14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 is not the only upcoming Microsoft product to borrow design elements from Windows Phone’s graphical user interface, dubbed Metro. The next generation of the software giant’s other cash cow, Office, will also introduce an overhauled Metro-inspired GUI.
The successor of Office 2007 is codenamed Office 15, despite the fact that it’s the 14th iteration of the productivity suite.
Although the Redmond company has started work on Office 15 for a while now, it has yet to share any details with the public, just as it is the case with Windows 8.
And just as for Windows 8, the volume of leaked details and screenshots seems to be on an ascendant trend.
The latest leak reveals a facelift introduced for the email client packed by Office 15. Users already familiar with Windows Phone 7 or Zune will undoubtedly recognize the UI’s style.
Office 15 Outlook’s new Metro-based UI appears to be more touch-friendly, and I cannot help it but think of the obvious connection with Windows 8.
At the start of 2011 Microsoft demoed an early development milestone of Windows 8 running on a machine powered by an ARM processor. In fact, the demonstration was made to reveal upcoming support for System on a Chip architectures in Windows vNext.
The showcase at CES 2011 also involved a copy of the Office productivity suite running on top of the Windows 8 ARM machine.
As far as I’m concerned, this means that Microsoft is looking to take Office 15 to all the form factors supported by Windows 8, including slates / Tablet PCs.
Although such devices are not focused on productivity but rather content consumption, it’s safe to assume that users will still want to do some work on them, including sending emails.
It then makes sense for Microsoft to adapt Office 15 outlook as well as additional components of the productivity suite to scenarios involving a variety of non-PC devices.
