Microsoft unveils Windows 8

[Isiolia]

Yes, but 7 has a built in (sort of) version of XP, so really no need to.
If you have pro, ent, or ult, you can download XP and Virtual PC for free.

Which has no Direct3D support/etc, so it's not useful for gaming. Works fine for business apps.

That said, there are other VMs, including Virtualbox, which is free, and does support 3D graphics.

[Skidz]

at 16 seconds in the second video, you can see the "normal" display of windows 8... look just like 7, and thats not a bad thing at all.

[Pikarya]

mfw people thought this would be the desktop version.

[Seanr]

Windows Me, son.

you masochist

[6souls]

Press release:

REDMOND, Wash. - June 1, 2011 - Today, at the D9 Conference, we demonstrated the next generation of Windows, internally code-named "Windows 8," for the first time. Windows 8 is a reimagining of Windows, from the chip to the interface. A Windows 8-based PC is really a new kind of device, one that scales from touch-only small screens through to large screens, with or without a keyboard and mouse.

The demo showed some of the ways we've reimagined the interface for a new generation of touch-centric hardware. Fast, fluid and dynamic, the experience has been transformed while keeping the power, flexibility and connectivity of Windows intact.

Here are a few aspects of the new interface we showed today:

• Fast launching of apps from a tile-based Start screen, which replaces the Windows Start menu with a customizable, scalable full-screen view of apps.
• Live tiles with notifications, showing always up-to-date information from your apps.
• Fluid, natural switching between running apps.
• Convenient ability to snap and resize an app to the side of the screen, so you can really multitask using the capabilities of Windows.
• Web-connected and Web-powered apps built using HTML5 and JavaScript that have access to the full power of the PC.
• Fully touch-optimized browsing, with all the power of hardware-accelerated Internet Explorer 10.

We also showed effortless movement between existing Windows programs and new Windows 8 apps. The full capabilities of Windows continue to be available to you, including the Windows Explorer and Desktop, as does compatibility with all Windows 7 logo PCs, software and peripherals.

Although the new user interface is designed and optimized for touch, it works equally well with a mouse and keyboard. Our approach means no compromises -- you get to use whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run the apps you love. This is sure to inspire a new generation of hardware and software development, improving the experience for PC users around the world.

Today, we also talked a bit about how developers will build apps for the new system. Windows 8 apps use the power of HTML5, tapping into the native capabilities of Windows using standard JavaScript and HTML to deliver new kinds of experiences.

These new Windows 8 apps are full-screen and touch-optimized, and they easily integrate with the capabilities of the new Windows user interface. There's much more to the platform, capabilities and tools than we showed today.

We are excited to bring an innovative new platform and tools to developers and see how their creativity jumpstarts a new generation of apps. Windows 8 apps can use a broad set of new libraries and controls, designed for fluid interaction and seamless connectivity.

Apps can add new capabilities to Windows and to other apps, connecting with one another through the new interface. For example, we showed today how a developer can extend the file picker control to enable picking from their own app content or from within another Windows 8 app, in addition to the local file system and the network. We're just getting started.

And this isn't just about touch PCs. The new Windows experience will ultimately be powered by application and device developers around the world -- one experience across a tremendous variety of PCs. The user interface and new apps will work with or without a keyboard and mouse on a broad range of screen sizes and pixel densities, from small slates to laptops, desktops, all-in-ones, and even classroom-sized displays. Hundreds of millions of PCs will run the new Windows 8 user interface. This breadth of hardware choice is unique to Windows and central to how we see Windows evolving.

The video below introduces a few of the basic elements of the new user interface. Although we have much more to reveal at our developer event, BUILD (Sept. 13 - 16 in Anaheim, Calif.), we're excited to share our progress with you.

Today's demonstration followed our announcements earlier this year about Windows 8 running on System on a Chip (SoC) processors, and our browser engine innovations and significantly increased standards support in Internet Explorer 10.

Windows 8 extends these innovations and reimagines every level of the Windows architecture -- the kernel, networking, storage, devices, user interface -- all building on the broadest and richest ecosystem of software, peripherals and devices.

We have so much more on the way! We're working very hard to get the product ready for early testing, and we plan to kick off our engineering dialogue through our team blog, just as we did for Windows 7.

And I think the alpha version I posted earlier still works;

http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/104340-Windows-8

[Clash Perez]

It bugs the hell out of me when they talk about apps as if they're somehow completely different from programs.

"Windows used to have all of those boring programs, BUT OMG LOOK AT THESE SEXY FANTASTIC APPS WHICH IN NO WAY HAVE ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PROGRAMS!"

[Seanr]

it bugs the hell out of me that companies try to patent common ass words like app and app store, thats like patenting the word grocery store

[Khamsin]

Hopefully they started from scratch and built Windows 8 from the ground up, and managed to streamline their code, reduce memory hogging, among other issues.

[Cheerios]

Hopefully they started from scratch and built Windows 8 from the ground up, and managed to streamline their code, reduce memory hogging, among other issues.

Building from the ground up would be fine and dandy until support for legacy apps/hardware vanishes.

[Khamsin]

Building from the ground up would be fine and dandy until support for legacy apps/hardware vanishes.

I'm sure there'll be Windows 7 Compatibility Mode and such, for older applications.

[Gokulo]

at 16 seconds in the second video, you can see the "normal" display of windows 8... look just like 7, and thats not a bad thing at all.

I think that might just be the 7 UI used as temp. here.

I'm sure there'll be Windows 7 Compatibility Mode and such, for older applications.

