In a move that seems to be surprising nearly everyone, Microsoft appears to be changing the name of the new application paradigm in Windows 8 to some new name. This has been reported by Mary Jo Foley, Redmondmag.com and others. This new name will reflect the “Modern Windows” that can find in Windows 8.
While requests through official channels at Microsoft have indicated “no comment” type responses, others have indicated that a simpler name such as “Modern Windows” will be the replacement. This would make sense and would actually be a great move.
After all, Metro is just the new design approach for applications in Windows. It is modern. That works. Going forward, you can continue to build traditional applications that can run on the “Desktop”, or you can build modern Windows applications that center on the WinRT framework.
Why is Microsoft changing the name? Was it intentional? Was Metro just a “code name”? Is there a German company out there that is already using the name? Was it the intention of Microsoft to change the name? Will Batman and Robin survive to be back next week for another exciting episode?
Tune in and we’ll all find out!
There are lots of speculation and rumors around the change in name. At the end of the day, I don’t believe it matters. In fact, if they call it Modern Windows, I’ll be the first to say it is a great shift. Having been in several presentations over the past year, I’ve seen the reactions of developers who see Metro as this new mountain of information they have to engulf. They see it as a complete shift in the world they’ve been developing. By toning down the name, it could make that gap seem less daunting. It could make Metro seem like just a modern version of Windows.
Don’t get me wrong, it will still be a big gap to cross, but at least the name will be more approachable rather than seeming like something you need a creative license to tackle.
Let’s see what Microsoft calls it. Either way, modern Windows is coming. Are you ready?