According to The Verge, Microsoft’s codename “Blue” is more than a secret name for Windows 9. The OS upgrade, anticipated in a mid-2013 release for Windows and Windows Phone, will include major user interface changes and a new SDK for developers, along with pricing changes. An initial release will be a free or inexpensive upgrade to encourage rapid adoption, followed by a new requirement by Microsoft that applications submitted to its store must be built for the new Blue OS and not Windows 8. Existing Windows 8 compatible software will still run on the devices.
Blue OS sets the stage for Microsoft to provide inexpensive annual OS updates moving forward, similar to Apple’s strategy with Mac OS X. The Windows 8 name itself won’t change with the update in 2013, meaning we’ll likely see more emphasis placed on actual version numbers or build numbers to differentiate releases.
While it’s claimed that Microsoft wants to move to the annual OS upgrade model to remain competitive with Google and Apple, I suspect it also gives the company an easy way out of complaints that Windows 8 didn’t live up to expectations. Rather than dealing with large portions of the customer base skipping the OS entirely and using an older one for years, Microsoft can argue that it’s smart to go forward with a Windows 8 upgrade today. After all, many of the complaints about Windows 8 could be addressed with the initial release of Blue in the next six months or so. This restructuring gives Microsoft a good way to give Windows 8 an overhaul while saving face, and the promise of cheap yearly upgrades makes the initial purchase price of the license more attractive.
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