Windows Blue gets a new Kernel

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/19/4005318/windows-blue-screenshots-nt-version-6-3?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WinRumors+%28WinRumors%29

@magicalclick: So Blue is to 8 as 8 is to 7 which is as 7 is to Vista... (remind me who said Vista was a failure?) and as XP is to 2000. 

Although I've got the impression that NT version numbers are somewhat meaningless these days...

Windows Vista adopted NT kernel 6.0, while Windows 7 jumped to 6.1, and Windows 8 to 6.2. A switch to 6.3 with Windows Blue suggests this is a major revision to Windows ...

I thought that changes after the 'dot' meant minor revision ?

This surprises you? More interesting perhaps are the implications of a yearly upgrade cycle. What's that going to mean to ambitious product planning? Pehaps more risky, strategic projects are put into incubation, under wraps until proven, before announced in any public way.

Mostly what the Verge article tells me is that Verge writers don't understand how version numbers work.

@evildictaitor: What's the reaction going to be when Microsoft finally decides to leave the compatibility-challenged applications behind and bump the version number to 7? Somebody is going to have a stroke.

42 minutes ago, kettch wrote

@evildictaitor: What's the reaction going to be when Microsoft finally decides to leave the compatibility-challenged applications behind and bump the version number to 7? Somebody is going to have a stroke.

really I wish they had never done the silly version number thing in the first place, make the app developers and install developers code their stuff right in the first place!!

I think Windows has stabilized enough that we'll probably never see a version 7.

Any word on if Blue will be a free upgrade?

@spivonious:If it's not service pack and you don't have SA, you'll need to pay to upgrade.

I think the upgrade price could be low if there aren't changes to make it a huge difference, though.

4 hours ago, GoddersUK wrote

Although I've got the impression that NT version numbers are somewhat meaningless these days...

It's meaningless +1. Microsoft always increment version number (either major or minor version) when new version release. A major version change would have meant something, but a minor version change is no more than a change "to enable softwares to detect it is running Windows Next".

@evildictaitor: We didnt know Blue is a major update like 'Windows.Next', we thought it may be something like SP1, but this kernel version change news shows otherwise. so, yes its newsworthy, it means we can expect more for Blue.

Knock knock!

Perhaps they needed to change it so they can bring back the start-button (just kidding!)

I hope it means they'll extend WinRT to the desktop in some meaningful way rather than strip more out of the desktop. I wonder if this also includes the work to provide a singular API for W8/WP8? If so that "minor" update wouldn't be so meaningless especially in the time frames people are predicting for Blue's release.

14 hours ago, spivonious wrote

I think Windows has stabilized enough that we'll probably never see a version 7.

So the only reason to release a new version is to fix bugs?

19 hours ago, felix9 wrote

@evildictaitor: We didnt know Blue is a major update like 'Windows.Next', we thought it may be something like SP1, but this kernel version change news shows otherwise. so, yes its newsworthy, it means we can expect more for Blue.

Really? It's actually a surprise to people that the thing that Microsoft works on after they ship a product is the next release of that product?

1 hour ago, evildictait​or wrote

*snip*

Really? It's actually a surprise to people that the thing that Microsoft works on after they ship a product is the next release of that product?

I think that perhaps the point here is that it appears to be confirmation that MS are changing the way they cycle updates.

In the past, you would get a new version, followed by multiple SPs (which don't change the version) before a new version appeared, some years down the track. MS would have a team dedicated to the next version, and another team dedicated to each SP required in the interim.

It's been rumored that MS would be moving to a model more like Apple, where a new version is issued every year, and SPs would be eliminated.

This version increment with 'Blue' would seem to suggest that is the case.