DailyTech - Microsoft First Overhaul to its Logo in 25 Years Looks Vaguely Metro

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Software Microsoft First Overhaul to its Logo in 25 Years Looks Vaguely Metro
Jason Mick (Blog) - August 23, 2012 4:41 PM

29 comment(s) - last by TSS.. on Aug 28 at 5:21 PM

This is Microsoft's first logo to feature color

Windows 8 isn't just a dramatic operating system overhaul for Microsoft Corp. (MSFT). It also marks the first time in a quarter century that Microsoft has revamped its sacred logo, one of the most recognizable symbols in the tech world.

The new logo has a vaguely Metro UI-ish (now renamed Windows 8 style due to trademark issues) look to it and will be featured prominently on Microsoft's upcoming 10.6-inch Surface tablet. Jeff Hansen, Microsoft's brand strategy manager tells The Seattle Times that the new logo is designed to "signal the heritage but also signal the future — a newness and freshness."

The "fresh" logo is actually the fifth in Microsoft's history. During its first 12 years, Microsoft went through three text logos, before finally settling with the iconic black, bold/italic text logo. The new logo is the first to feature color, though, with the inclusion of a Metro-like rendition of the iconic Windows symbol. Mr. Hansen writes, "The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products."

_{Microsoft's logo has evolved 4 times in the company's almost four decade history. [Image Source: Microsoft via The Seattle Times]}

Microsoft logo new size

_{The new logo [Image Source: Microsoft]}

Here's a video Microsoft put out of the new logo animating in:

Microsoft's Hansen comments, "The majority of the items that people see from the company — websites, marketing, communications — people will be seeing the new logo pretty quickly."

Sources: TechNet, The Seattle Times

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RE: bleh

By Tony Swash on 8/23/2012 5:45:50 PM , Rating: -1

I actually like it it, unusually good taste from Microsoft, shame about the products though.

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RE: bleh

By Pirks on 8/23/2012 8:49:43 PM , Rating: 2

Says Mac fanatic who has not a slightest hint of real life experience with Win8. Yeah, a "solid" argument, suuure :)

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RE: bleh

By Tony Swash on 8/24/12, Rating: -1

RE: bleh

By djc208 on 8/24/2012 8:32:11 AM , Rating: 3

Every time I hear this kind of thing it makes me laugh. Most of the world runs Windows, it even runs on Apple products now, how does that make it inferior to OS X which can only run on a small selection of hardware and doesn't always run well on even that.

How many people go out every day and build their own machines out of a huge selection of hardware and successfully install Windows on it and have it be stable and reliable. Probably most of the people here. I have four computers at home running three different Microsoft OS's on completely different types of hardware and all three are stable and reliable.

So bleh all you like but truth of the matter is millions of people do most of the worlds daily work (and play) on a Windows PC, and do so sucessfully. Many of the problems you probably experienced were due to either the user or crappy 3rd party hardware and software.

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RE: bleh

By mocyd on 8/24/2012 11:55:43 AM , Rating: 2

Gates' net worth was far more the Jobs' for a reason: Microsoft products were able to achieve more for businesses than any of Apples ever was.

Even if you consider the claim that Windows is "bug ridden", it was still more valuable than OSX, it is still the gaming platform of choice, better supported by vendors, provided better support to developers and enabled a whole market of third party peripheral makers.

I'm wondering if any of these points sound familiar. Interesting you're not considering these when you talk about Windows.

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