As Windows 8.1 Milestone Preview testers push and prod their way into the dark corners of Windows 8.1 "Blue," they're finding a bunch of things that go bump in the night. From new and likely unwelcome features, to nudges into the Microsoft data tracking sphere, to entire lopped-off pieces of Windows 8, it looks like Microsoft is changing Windows to further its own agenda.
Microsoft Accounts bare its fangs
With Windows 8, you're encouraged to set up every new Windows user with a Microsoft Account -- which is to say, it's easy to set up a new user by employing an email address that's been registered with Microsoft. It's possible to create a new Win8 user without providing a Microsoft Account, but you need to click a few rather obscure links in the setup routine to get around the restriction.
A look at the black underbelly of Windows 8.1 'Blue' | Microsoft windows - InfoWorldIf I were to speculate, I'd say that Microsoft ripped out the Facebook and Flickr parts of Metro Photos and, in a hurry, took out SkyDrive and network folder support. It's inconceivable to me that Microsoft would release a Metro Photos app without copious connections to SkyDrive -- if only to sell more SkyDrive space.
About the same time this observation hit the fan, Microsoft announced, quite unexpectedly, that Facebook would finally build a Metro Facebook app.
I think we're seeing a quid pro quo in action -- Facebook finally agrees to join the Windows Store and, in exchange, Microsoft agrees to drop Facebook integration from Metro Photos. If true, might other Microsoft Metro apps follow suit? And where's the Metro Flickr app?
Times really have changed if Facebook can arm-wrestle Microsoft into submission.
