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The release of Windows 8 looms ever closer and the operating system is already getting a mixed reception. Windows 7 has proven to be almost as popular for Microsoft as Windows XP, so a little hostility was expected, especially with such dramatic interface changes.
Microsoft let consumers try the latest build of Windows 8 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Many people have said that Windows 8 borrows many design cues from Windows Phone 7 software, which is certainly going to split opinion.
One of the biggest talking points is the start up time of the operating system, booting on many PC's in only 8 seconds, which is a significant improvement on Windows 7. The latest best guess for release is October this year.
The new operating system doesn't have the traditional Start Menu bottom left as the applications are spread across the screen within 'tiles'. Microsoft are calling this interface, ‘Metro'.
These tiles can be navigated by swiping the screen, or by using the mouse and keyboard. We can't imagine many professionals will fancy getting dirty finger prints on their monitors, but perhaps it will prove popular. Would you even be interested in a touch screen panel for your main gaming system?
Microsoft are very keen to promote this functionality as they demonstrated the feature in Barcelona, swiping in and out of applications with various strokes, and they even tilted their PC screens to a ‘flat' position to show how the operating system can be used as two person gaming boards, or even as drawing tablets.
Steven Sinofsky, the president of Microsoft Windows Division said “It's beautiful, it's modern, it's fast, it's fluid.” He added “Windows 8 is a generational change in the Windows operating system.”
The Windows 8 Consumer Preview can now be downloaded from the Microsoft website over here.
Microsoft are also developing a version that will run on non Intel powered computers, targeting the wider mobile phone market place. The success of this operating system is not just important for Microsoft, but for their partners who are currently experiencing flagging PC sales in the current climate. A new Windows operating system, if popular, can drive millions of sales worldwide as the mainstream audience upgrade their computer at home.
Kitguru says: Some analysts claim that Windows 8 might have problems with the enthusiast audience who have warmed to Windows 7 and who won't want a new operating system which seems based around a mobile platform interface.
If I wanted to do all my office work on a tablet, I would have gone and bought myself a new iPad (which I still might do, if I’m forced to choose between a Windows tablet and an iPad). Why can’t we just leave the tablet market to Apple and the PC market to Microsoft? Don’t get me wrong, I like Windows 8 in general, but what happened to freedom of speech and choices. In Windows XP we had the choice to switch back to the Classic Start Menu and in Windows 7 we have XP Mode. It looks like in Windows 8, the only choices we have are to tablet or not to tablet. Rizonesoft started a petition to ask Microsoft to at least give us a choice between the interfaces and bring the Start Menu back. Go here: http://www.rizonesoft.com/2012/bring-back-the-start-menu/ for more information about the petition. Please help Rizonesoft accomplish this almost impossible task by signing and sharing this petition.