14 DAY TRIAL // With so many rumors on the new Windows Blue swirling around, it’s most likely just a matter of time until Microsoft officially confirms the project, even though the company remains completely tight-lipped on the new product for the time being.
As far as sources familiar with the matter are concerned, Windows Blue is under development right now and could hit the market as a public beta sometime in June.
This week, we’ve found out from DigiTimes that “Taiwan-based supply chain makers” are also betting big on the new Windows Blue, indicating that a public release is very likely in the third quarter.
Previous reports have suggested that Windows Blue might see daylight in August, so this new rumor pretty much makes sense.
In addition, Chinese media has suggested that Blue could be offered as a free upgrade for Windows 8 users which, once again, doesn’t seem to be surprising at all, given the fact that it’s very likely to be shipped as a Windows upgrade and not as a stand-alone operating system.
Many have called Windows Blue “the first service pack” for Windows 8, even though Microsoft insiders had previously hinted that the company was looking to completely abandon the service pack cycle and focus on a yearly update schedule, just like rivals Apple.
The interesting thing is that the hardware industry sees Windows Blue as a breath of fresh air, as sales are yet to recover, despite the fact that Windows 8 is alive and kicking.
The same happened with Windows 8 too, as most manufacturers expected the new operating system to boost their sales, mostly because consumers around the world needed new hardware to run Microsoft’s latest operating system. Unofficial reports, on the other hand, indicate that early Windows 8 uptake is rather disappointing, so Windows Blue could play an important role for Windows 8’s recovery as well.