When something doesn’t go quite right the first time, what’s a ginormous technology company supposed to do? Why, just slap a couple of coats of paint on the ill-received Windows 8, fluff it up a bit and send it right back out on stage. Microsoft is reportedly tweaking its most recent iteration of Windows because customers have been complaining of confusion, and PCs aren’t selling so well.

According to the Associated Press, the software package has been dubbed “Blue” for now, with the reworked version of Windows 8 set to debut later this year. It’s sort of Microsoft’s way of admitting that it mucked things up the first time around, and it’s to be hoped that this version of the operating system will be an improvement.

Microsoft wanted to become a big shot in the mobile device world with the release of Windows 8 last October, but the tiles and touch controls haven’t endeared themselves to consumers. One research firm even cites Windows 8 as being responsible for a 14% decline worldwide decline in PC sales in the first quarter this year. Yikes.

The company still says it’s happy with Windows 8, saying it’s sold more than 100 million licenses total — “in the same general ballpark” as previous sales for Windows 7, says the company’s marketing and financial chief for Windows, Tami Reller.

She admits, however, that Windows 8 needs a bit of a makeover.

“Are there things that we can do to improve the experience? Absolutely,” Reller said “There is a learning curve (to Windows 8) and we can work to address that.”

It’s still unclear what Blue will have that Windows 8 doesn’t. More details will be released before Microsoft’s June developers conference, with more features likely to be unveiled during that gathering as well.

Windows 8, Take 2: Microsoft to spiff up maligned operating system with ‘Blue’ touch-up job [Associated Press]

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