Earlier today, leaked screenshots of an alleged update for Windows 8 hit the Internet. Now it appears those screenshots showed up on the same day Microsoft reached the first of two planned development milestones for the next major update for the OS, which has the code name "Windows Blue."
ZDNet.com reports, via unnamed sources, that this first milestone for the next Windows update will just be one of two milestones for the OS before it is launched to the public. The article speculates that Microsoft won"t bother with offering developer or consumer preview builds of Windows Blue to the public ahead of its launch, which may happen in August 2013.
As we have reported before, this will be the first such update for Windows under Microsoft"s new accelerated release schedule for offering new commercial upgrades for the OS, in a method that is similar to what Apple has done for the past several years with its Mac OS X operating system. While Microsoft has not stated anything publicly about Windows Blue, it has been hiring people for the project on its online careers page.
Windows Blue is expected to have a number of user interfaces changes and improvements along with some possible changes under the hood as well.
Source: ZDNet.com