What is Windows Blue?

So you keep hearing about this so-called Windows Blue, but you are as confused as ever about what this ‘new Windows’ is all about.

There have been a lot of rumors floating around the net, and yet little solid information about what Microsoft is planning with Blue. Luckily, we are here to help set you straight.

What is Windows Blue?

Simply put, Windows Blue is Microsoft’s new strategy when it comes to updating their popular Windows OS. Instead of waiting two or three years to bring out new features, Microsoft is going to take things up a notch.

While everything we know about Blue has been pieced together by keeping our ear to the wall, we now believe that Windows Blue is the first of possibly many yearly updates to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. At the same time, it is also the replacement to traditional service packs.

In the past, Service Packs were used to bring critical fixes and even performance updates over to Windows, but largely didn’t add much if anything when it came to new features. In that way, Windows Blue is like a “Service Pack Plus” – bringing everything you are used to getting in a service pack along with a few new features that just can’t wait until the next major Windows release.

How the update schedule might work

While this is all unofficial, it is likely that Windows Blue will be followed by other similar “service pack plus” updates, which could possibly also be named after colors.

Here’s an example of what this MIGHT look like:

Windows 8 (Paid), Windows Blue (Free), Windows Red (free), Windows Green (free), Windows 9 (paid), etc

Although we can’t say for sure that these minor updates in between major releases will be free, all the evidence out there seems to point to it.

What new features might Windows Blue bring

We will refrain from listing too much here, as we can’t say for sure.

The most likely candidates though include customizable backgrounds for Modern UI on both phone/tablet/desktop, unification of Windows Phone Store and Windows Store, speed improvements, bug fixes and overhauls to the core apps included with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

How do we really know that Windows Blue exists?

Since Microsoft hasn’t come out and said “it is real, folks”, how do we know it isn’t just a rumor? The evidence is there, actually. There have even been several Microsoft job postings that refer to Windows Blue.

Too much information is out there for this all be made up, but again we can’t 100% for sure say what features will come with Windows Blue at this stage.

Bottom-line for average Windows users: Windows Blue will bring you new features to Windows earlier than ever before, without requiring you to pay for a major upgrade to get them.

There are unknown elements about Blue, but based on what we do know, Blue is shaping up to be an important part of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8′s future.