The more things change, the more they stay the same

The most telling takeaway has nothing to do with features or functionality, however: It's the very nature of Build 9364 itself. Previously, there was some debate about whether Windows Blue was a whole new OS or an update to Windows 8. Now we know it's clearly the latter, as evidenced by both the incremental improvements found in the leaked operating system as well as the screenshot at right.

And while we're talking notable non-features, one in particular might rile diehard desktop enthusiasts. The Start button still doesn't make in Windows Blue. It's really, truly gone, folks.

That said, Windows Blue is a clearly a step in the right direction, addressing many of the basic interface complaints leveled at Windows 8 and Windows RT as they stand today. Will it be enough to woo curmudgeonly Windows 7 enthusiasts to Microsoft's platform of the future? Probably not. But it will make the Windows 8 experience much more fluid and seamless for early Windows 8 adoptees—especially for people who have dived wholeheartedly into Microsoft's touch-focused modern UI.