Windows 8
At last, we can get to see a public showing of the much awaited Windows 8. Windows 8 was primarily designed for tablets but also runs on desktops and laptops. Right now, it will be called Windows 8 but it is still subject to change when it becomes formally released to the market. This OS will be very handy for large screen desktop computers and will also work well for touch based tablets. This OS will combine the classic elements from Windows but it will borrow some features from Windows Phone 7 and of course some additional UI elements.
When you first look at the start screen, instead of a start menu, you can see that the OS utilizes the screen and made it more dynamic with a tile based feature a la Windows Phone 7. These live tiles can support notifications or live updates from applications such as email. In addition to that, Internet Explorer 10 will include touch enabled features so that you can enjoy touch-friendly web browsing on this classic browser.
If you want to experience the classic desktop and Windows Explorer, you can still access it. The great thing about the new Windows 8 UI is that you can still use your keyboard and mouse and use it like any normal desktop UI.
Microsoft said that the new OS will still be able to run legacy Windows 7 apps but there is also a push to improve web related tools such as HTML 5 as well as the development of JavaScript apps for Windows. This is very helpful for developers so that they can create apps that work in various devices. You can also enjoy features similar to Windows 7 that allow you to snap and re-size Windows so to improve multitasking. Speaking of multitasking, if iOS and Android OS allow you to run apps on the background, the Windows 8 multitasking feature will enable you to run apps side by side. Programs will run ideally in full screen mode but you can change the size to adapt to your needs.
In Windows 8 the keyboard is more flexible to the user screen real estate. You can choose a regular setup where the keyboard is in the middle. You can also choose to break them apart in the middle and enjoy typing comfortably on the sides. This makes sense more in larger tablet screens that are becoming very trendy.
It seems that Microsoft put a lot of time and effort to make Windows 8 a lot more enjoyable for the touch experience of mobile users. This is indeed designed to make computing more versatile while keeping the comforts of regular keyboard and mouse experience available. Nonetheless, we are still yet to find out more about the features of the new Windows 8 OS. We will keep a close eye on how it will fare into the market and how users will enjoy the brand new features and offerings from Microsoft.
Enjoy this review video of Windows 8 by director of program management for Windows, Jensen Harris:
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