely foolish, they want PCs to be like phones, not something power houses. Why can't people complain? Tell me.

Wait, I have more. Microsoft literally cheated power users. Microsoft quietly and stealthy was making Metro behind these scenes. So much so that even their desktop developers weren't properly told about their intentions to replace the Start Menu with Start Screen. All their leaked screenshots had no sighting of the Start Screen, so that people were totally kept unaware about it till the end. Not only then, our beloved Aero was removed in the later pre-release builds.

Also, unless you yourself didn't read or notice, none of us before your post talked anything whatsoever about Windows 8. Infact, I'm a Windows 8 user and I'm okayishly happy about it. But your prejudice about everyone speaking negative about Microsoft or Windows is an hater is extremely wrong.

What, fanboys don't want people to state their opinion? :huh: Is everything in the world absolute perfect? Is every govt. in the world 100% saint and every people complain about the govt. is an hater? Just because Apple makes famous products, people can't complain? A teacher not liking the work of it's student can't complain? I'm sorry, but everyone has their right to speak, complain and the most important, ask for improvement. In the end, everyone wants Microsoft to hear it's users, how hard it is? How hard to is it for a company to work how their users want it, not something what some hipsters do?

[dcs18]

LOL, have decided to not join in arguments on Windows 7 / 8 / Blue - look forward though; to test the Blue / 9 release (at any stage - if anyone comes across a link, please that belongs to me.) :D

[anuseems]

Microsoft's 'Blue' not just for Windows

As we've known for a few months, the Windows client team at Microsoft is working on its first "feature-pack" update for Windows 8, supposedly due this summer/fall, which is codenamed "Blue."

But it turns out Blue isn't a Windows thing only, according to one very accurate tipster of mine who doesn't want to be identified.

Blue also is the way Microsoft is referring to the next substantial platform update for Windows Phone, the Windows Services (like SkyDrive, Hotmail, etc.), and Windows Server, according to my source. In other words, Blue is a wave of product refreshes which are not expected to arrive exactly all on the same day, but which are meant to be released more or less around the same time.

Before these various Blues come to market, there will continue to be minor fixes, firmware updates and new features added to Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Services and Windows Phone. On the phone side of the house, for example, the first minor update, codenamed Portico, already has made its way out to a number of Windows Phone users.

Blue represents a major change in how Microsoft builds, deploys and markets software and services. To date, many Microsoft teams like Windows, Windows Live and Windows Server have been focused on delivering major platform updates every two to three years. The challenge is to get them to pivot around yearly platform updates, the first of which will hit as part of the Blue wave.

On the Windows side, the changes required to make this happen will be especially far reaching and pronounced. Instead of RTMing a new version of Windows once every three or so years, and then hoping/praying OEMs can get the final bits tested and preloaded on new hardware a few months later, Microsoft is going to try to push Blue out to users far more quickly, possibly via the Windows Store, my contact said.

There's still no word on specific new features coming to any of the Blue wave of products and services. But tweaks to the user experience, new dev-platform related bits, as well as new versions of Internet Explorer, Mail, Calendar, Bing and other integrated apps are likely to figure into the Blue picture, my source said. Blue will include some kernel and driver-level updates which could help with battery life and overall performance, according to my source, but backward compatibility with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 seem to be a priority.

I know there are still some Blue doubters out there, but Charon at Ma-Config.com found a recent mention of Blue in a member of the Windows team's LinkedIn profile:

Windows 9 is still seemingly on the roadmap, too, by the way, but it's not clear when Microsoft intends to deliver it. Charon also found a LinkedIn poster mentioning his work on Windows 9 recently:

For the time being, as executives like Windows Chief Financial Officer Tami Reller have said repeatedly, Microsoft envisions Windows 8 as something more than a one-season wonder. (Reller has said Microsoft considers Windows 8 a product "of multiple selling seasons.") That makes more sense if you think about Blue -- and Lilac and Fuchsia or whatever Blue's successors are codenamed -- as updates to Windows 8, rather than as Windows 9, 10, and beyond.

@ http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-blue-wave-is-coming-to-more-than-just-windows-7000010998/

[RobrPatty]

Nice article anuseems. Sure am hoping for "some kernel and driver-level updates" specifically for windows 8 & server 2012 because they need it.

[DKT27]

Thread merged.

