Microsoft Upgrades to Windows Blue

Microsoft is turning blue for their next big release, Windows Blue. Official details on Blue have yet to be released. Microsoft is saving the big Blue reveal for the Build conference this June. Many tech experts are predicting how Blue will be a game changer for Microsoft. While it is still too early to tell if this is the case, we can accurately report that Blue will be Microsoft's next big thing.

Many of us are perhaps still getting used to the new interface of Windows 8 and do not look forward to the prospect of having to learn new software, but Windows Blue is not a new standalone software, rather, Blue is a major upgrade to Windows 8. Because Windows 8 was such a major release, an upgrade like Windows Blue will affect not only PCs, but all of Microsoft's services, servers, and mobile devices that use Windows 8.

A major upgrade like Windows Blue is a routine move for a major software developer like Microsoft. Obviously, a software manufacturer will try and make their product as perfect as possible before releasing it, but in the development phase they are limited without access to real-world user data. After new software is launched, developers analyze data from millions of users, listen to feedback, and start work on creating major upgrades. Within a year, a major upgrade like Windows Blue is released that takes all of this new user data into consideration.

A major upgrade like Windows Blue may be a routine move, but what makes Windows Blue newsworthy is that Microsoft is claiming that Blue will be an overhaul to the Microsoft business model. Frank Shaw, Microsoft's Vice President of Corporate Communications, made this bold claim in a recent blog article where he previewed Windows Blue as "a fundamental shift in our business from a software company to a devices and services company."

What this "fundamental shift" in Microsoft's business model looks like is not yet known to the public, Microsoft is waiting till June to unveil this big news. Naturally, this is causing speculation within the technology community; some technology bloggers are even calling this move the death of desktop computing. While it is unlikely that Windows Blue will be that big a game changer, we can report on a few details regarding the upgrades to Windows 8 that have been leaked:

• A new version of Internet Explorer.
• Easier access to the control panel.
• Changes in the Metro interface that are more personalized.
• Desktop multitasking in regards to tile placement and size.
• Improvements to shut down Windows 8.

We have to wait until the Build conference to learn exactly what Microsoft has up their sleeve with Windows Blue. Between now and June, the Internet will be full of chatter about Blue with technology analyst trying to figure out what this fundamental shift in Microsoft's business model is all about. Computerware will be following Windows Blue closely and report back to you how this major upgrade will improve your business.

Have you heard any more leaks or rumors about Windows Blue? Share them with us in the comments!