Windows Blue has been confirmed in a job ad posted on the Microsoft
Careers website, with the previously rumoured Windows 8 follow-on set to
launch annual OS updates for Windows devices.
The job posting
revealed Microsoft is searching for a software development engineer to
join its Core Experience team. The future employee would be working on
the next Microsoft OS, named in the job description as Windows Blue.
“We’re looking for an excellent, experienced SDET
to join the Core Experience team in Windows Sustained Engineering
(WinSE),” an excerpt from the ad reads. “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.”
Despite a lack of concrete details for the next-gen
OS, the job description provides the first official confirmation for
Windows Blue. The ad has
consequently been removed from the Microsoft Careers site.
Similar to the Apple Mac OS X yearly releases in their various feline
forms, Windows Blue will offer Windows 8 improvements through annual
updates. The upcoming OS will be the first deviation from Microsoft’s
usual costly three-year gap between OS releases, such as between Windows 7 in 2009 and Windows 8 in 2012.
Windows
Blue updates should also cost next-to-nothing, with releases either
available for free, or for a fraction of the regular cost of updating a
Microsoft device. Windows 8 apps will remain compatible with all future
Windows Blue updates, making Microsoft a more flexible platform to work
with.
According to sources, Windows Blue is due to launch around
the middle of this year, with focus on improving the Windows 8 UI’s
touch and feel if the job advert is taken at face value.
Another job posted on the Microsoft Careers website reveals Windows Blue will also be coming to Windows Phone 8
devices, in the form of Windows Phone Blue. The second Microsoft job
offers a senior development lead in the Office team, working to bring
the Microsoft Office Excel app to “Windows Phone Blue”.
What do
you think of the Windows 8 usability on your Microsoft device? What
improvements would you like to see Windows Blue bring to Windows 8? Give
us your thoughts via the Trusted Reviews Facebook and Twitter pages or
the comment boxes below.
Via: CNET UK
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
