Recent reports indicate that a secret build--Build 9364--of Windows Blue has emerged thanks to a leak from a Microsoft partner, and the early word is already getting quite fired up about it. While there isn't much agreement on just what we should be looking forward to, there are certainly several different perspectives on the matter providing insight into a possible future with Windows.

There's little in the way of consensus as to just what this new build actually represents. Some suggest its SP1 or Windows 8 Second Edition. Others believe this may well be the early version of Windows 9. Microsoft, not surprisingly, is keeping quiet but the perspectives and analyses are flying fast and furious to get a better handle on just what Windows Blue represents.

Christina DesMarais at PC World looks at the Blue update as "a codename" for what will be a series of regular updates to Windows 8. DesMarais' reports suggest this is something to look forward to, as Windows Blue will be able to improve ultrabook battery life. It won't just stop at ultrabooks, though, bringing updates to much of Microsoft's overall lineup including Windows Server, Windows RT, Windows Phone and even services like Outlook.com and SkyDrive.

Further analysis came in from several other quarters with some, like The Verge's Tom Warren taking note of the enhanced number of features that will be coming in, like control over color personalization, an augmented number of Snap Views, changes to the settings screen and several others besides.

Interestingly, much of what's coming out about the leaked build is positive, with many having at least something nice to say about it. That's a bit of a change following Microsoft 8, which was actually cited by some as one reason for a recent decline in PC shipments. By many reports so far it looks as though Windows Blue may well be not only a significant step up from Windows 8, but also a potential to, as Betanews' Joe Wilcox put it, "...be a bold, next step" and "...an opportunity for Microsoft to show that it can keep pace."

Not all the reports are positive, however, as those like ZDNET's Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols seems to think that Windows Blue will be mostly sizzle with little steak, suggesting that if Windows 8 really needed fixing, dropping Metro entirely would have been the step to take.

It's easy to tell that there's a lot of opinion flying around about the upcoming Windows Blue build. While many seem to think that this is a great move, by and large, some aren't so sure. This is, of course, all about a leaked build, so changes may well be in the offing between now and its actual release, which some are projecting will happen later this year, following a period of public preview.

Just what the final word on Windows Blue will be, well, that depends largely on the users.