Report: Windows Blue Reaches Its First Milestone Build

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley has been collecting tips on Microsoft's accelerated Windows development schedule, codenamed 'Blue.' She reports that the program, which is attempting to replace the multiyear product drops for the Windows-branded desktop, server, phone, and network services products with a more agile release cycle, with better continuity across the suite, has just hit the first of two scheduled milestone builds. What's in the build? As with North Korea's nuclear program, details are scarce, but so far we have a Chinese Windows start screen; indications that the kernel number has been bumped from 'NT 6.2' (Windows 8) to 'NT 6.3'; and a job posting for a Windows Blue SDET (test engineer). Slashdot reported on Windows Blue in November."

Let me guess...further deprecation of desktop apps

[Myria]

Let me guess... they've gone further on their way to declare desktop applications as deprecated? With Windows 8, Microsoft has made it clear that it thinks that desktop applications are on their way out, and the only way to go is to make programs for Metro.

Oh, and I'll put this out there: won't run unsigned programs by default, though I suspect that this will be like OS X 10.8 and allow being turned off.

All part of boiling the frog.

On code names

[Myria]

Why is it that sometimes code names are better than the name of the final product? "Windows Blue" is a better name than simply "Windows 9". Similarly, "Xenon" was a better name than "Xbox 360".

Nintendo's fond of that, too. "Nitro" versus "DS", "Dolphin" versus "GameCube", "Revolution" versus "Wii".

Windows 8 "refresh"

[DrXym]

According to the article, Blue is a Windows 8 refresh. I assume that to mean that it's going to add all the stuff that Windows 8 was lacking when it came out, particularly in relation to its mouse / keyboard and "classic" behaviour. But even metro is a bit shit on the desktop, lacking stuff like folders to group icons, zoom in / out, certain multi-select actions and so on.

Re:will they kill the patch/reboot/patch/reboot cy

[RotateLeftByte]

Where in my post did I talk about wanting full Virtualization and Max performance? I didn't so please stop trying to read something that is clearly not there.

The question is

Do MS system require rebooting when applying patches?
    Yes
Do other Operating System apply patches without the need for reboots?
    Yes

ergo,
  If MS is going to a continuious update cycle then they really need to reduce the number of reboots required after applying patches.
If they don't they are going to piss off a lot of users with the increased reboot frequency.

not that hard really is it?

Re:Let me guess...further deprecation of desktop a

[Anonymous Coward]

I really hope that's not true.

I had to use a computer today with XP and the "classic" windows theme. Sure, the operating system has come a very long way but the UI is definitely going backwards.

WIMP is a sound UI paradigm and "classic" theme makes it very clear and intuitive. A few modern gradients, higher DPI and a new set of high resolution icons would have made it a sheer delight.

With the touch-optimized, flat, giant controls, modal paradigm you can't really do anything other than the most basic things and even that's confusing.

Re:Let me guess...further deprecation of desktop a

[Alkonaut]

I use windows 8 and don't get what the fuss is about. I basically don't use the metro interface and don't intend to ever do so until I can do ALL my work in it. That is, I don't dislike the UI per se, but dislike having to switch back and forth. I don't really care if MS gets a share of what I pay for applications either, but here is the chicken and egg problem: I won't buy any metro apps until I use that interface. I won't use that interface until I can use it exclusively. I won't use it exclusively until all my applications are there.

Re:will they kill the patch/reboot/patch/reboot cy

[oztiks]

Paragraph one wrong. Paragraph two right.

It's Microsoft, they adhere to a pattern which if you're a big company making lots of money simply have to be on guard for. If MS shows up and offers a strategic partnership, show them the door and smile, it means what you have is worth lots and MS wants to steal it. If you lift the hood on your products and invite them in then instantly your days are numbered and you will eventually lose.

- Look at FB and MS. That's nothing but win for MS. Half of FB is powered by Bing! and now look at what's happening with Skype. Plus they doubled their money when FB went IPO.
- Look at Novel and MS. MS win. Nothing but bullying and win for MS. Linux being licensed back to MS, Freakin Maddness!!
- Look at Norton and MS. MS win. Strategic partnership that turned into MS Security Essentials and killed Norton's consumer market.
- Look at Zune and MS. Tragic fail. Apple was smart to not let peering eyes in on that one.
- Look at Xbox and MS. MS win. Get the game makers on side and now MS is making their own award winning games like Halo.

MS wins more than it loses and it's up to "who" lets them win more than if the company is second rate. Simply put, they come a knocken send them packing or you'll pay for it! I don't like their way of doing business but it's how I see them.

A little bit of Nokia a little bit of MS's strategic partnering, a couple years later you have Surface ...

Same process, same Borg like attitude .. same old Microsoft.

Re:Let me guess...further deprecation of desktop a

[Wolfraider]

I have met a few people excited about the Metro screen. But these people barely know how to use a computer and to them, Metro is a lot easier to find what programs they want to run. I personally don't mind Windows 8 and Metro although the first thing I did was set the default for all Metro apps to the full version and pin my most used programs to the taskbar. Any time that I need another program, I simply hit the windows key, type in the first few characters of what I want and hit enter. Metro pops up and goes away quickly.