14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is currently giving the final touches to Windows Blue, the next Windows upgrade, as the company is planning to release a public preview next month at the BUILD developer conference.
But even if the company has already announced its intention to pay more attention to customer feedback with Blue, tech analyst Jeff Kagan claims that Microsoft might need a different approach.
Windows 8’s main problem is the fact that it brings too many innovations, he says, so the Softies need to give users more customization power to let them pick the features that fit them the best.
“If Microsoft can create something more moderate, they could be successful. If they could let the customer turn up the dial, at their pace, as time goes by, this could work. The pace of change is different for each customer, so each customer should be able to control how much innovation they want to deal with at a time. Some will be all the way from the start, while others will take a while,” he said.
But end users aren’t the only ones who need Windows Blue to be successful, Kagan explained.
Businesses and computer manufacturers are keeping their fingers crossed for Blue to excite from its very first months on the market, mostly for increased productivity and better sales, respectively.
“Technology can bridge that gap. That is Microsoft’s new mission. Microsoft affects and impacts others in the industry as well. Computer makers want a successful version of Windows 8 so they can sell more devices, not to mention all the users around the globe who want more control over what they use every day. Let’s hope Blue can save Windows 8,” he added.
Microsoft is planning to release the public preview of Blue next month at the BUILD developer conference, while the stable build is set to launch approximately two months after that, in August or September.