Microsoft's Windows Blue will arrive before we know it, but meanwhile, leaked reports give clues to the software company's progress. The latest tidbit says Microsoft's Windows team has just completed the first version of the code-named project.
Windows Blue apparently is not an ordinary service update that includes software and security updates and patches. Unlike service packs, this new update will be a "feature pack" and is said to include a revamp of the user interface, involving changes to the look and feel of Windows 8, although it's not clear how major or minor these changes will be.
As reported by ZDnet, a tip from an inside source says this first build of the Windows 8 update is being referred to as M1. The abbreviation indicates that this is the primary milestone build and is identified as the half completion stage of Windows Blue. The final stage of development will be referenced as M2.
Screen shot leaks posted on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Winaero.com show the new updated software identified by Microsoft as Windows NT 6.3. We may be inclined to believe that this is an entirely new system, since Windows 8's technical build name is Windows NT 6.2, but prior information insists that it will not be a Windows 9.
"It is not clear if this image is real or Photoshopped. I can't see any reason to change kernel version number, because it might break compatibility of existing apps. However, it seems to be real and this means that some major updates are planned for Windows Next," reads a post on Winero's page.
Recent clues from two Microsoft employment listings reveals we can expect the updates to be on both the PC and mobile versions of Windows 8. Rather than the traditional two- or three-year period of time, annual updates will become the norm for Microsoft with the introduction of the Windows Blue project. Hotmail and Skydrive were also said to be updated and Microsoft just announced it is ditching the Hotmail brand and will be moving all users over to Outlook.
