Windows 8 is going to a more simple naming system, with naming conventions dropping the Live and Zune titles. Windows Live Mail will now be a very simple “Mail”. Others are as equally as simple and if people have difficulty in understanding what they do, then they need to step away from the keyboard.
Microsoft’s Xbox team is handling the creation and management of the Metro style Video and Music applications within Windows 8, and we previously heard that Windows 8 will move to "Xbox Live for Windows" as the entertainment brand for Windows 8 Music, Video and Games shortly before its release. The debranding of Zune has already taken effect in the final Windows 8 Consumer Preview, but the full transition away from Zune will take place over the summer. The move away from Zune is part of a broad effort to simplify and consolidate the company’s brands into a simple consumer message alongside Microsoft SkyDrive and Microsoft Hotmail. The branding will look like this in Windows 8:
- Microsoft Account (Windows Live ID)
- Mail (Windows Live Mail)
- Calendar (Windows Live Calendar)
- People (Windows Live Contacts)
- Photos (Windows Live Photo Gallery)
- Music (Zune Music Player)
- Video (Zune Video Player)