Microsoft’s Windows Blue operating system has leaked online as an early build, hinting at new features for the upcoming Windows 8 update.
The leak comes from an early version called build 9364 of Windows Blue, and was spotted on the Polish Winforum site by The Verge.
Build 9364 shows new customisation options, including both smaller and larger Live Tile sizes and greater colour personalisation.
It also introduces a 50-50 screen split for the app snapping feature, where the screen is split evenly between two apps.
There are also allegedly updates to the settings menus, providing more robust settings so that tablet users do not have to enter the desktop mode to adjust system settings.
Other changes include new Windows 8-style apps for a calculator, sound recorder and alarm. There are also new ‘play’ and screenshot options in the Charm menu. An icon for Internet Explorer 11 also appeared in the leaked build, though no other details about the new browser were revealed.
Microsoft is understood to be planning to shift Windows to more regular updates than the current three-year cycle of new releases, such as with Windows 7 in 2009 to Windows 8 last year. Previous reports have said that Windows Blue would launch in mid-2013, but the names Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 will most likely remain in use, as Blue is thought to be an internal branding.
