An early version of Microsoft’s next update of its Windows platform, Window’s Blue has been leaked online, giving Steve Balmer a birthday present he probably will wish he could return. The leak, Build 9364 compiled on March 15 is only a very early version of the update, but still includes some of its new features, such as; smaller live tiles, Internet Explorer 11 and new side-by-side Snap Views revealed through leaked screenshots on WinForum.
The leaked images primarily focus around the new Snap Views and live tile sizes. The new Snap View allows users to put Windows side-by-side in the Windows 8 view, with options like 50/50 much like you can in desktop view, but supporting up to 4 snapped apps together. Microsoft’s Window’s apps will be the first to support this, but developers will also be able to, as well as have access to other new api’s and changes. The best feature of this I think though, is for multi-monitor users like myself where it will now allow you to run multiple Window’s 8 apps across multiple monitors. You can now also add smaller live tiles and make the desktop tile bigger.
Internet Explorer 11 is also going to be included in Windows Blue, although not much is known about it other than a tab sync feature which suggests that tabs are going to be available on various Windows 8 devices.
Other features and improvements in the leak include easier to use settings in Windows 8, trying to ensure that tablet users don’t have to go to dekstop mode to access the settings they need. Touch users also have new gestures such as swiping up from the bottom to bring up a list of all apps. As this is only a very early build we can expect to see a lot more features and improvements in the final build which is expected sometime around the end of the year, with public beta’s expected sometime in the next few months.
It was also Steve Ballmers birthday yesterday, and I can only expect that he spent it like this:
