Home Microsoft to deprecate ‘Metro’ label
News

Microsoft to deprecate ‘Metro’ label

Cyril Kowaliski
Disclosure
Disclosure
In our content, we occasionally include affiliate links. Should you click on these links, we may earn a commission, though this incurs no additional cost to you. Your use of this website signifies your acceptance of our terms and conditions as well as our privacy policy.

Metro. Over the years, that innocuous word has come to represent Microsoft’s new visual identity—the flat colored rectangles, the clean typography, and the heavy emphasis on consistent, streamlined design. Metro has become shorthand for a bold, new chapter in Microsoft’s history. It’s become synonymous with the company’s metamorphosis from slumbering giant into ambitious underdog.

And now, Microsoft is about to deprecate it.

The Verge reports that Microsoft has advised Windows 8 and Windows Phone app developers not to use the term “Metro” to refer to the new design language. ZDNet has posted a similar story, noting that Microsoft is seeking to curb internal use of the term, as well. When asked to comment, Microsoft provided the same statement to both sites:

We have used Metro style as a code name during the product development cycle across many of our product lines. As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names.

The Verge says one of its sources suspects a copyright dispute between Microsoft and Metro AG could be at play. Metro AG is a German retailer with stores throughout Europe, Russia, India, and China. Wikipedia says it’s the world’s fifth-largest retailer by revenue behind Walmart, Carrefour, Tesco, and Kroger—no small fish, in other words.

ZDNet had a similar hunch, but it was told by a Microsoft spokesperson that the branding change “is not related to any litigation.” The same spokesperson declined to comment when asked if the move was due to “any kind of copyright dispute that hasn’t yet gone to litigation,” however, so the statement hardly proves anything.

Another possibility, as ZDNet points out, is that Microsoft seeks to avoid confusing users. It’s true that Metro refers neither to a particular technology nor to a given platform, so it doesn’t tell users anything particularly useful about what they’re buying. I don’t think Metro was ever really front and center on Microsoft product pages, though.

Latest News

meme-season (1)
Crypto News

8 Meme Coins to Consider for Investment During the Current Meme Coin Trend

SpaceX Is Building A Network Of 100 Spy Satellites For The US
News

SpaceX Is Building a Network of 100 Spy Satellites for the US Government, Angers China

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly making 100 spy satellites for the US intelligence agency. According to sources, the company recently accepted a secret contract by the US government worth $1.8 billion....

IMF Shared An Update About The February Security Breach
News

IMF Shared an Update about the February Security Breach – All Affected Email Accounts Resecured

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday shared an update about a cyberattack that breached 11 email accounts from the organization on February 16, 2024. A spokesperson said that they...

Taylor Swift in concert
Statistics

9 Taylor Swift Controversies – The Numbers Behind the Drama

What is Darwin AI, Apple’s Latest AI Acquisition?
News

What is Darwin AI, Apple’s Latest AI Acquisition?

Cyberattack On France Govt Exposes Data of 43 Million Users
News

Massive Cyberattack On France Government Departments Leaves The Data of 43 Million Users Exposed 

Reddit Receives An Inquiry From FTC About Its AI-Related Deals 
News

Reddit Receives an Inquiry Request from FTC about Its AI-Related Deals