Hello all.
Here is an article I copied and pasted from another list about what we
know so far about the upcoming Windows 8. I am going to warn you in
advance that I do not have a source to the article. So I hope this is
ok. If not then I sincerely apologize. All I know is that the article
has been taken from pC World. Anyway, enjoy the article, pasted below.
Details about Windows 8, Microsoft's newest operating system expected in
2012, have been leaking out thanks largely to Microsoft previews and a
stream of blog posts on the company's Building Windows 8 blog.
The new OS is said to be Microsoft's biggest Windows refresh since
Windows 95, when desktop PCs reigned supreme and most laptops cost
nearly $3000. Now, Microsoft wants to update Windows for a consumer
technology world that is obsessed with online services and touch-centric
devices such as the iPad and Android smartphones.
Windows 8: TL;DR* (*Too Long; Didn't Read)
So far, Microsoft has detailed a brand new touch interface for Windows 8
with the traditional desktop UI hiding underneath. The new OS also will
run on both ARM and Intel processors, opening up a range of Windows
8-powered devices such as desktops, laptops, and tablets.
Windows 8 also is expected to have an OS X-style Mac App Store, and
should include further integration with Microsoft's growing range of
online services such as SkyDrive, Office 365, and the free Office Web
apps. Other improvements include USB 3.0 support and an overhauled
version of Explorer, Windows' file management tool.
Here's a look at everything we know so far about Window 8.
Get in Touch With Windows 8
The most dramatic change for Windows 8 is Microsoft's emphasis on a new
Windows Phone 7-inspired touch interface. Windows 8's new start screen
has large panels that are ideal for touchscreens, but that also can be
manipulated by a mouse.
Microsoft Windows 8 start screenThe Microsoft Windows 8 start screenThe
traditional Windows interface with the start button, task bar, and
desktop is still available and will come up any time you load a legacy
app such as Microsoft Excel 2010. You can also run new Windows 8
touchable apps alongside traditional Windows apps. Microsoft said HTML
and JavaScript will be the primary development language for new Windows
8 apps.
ARM and Intel
Windows 8's touch-centric interface may give traditional
mouse-and-keyboard desktop fans the chills, but the new UI could help
Microsoft compete in the tablet arena. Starting with Windows 8,
Microsoft will design its operating system to work not only with Intel's
x86 chip architecture, but also with ARM processors. ARM chips are very
popular in the mobile device market and should help Microsoft's partners
put Windows 8 on a range of so-called post-PC devices such as tablets.
An ARM processorAn ARM processorThe big question, however, is whether
people will be willing to give ARM-based Windows devices a chance.
Apple's iPad is the most dominant device in the new generation of
one-panel touch tablets. And the consensus among critics and device
makers is that people are looking for slates running mobile operating
systems such as iOS, Android, and the QNX-based OS on the Blackberry
PlayBook. Can Microsoft succeed in the tablet arena by offering Windows
with a new touch overlay? I guess we'll find out in 2012.
App Store
You can expect to see an integrated app store in Windows 8 that should
let you download new software for your device with just one click.
Earlier in August, Microsoft revealed on the Building Windows 8 blog the
details of various engineering teams working on the new OS, and the list
included an "App Store" team. It's not clear what the app store team is
working on, but chances are it will be a product similar to the Mac App
Store available for Mac PCs running OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and 10.7
(Lion).
App Preview
Speaking of Apps, some Microsoft partners are already hard at work
designing touch-based apps for Windows 8 tablets. ZDNet uncovered a
purported early design for a USA Today Windows 8 app that has a very
Metro UI look and feel to it.
A mock-up of a Windows 8 appA mock-up of a Windows 8 appAnother Windows
8 mock-up shows an app presumably designed with in-flight entertainment
consoles in mind that offers access to news, weather, and videos.
Clouds in Windows 8
Also part of Microsoft's list of Windows 8 engineering teams was a group
called "Windows Online." It's not clear what that team might be doing,
but there are a large number of online services that Microsoft could
integrate into Windows 8, such as Office 365, Office Web Apps, Windows
Live and Azure. Some integration with these so-called cloud services
already exists, but there are still annoying shortcomings in Windows
such as an easy way to mount your SkyDrive as a local drive accessible
via Windows Explorer. Dropbox can do it, so why can't Microsoft?
USB 3.0 Support
USB 3.0 promises data transfer speeds that are up to 10 times faster
than the current USB 2.0 standard, and USB 3.0 also uses less power than
its predecessor. You can already take advantage of speedier USB 3.0
ports in Windows 7 thanks to third-party drivers. But starting with
Windows 8, Microsoft plans on including native support for USB 3.0.
Windows Explorer: File Management Basics
The new interface for file copy information in Windows 8The new
interface for file copy information in Windows 8Microsoft has spent a
fair amount of time recently talking about its overhauls to Windows
Explorer for the next iteration of Windows. The new Windows Explorer
will improve its file management basics such as copy, move, rename, and
delete functions, which make up 50 percent of Explorer's usage in Windows 7.
The new interface puts all your basic file management functions into one
window instead of having separate windows for each function. This will
make it easier and more efficient to handle moving around several large
files at once, such as photos and videos.
If you're copying or moving files, you can also get an expanded view to
see throughput graphs and how many bits have already been transferred.
Microsoft also claims its time estimates to completion will be more
accurate in Windows 8.
Finally, Microsoft has improved the filename collision dialog to make it
easier to figure out which files you'll be overwriting when a new file
has the same name as a file already sitting in your destination folder.
Exploring Ribbons
The Windows 8 version of Explorer is also getting Microsoft's ribbon
interface in a bid to make the file management tool more touch friendly,
efficient, expose useful commands, and to reintroduce popular Explorer
features from Windows XP. Microsoft has also optimized the new Explorer
for widescreen displays and will add about 200 keyboard shortcuts for
power users.
Explorer gets the ribbon interface in Windows 8Explorer gets the ribbon
interface in Windows 8.The new Windows 8 Explorer will have three main
tabs--Home, Share, and View--along with a File menu on the far left
side. Explorer's primary Home tab in Windows 8 includes 84 percent of
the commands users employ most often, Microsoft says, such as "Move to"
and "Copy to" for moving and copying files. Microsoft has also exposed
the command "Copy path" for people who want to paste a file path into
another Explorer window to access a file quickly or email a link to a
file sitting on a corporate server.
The Share tab offers one-click access to the "Email" and "Zip" commands,
as well as other options such as "Burn to disc," print and, in a nod to
the 1990s, fax. The new Explorer will also show you who has access to a
currently selected file on your HomeGroup or enterprise network.
Explorer's new File menu gives power users quick access to the command
prompt as well as an option to open the command prompt as an
administrator. Both options open a C prompt with the file path set to
your currently selected folder such as My Documents or Desktop.
There are also contextual menus in Windows 8's Explorer that only show
up when you are doing specific tasks. If you open up Explorer to look at
photos, for example, under the "Manage" tab you'll see options to rotate
the currently selected photo, start a slideshow, or set a photo as your
background.
Opening up an Explorer window to look at your computer's connected
drives will give you options to format, optimize, and clean up your hard
drive, eject an external thumb drive, or activate Windows' Autoplay
feature. Windows 8's Explorer will also include XP's 'Up' button that
allows you to move backwards through your file directories.
That's all for now, but Microsoft is expected to reveal more details
about Windows 8 during the company's BUILD conference that starts
September 13 in Anaheim, CA. We'll keep an eye on
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