A new report indicates Microsoft"s will release a new version of Windows next year classified as an "update." The update won"t be Windows 9, but instead an interim release that is currently known by the codename "Blue," although it may merely be a service pack.
Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet reports that sources have informed her that an update for Windows will be released sometime next year, although Foley is unsure if the update will be a full release or merely a service pack. She also hypothesizes that the update could simply be referred to as a version number, such as Windows 8.1, returning Microsoft to its naming conventions used in the early 1990s.
In the article, Foley notes that Microsoft is believed to be speeding up the rate at which it releases new iterations of its flagship operating system, creating a pace more akin to what Apple"s done with its OS X releases.
Foley"s report comes after several Microsoft employees recently updated their résumés and profiles across various social networking sites to state that they"re working on Windows 9, indicating that development on the next full Windows operating system is already underway. Reports had indicated that Windows 9 was codenamed "Blue," which Foley"s report says is not true.
If Foley"s report is accurate, Blue would likely be a service package, as she hypothesizes, given Microsoft"s own employees are stating they"re working on Windows 9 and a release within a year of Windows 8 would be highly unusual for Microsoft unless it was a much smaller update.
Source: ZDNet