Microsoft Job Postings Confirm ‘Windows Blue’ And Yearly Updates

Microsoft Job Postings Confirm ‘Windows Blue’ And Yearly Updates


Windows 8 was a big step for Microsoft, and rumours have been swirling that its arrival is heralding more than just live-tile interfaces. A report from November indicated that Windows would move to a cheap, annual upgrade cycle called “Blue”, not unlike OS X. Now, job postings seem to confirm that yes, Blue exists.

A posting for a software development engineer in test on the Microsoft Careers site, explicitly references the rumoured “Microsoft Blue”, stating:

We’re looking for an excellent, experienced SDET to join the Core Experience team in Windows Sustained Engineering (WinSE). The Core Experience features are the centrepiece of the new Windows UI, representing most of what customers touch and see in the OS, including: the start screen; application lifecycle; windowing; and personalisation. Windows Blue promises to build and improve upon these aspects of the OS, enhancing ease of use and the overall user experience on devices and PCs worldwide.

And it doesn’t end there. References to a Windows Phone Blue were dug up by Twitterer @h0x0d point toward a coming unification (at least in part) of the OS, doubtless pushed along by a series of incremental updates rather than any sort of fabled “Windows 9”.

We don’t know when exactly Blue will hit — or what it will be called when it does — but incremental updates would definitely reduce the chance of Microsoft catching its users off-guard with another big change-up like Windows 8. And that’s great, so long as everyone is happy enough with what they’ve got. [ZDNet]


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