Microsoft to drop 'Metro' name for Windows 8

[JMH]

A potential trademark dispute has forced Microsoft to drop the Metro name for Windows 8's blocky, tile-based interface.

Talks with an "important European partner" have brought about the change according to internal memos seen by tech news site The Verge.
The partner is believed to be German retail giant Metro AG.

Microsoft is currently working out what to call the interface and said the new name would be announced soon.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19108952

 

[JMH]

[h=1]Microsoft Kills Off Metro, But The UI Is Still Here[/h]

Microsoft has had to officially axe the “Metro” name from it’s new UI in Windows 8. Several people had been wondering if Microsoft were going to keep up the “Metro” name when Windows 8 hits the market. Up until now Microsoft have claimed that it’s just been a code name while they developed Windows 8.

The Verge got a little sneaky look at some internal Microsoft documents which outlined the reasons for the change in them name. A potential trademark dispute arose after talks with an “important European Partner” who is thought to be German retail giant Metro AG.


Metro AG owns a trademark on the word and Microsoft had been threatened with legal action because of the name. In documents that Microsoft sent out to developers months ago, they outlined that “Metro” was the “code name for our design language” and they had picked it because the name was “modern and clean. It’s fast and in motion”.

http://www.everything-microsoft.com/2012/08/04/microsoft-kills-metro-ui/

 

[JMH]

Is Metro Gone?

Microsoft did an odd thing, saying that Metro is not the real name of the new interface. Hmm. So what’s the odd thing? Is Metro just a code word not the real term for the Interface, or that after more than several years of work, where everyone, developers, programmers, and third parties working on the new Windows 8 interface called the interface, Metro, and now it is not called that?
Why?

There are no clear explanations for that, but one is that unofficially that Metro may be a term that could cause litigation; a form of copyright dispute. Where and how is not known and Microsoft is not giving any more information about that view.

Confusion with the Apps?

Does Microsoft really want to go in that direction? Consider that Microsoft has two forms of Windows 8 under production, one with the WinRT version and others that are not WinRT. Will this cause a problem for developers and for the public in general? Frankly, I don’t know if developers are confused, but some of the products being released lately have overlapping parts that does bring confusion.

http://www.everything-microsoft.com/2012/08/04/metro/