Microsoft confirms Windows Blue is now Windows 8.1!

   We love to reuse our graphics here at TTF, so you might recognise the one above, this time we've made a few subtle edits to it to reflect the fact that Windows Blue will know officially be known as Windows 8.1.

   The update was an appallingly badly kept secret anyway, but earlier today Microsoft's Chief Marketing Officer, Tami Reller, confirmed that the update will now be called Windows 8.1. The news came from the JP Morgan's Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, which took place earlier today.

   A couple of other things were confirmed too: the first of which is that the upgrade will be free and available from your Windows 8 home screen when it goes live and a preview of the new software will be available to you inpatient types on June the 26th when Microsoft's Build 2013 kicks off! At the moment though we don't know much more than that as Reller would only say that the update is due "later in the calendar year," and that Microsoft "know when the holidays are," so it'll be here before Christmas anyway!

   Reller did also confirm that the new update will land on both full Windows 8 and Windows RT and Reller hinted that there will be smaller tablets on the way, by saying Windows will be perfect for everything from "the smallest tablets" right through to your beastly desktop PCs!
Via Engadget.

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Microsoft exec teases 'small touch devices' at competitive price points: 7" tablets anyone?

   A few days ago we reported that Microsoft had updated to minimum screen requirements for Windows 8, something which we speculated could pave the way for 7" and even 8" Windows tablets. It seems we weren't too far off the mark because Microsoft's CFO, Peter Klein, has said that the Remond giants are working closely with OEM's on something along those lines.

   Klein's exact words were that Microsoft are working to produce "a new suite of small touch devices powered by Windows." He also added that we can expect these devices to be "available in the coming months" and at "competitive price points," both of which sound great to us!

   As you may remember Microsoft actually dropped their minimum screen resolution down to 1024 x 768p and at the time they said:

"We understand that partners exploring designs for certain markets could find greater design flexibility helpful."

   We could quite easily describe smaller tablets as an 'exploration' for Microsoft and their partners seeing as no diddy tablets have run the software before. Perhaps this much rumoured update to Windows 8.1 could be more heavily focused on optimisations for these new screen sizes and TheVerge even speculates that OEM's will release smaller devices running Windows 8 and then they will update them to Windows 8.1 which they are more tailored for.

   Let us not forget that 'small touch devices' is a very broad term and it could encompass everything from tablets through to smartwatches and anything else, perhaps even mobile phones, but we think that one is a bit of a stretch for now because of Windows Phone 8, but they fall into the category nonetheless and that shows how ambiguous the statement is.

   When TheVerge reached out to Microsoft for clarification on what 'small touch devices' were they were told that the Microsoft had 'nothing more to share at this time', it seems only time will tell! What do you think? Would you be interested in a 7" Windows 8 tablet? Let us know in the comments below!
Via TheVerge.

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