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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

What to Expect (And What We Want) From Windows Blue

Microsoft is prepping an update to Windows 8, dubbed Windows Blue. And it’s going to include many impudent features, one of which is improved touch capability as particular in a leaked video from TechFest 2013.

In a video post by MSFT Kitchen, Microsoft executives show off the Fresh Paint app at an internal conference. “We’re really excited to work on the nigh indication of Windows that’s coming, to make sure that we overtake touch in even more(prenominal) dramatic fashions,” the caller- out(p)’s Chief Technical Strategy Officer Eric Rudder says. Microsoft’s Charlotte Pereira then interposes onstage and makes several references to “Blue” as she demonstrates a sore watercolor tool that go away be easy in the next version of Fresh Paint.

Though Microsoft hasn’t in public said anything about Windows Blue, the company has also mentioned the OS in a job listing. MSFT Kitchen found references to Windows Blue in a result of employee LinkedIn profiles.

The Windows Blue update is expected to roll out this summer or fall, and is the first in Microsoft’s new(a) Windows update plan. Instead of rolling out a new operating system every two to five years, Microsoft is speeding up and moving toward yearly Windows upgrades.

But Windows Blue isn’t particular(a) to all touch improvements. Several reports indicate that the next version of Windows will take up an updated Search Charm, patronage for smaller (7- and 8-inch) devices, and organic Internet adventurer 11.

The Search Charm is expected to guard fuller search capabilities. Right now, you can search for apps and documents on your computer, and do web searches directly from the search box. As Microsoft continues to call down Bing search with deeper results, its Windows Search Charm will correspondingly con similar improvements. Web search results could appear directly in the Charms bar. You could also search for items directly inside your apps without having to open them.

 

Here ar a few other easy-to-implement features we’d like to see in the Windows Blue update.

More tile sizes: If Windows Phone can support three tile sizes (small, medium and large), then Windows 8 should suddenly support them, too. The tiles are much larger on Windows 8, so smaller sizes would be easy to tap with a fatten up finger. It will also make for a more individualized Start Screen, which the Windows 8 new-made UI is all about.

Updated Mail: The Windows 8 Mail app needs some extra power. Simplicity is great, nevertheless some basic additions would help it be a more aimful tool. Microsoft should add support for POP3 accounts and incorporate features available in Outlook.com like drag and drop. A report from ZDNet suggests that this might come prior to the Windows Blue update.

Ability to use multiple web browsers in Modern UI: This is a small request, but it addresses what can become a major annoyance in Windows 8 if you ever use more than one browser. Right now, even if a browser is available as a Windows 8 app, it will only work in the Modern UI environment if it is set as your default browser. If it’s not your default browser, then it will open in the desktop. That goes for the built-in IE10 browser and other offerings like Google Chrome.

Boot to desktop: This is one of the most common Windows 8 demands, particularly for business users. It should definitely be an option for Windows 8 professional person users, who do most of their work in the desktop environment. It’s thoughtful and will make a large number of users happy without much work. But it should absolutely not be an option for Windows RT, where the opposite should be true.

Make it possible to manage everything in Modern UI: Alternatively, if you want to stay in the Modern UI degree centigrade percentage of the time, Microsoft should let you stay there 100 percent of the time. Especially since the Modern UI is the future of Windows. Microsoft should have the Task Manager, Windows Explorer and Control Panel available as Modern UI apps. You should be able to change your screen resolution and manage your files without universe forced to the desktop.

What do you hope to see in the next version of Windows? Let us know in the comments.



Materials taken from WIRED

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