European naming dispute
Microsoft has ditched the name "Metro-style" to describe the tiles on Windows Phone and Windows 8, and has embarked on a mission to find a new designation.
First, the company started to inform developers not to use the "Metro" name in its applications and then The Verge was sent an internal Microsoft memo from one of its sources confirming the change. It told employees to "discontinue the use" of the Metro branding immediately.
It is believed that a dispute with an unnamed European company (which Microsoft calls a "partner") has led to the software giant deciding to drop the name altogether rather than enter a long, drawn-out legal battle.
A Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge that Metro style will be ditched, but swerved away from the idea that it is because of a trademark issue. "We have used Metro style as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines," they said. "As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names."
The leaked memo also advises that a new name for the user interface for Windows 8 and Windows Phone will be decided on at the "end of this week". Until then, employees have to refer to it as the "Windows 8-style UI".
Pocket-lint will bring you more on this, including the new term, as we get more information.
Tags: Microsoft Windows 8 Microsoft Surface Windows Phone 7
Microsoft's Metro-style no more... to be replaced with? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:27:16 +0100
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