[Marik]

1. It's an Service Pack in a name of Windows Blue.

2. It requires Windows Store, which I'm not going to touch.

3. It can be a paid update.

4. It is said to have no enhancements for Desktop users.

5. It's said that it will remove transparency even for the task bar.

Enough reasons for me for avoid the upgrade.

they should just call it 'window smartphone' and be done with it

[nIGHT]

I'm not a windows 8 hater but I'm disappointed to what microsoft did to that product.

Windows 8 has a lot of improvement but current drivers were not compatible to run

even the most popular mmorpg games! <_<

So until an update of drivers are not yet released, I will stay with windows 7.

in addtiion to DKT27 point, microsoft is currently becoming a rotten apple on its strategy and deployment of its product.

Metro is the greatest evidence that Bill Goats is still in love with Steve Jobs' idea about having its own cloud store of approved apps only in their OSes.

They will soon destroy the current software economy and manipulate its user's freedom to choose/make what software you are able to install/develop in your system.

Bill Goats with his current lover Baldmer already discouraged a lot of developers/companies to develop future apps in windows platform.

There are already quite a number of developer/companies on the move that have scouted for Linux to port their applications and businesses.

You should be worried as soon there will be fewer apps and especially GAMES for the windows platform.

Now here lies the question, does your investment on buying legal windows product still has its worth seeing it already fast becoming unpopular? :P :pirate:

[brain_death]

Jesus guys... -sigh- :angry:

Why are you guys always so negative about Microsoft all the damn time, in every Microsoft update with news you guys start to whining...

I'm so fed up with it, don't you have enough of the same comment to make over and over again... damn...

Start using Linux or buy Apple!!!!

Lol. What makes you think I don't?

(Linux anyhow!)

:s

[snakefist]

Whining? Sorry, but obviously you will enjoy all colourful and useless metro piece of shit. Metro is made for casual users, not nerds or geeks nor power users. I've been a Windows user from Windows 95 days and I'm used to the start menu from the first time I used a PC.

staff member or not, i'm still waaaay older than you are (well, according to windows usage at least - i used 1.03). start menu is thing someone loves, some needs and some don't miss at all (me - all my frequently used stuff is on desktop, and rest i find in 'everything search')

• Microsoft is loosing Windows sales.

based on what? on total windows sales, all versions? please be more specific in claims like that

• Microsoft is killing our beloved Messenger so that they can whore Skype for more money.

well, despite being power user, and geek and whatnot, i hated the guts of Messenger all along. i used skype (free) instead

• They killed our beloved Start Menu. Only because due to some shady "statistics" Start Menu wasn't used enough.

said already, but not everyone 'loves' start button. some of us are actually able to survive without (though i honestly still don't see why start menu wouldn't be included. what i DO hate is ribbon

• Their default security solution is failing in every tests.

true. and so does linux (android), macOS, chrome, etc - all recent data. but microsoft security is crap, no doubt.

• Almost no one cares for Windows Phones.

for a moment. large business MAY adopt windows tables and phones in future, but chances for same to happen to ipad or something similar, are next to nothing.

• They are going to kill Xbox in future versions.

and what if they do? or, how exactly did you get that information? i won't shed a tear, i use my PC for gaming, if needed

• Their Surface tablets are overpriced and their customers feel cheated for having very low space and inspite of being marketed as same as Windows on PC, it doesn't run desktop apps.

don't be an early adopter.

• Buying an UEFI PC/laptop kills Linux and other OSs.
• Their "Windows ecosystem" is extremely foolish, they want PCs to be like phones, not something power houses. Why can't people complain? Tell me.

people can complain. but windows ecosystem is just starting to develop. obviously, windows phone can't have a powerhouse like i7. but, integration of most used business applications (office) in all main form factors (desktops/laptops, recently tablets and phones) seems actually very reasonable to me. true, currently it doesn't exists. as an old-school user, i like desktops farm more than laptops, despise ultrabooks and don't have tablet or smartphone (actually, company gave me one, but i use only for talking :) ). but it is easily imaginable to have (be forced to use) all of the above. and companies DON'T buy 'some application' for iphone in istore for 0-3$ - they buy ms office in hundreds or thousands licenses

oh, i'm not microsoft fan. i liked DOS better than windows, win98 above all newer ones, then XP, my all-time favourite is win2003 server, and consider vista and win7 as crap. equal to win8, if not worse.

everyone was free to use OS they want, last time i checked. but last time i installed linux, i removed it in less than month.