Windows Blue, according to anonymous sources in touch with The Verge, is being targeted for an "aggressive" summer launch. The news outlet notes that Windows Blue just passed its "Milestone 1" build and says Win8China reported the first public preview of Windows Blue will arrive within the next "few months". If what Win8China reports is correct, Blue will also come bundled with Internet Explorer 11.
Microsoft's primary-colored "update" is purported to be a collection of tweaks and enhancements which aim to improve various aspects of Windows 8, RT, Server 2012 and Windows Phone 8. Alongside Windows 8-related platforms, complimentary services, like SkyDrive, are also expected to see changes courtesy of Blue.
The latest hearsay also suggests Blue will bring us IE11 and huge improvements to the Charms Bar search feature found on its Windows 8, RT and Server 2012 operating systems.
Purportedly, Bing will play a "big part" in Windows Blue, as the search engine's developers are working closely with the Blue project team. Meanwhile, past rumors stemming from a couple of job postings indicate the Windows Start Screen, customization and windowing features are all in line to see marked improvements.
When Microsoft cuts Blue loose later this year, affected platforms and services are expected to receive Blue's payload closely together, but not necessarily as a simultaneous release. Windows Blue is anticipated to be the progenitor of a paradigm-shift toward rapid-fire maintenance releases and platform homogenization across Microsoft's latest generation of products and services.