From 6souls post:

"We also showed effortless movement between existing Windows programs and new Windows 8 apps. The full capabilities of Windows continue to be available to you, including the Windows Explorer and Desktop, as does compatibility with all Windows 7 logo PCs, software and peripherals."

[Khamsin]

I think that might just be the 7 UI used as temp. here.



From 6souls post:

"We also showed effortless movement between existing Windows programs and new Windows 8 apps. The full capabilities of Windows continue to be available to you, including the Windows Explorer and Desktop, as does compatibility with all Windows 7 logo PCs, software and peripherals."

On current Windows systems, you need to run some programs in Compatibility Mode for older versions of Windows. Wonder if that quote means you'll be able to just naturally run Windows 7 programs without any special compatibility or legacy mode... and if so, wonder if this new 'natural compatibility' feature means we can finally run XP, 98, and 95 programs without any special settings, too. Or maybe it's just specially coded to emulate an appropriate environment for Windows 7 programs, but no older. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Of course, this is all assuming that Windows 8 is as much of a change from Windows Vista & 7, as Windows Vista & 7 was from XP. As opposed to being more of a Vista -> 7 type thing. I'm still holding out hope that this is a completely new OS, and not built off of (or reusing anything from) 7.

[SephYuyX]

You have to realise that when MS says "existing Windows programs", they mean from Vista and 7. Win XP and previous no longer exsist (sort of), however they will still be treated as they are in 7.

Windows 8 is also built from 7, it is unfortunatly not from the ground up. However "9" will be.

While XP is still being technically supported my Microsoft, XP, Vista, and 7 mainstream support will be ending by 2015.

Microsoft's current plan is to role out 8 as just a prettier, more stable, and more adopted 7 (theyre still trying to get people away from XP) so that they tide people over as they build "9" from the ground up. 8 will most likely be the XP of the old era. It will have a longer mainstream support and be used for a while as they develop their new built from the ground up OS.

9 is where we should be worried/excited. 9 will either be a Vista mistake, or super awesome.

[Ohemgee]

Do you think Microsoft is moving away from desktops? After watching E3 today and seeing the announcements with the kinect and bing integration as well as Windows 8 + Windows Azure, it kind of feels like they're isolating desktops and laptops for set top devices and mobile media

[SephYuyX]

Yes/No.

While desktops will be gone in the future it is still a ways off, this is just a step in that direction; you can never just dive right in to a new way of life (pure tablet mode), so you have to include both to get people to gradually shift. Tablet like devices will be the next desktop, and then after that, probably some ghost in the shell type thing.

While people like to think desktops are awesome sauce because theyre powerful and we can mod them, were in the minority. Most people dont want to be strapped down to desktops; most companies buy their employees laptops, even if theyre just going to be at their desk for 90% of the time.

The day they can make a tablet device more efficient in every single aspect, thats when MS will give up on the desktop. And honestly, thats not to far away. Were expected to reach a plateau of device shrinking sometime in the earlly 2020s, after that comes 3D/quantum, and thats where things will get interesting. By 2030 shit will be beyond what we have now in every way.

There is no way MS will abandon 90% of the market, and as long as they plan on supporting business servers, they may as well make a home OS to go along with it, and as long as businesses still use legacy stuff, the rest of the world will be bound by it too.

I cant say for sure if cloud technology is the ultimate goal or not, there are positives and negatives to it, but there will have to be a drastic change in our national and international infranstructer. We cant be sporting this 5mb download bs for 30$ a month, and a 10gb cap for starters. Optics need to be everywhere, wireless needs to be faster and more secure, and this 3g/4g/5g/6g bs also needs to go too.

As "anti-establishment" and hippy as this sounds, big business is a huge hindrance in our technological advancement. They will nickle and dime the shit out of everything until the newest thing is slowly rolled out. The want consumers to think they have the best, when in reality we could be 100x better off right this very minute.


But yeah, nothings going to change within the next 10 years; Desktops will be king if you want it all, cloud computing will be for small businesses and limited use, and we will be getting raped for infranstructure usage. However in 20 years, this will be all turned upside down.

[Khamsin]

I can see laptops as the new desktop (it already kinda is for a lot of people), I don't see tablets replacing that function. No matter how powerful of a tablet you have (and all of them I've seen are less powerful both processor-wise and graphics-wise than laptops or desktops), it can never replace a laptop for typing efficiency. If you are writing a lot, or using programs (like AutoCAD or some other industry software), you can't afford to give up half the screen real estate for virtual keyboards. You're going to need to use a bluetooth keyboard, and if you're doing that, you may as well just have a laptop.

Tablets have their niche, and are good for home users that are mostly interested in media and occasional internet use, as well as professionals in a mobile and rugged setting (e.g. firemen, medics, delivery, etc.), but not so much for your average office-based company, or most home users.

[SephYuyX]

Yes, keyboarding is an issue, but the style of keyboard we have now wont be the one we have down the road.

[Crizto]

Yes, keyboarding is an issue, but the style of keyboard we have now wont be the one we have down the road.

"Back in my day keyboards had letters!" It's going to be weird when/if desktops get completely replaced >_>

[Cyn]

While desktops will be gone in the future

lol

[Khamsin]

"Back in my day keyboards had letters!" It's going to be weird when/if desktops get completely replaced >_>

http://www.daskeyboard.com/model-s-ultimate/

lol

It's true, if you don't qualify just how far into the future. But judging from some offices that still use 1980's era computers, it might take a while.