Microsoft to use 'Windows 8' as replacement for 'Metro' branding

Shawn Knight

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Staff member

Last week we learned through a leaked internal memo that Microsoft would be doing away with the Metro branding to describe the user interface in Windows 8. It is believed that Microsoft would face copyright infringement issues from German retailer Metro AG over the use of that word and according to the memo, employees were told to reference the interface as the Windows 8 style UI.

According to unnamed sources as reported by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft will simply use “Windows 8” as the branding for everything that was once known as Metro. For example, “Metro-style applications” will now be called “Windows 8 applications,” and the “Metro user interface” will be called the “Windows 8 user interface.” It’s a subtle naming scheme but one that could further help to build the Windows 8 brand as a whole.

microsoft windows metro windows 8

To further lend credit to her source, Foley highlights the fact that Lenovo’s product page for the recently announced ThinkPad Tablet 2 uses the phrase “Desktop and Windows 8 Apps.”  Based on this, it’s safe to assume that mobile apps will be known as Windows 8 Apps and traditional desktop applications will simply be Desktop Apps.

Furthermore, the same naming convention will reportedly carry over to Windows Phone, meaning the Metro interface will now be known as the “Windows 8 interface” on Windows Phone devices.

As Foley points out, it’s a bit surprising that Microsoft wasn’t able to or wasn’t willing to try to come to an agreement with Metro AG to use the word. After all, the Metro UI name has become synonymous with Windows 8 leading up to its launch later this year.

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How it was "Use Metro in windows 8!" how it is now " use Windows 8 in Windows 8!" lol I find it funny how much stuff is copyrighted and they could have got a bit of advertisement ;)
 
They should have replaced "Metro" with "Unproductive."

“Metro-style applications” would be "Unproductive applications."

“Metro user interface” would be "Unproductive user interface."
 
Its kind of a smart move if you think about it. By having Metro be something that is on top of the Windows 8 interface, it implies that a) its something different and b) its something that can be removed.

Since its integrated into the OS, and it cannot be removed, they're just acknowledging that its part of the OS, like it or not.
 
Completely agree with you, gave the preview version a 2 week test drive, it simply does not do a good job. It slows you down and is totally NOT a corporate environment OS. Will stick to 7 unless they patch this "let's give users a hard time" feature.
 
Completely agree with you, gave the preview version a 2 week test drive, it simply does not do a good job. It slows you down and is totally NOT a corporate environment OS. Will stick to 7 unless they patch this "let's give users a hard time" feature.

I've been using Win8 as my primary driver at home for a couple of months and on a VM at work... I haven't noticed any loss of productivity beyond the first week.
 
I bet everybody except Microsoft will still call it Metro, but MS has now covered themselves.
 
Well then Win 9 will use Windows 8 UI or are they going to create a whole new UI for every new release of Windows.

I really don't know what Steve Ballmer is still doing as CEO of MS.
 
And here I was pulling for Moronic UI, oh well leave it to Microsoft to take something different and brand it under the same Windows name. Oh well, there's always Windows 9 to look forward to, or not...
 
You folks claiming you lose productivity because of Metro are just outing yourselves as someone who has never even used Win8. You don't have to use Metro. Anyone that has tried Win8 knows this. I use it daily and only see Metro when I want to (which is rare).
 
I agree, metro (or Win 8 UI) only appears on bootup,which by the way is smokin fast, and then I never see it again. I then get the bentifit of using a much improved, optimised OS. Don't see what all the fuss is about with people complaining. I guess some people can't handle change.
 
You know there's something wrong when an OS has two desktops to do one job... Yes now it takes two desktops to open Microsoft word....
 
So this is what happens when Bill Gates leaves the company.... We're all doomed!
 
Censorship? What did I say? Why was my post deleted? I guess I proved why there is no benefit in Windows 8 over Windows 7 so you deleted my post. Nice...
 
You folks claiming you lose productivity because of Metro are just outing yourselves as someone who has never even used Win8. You don't have to use Metro. Anyone that has tried Win8 knows this. I use it daily and only see Metro when I want to (which is rare).
I dont care about metro if its optional, what I care about is the omission of the start menu. THERES NO REASON MS CANT ADD BOTH.
 
I dont care about metro if its optional, what I care about is the omission of the start menu. THERES NO REASON MS CANT ADD BOTH.

Actually, there is a start menu, you just right-click at the bottom left corner of the desktop (just where the Start button should be!) and it pops up (I don't actually like Windows 8 at all but I remembered that from trying it out - prefer 7/XP/Linux as it happens)
 
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