Thread: And now.... Windows 8

As if poor Butters hasn't got enough on his plate being all confused by Windows 7 and Android, now they're making it even harder for the dumb fuck.

Watch your back, iPad. Look out, Android. Windows is coming.

Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky will show off a prototype Windows 8 tablet at the All Things D conference in California this week -- the company's answer to Apple's "magical" device and Google's Android, experts speculate.

According to published reports and leaked screenshots, the new tablet-friendly operating system will function much like the Windows Phone 7 platform, with tiles you can flick around the screen, click to start an app, or reposition anyway you want.

The hardware for this new batch of tablets will likely mirror what's already on the market: tablets like the Motorola Xoom and Acer Iconia A500 that use the Nvidia Tegra 2 processor (and run the competing Google Android 3.0 operating system). The dual-core 1-GHz chip runs lightening fast for browsing the Web, playing games, and playing movies. Those tablets sport front- and rear-facing cameras, boast sharp graphics, and work well for touchscreen games.

In a tersely stated e-mail, Microsoft spokeswoman Anna Imperati told FoxNews.com that “Microsoft has nothing to share at this time” about any upcoming Windows 8 tablets.

From Androids to Apples, from Samsung, RIM and more, 2011 will be the year of the tablet. We've rounded up the 9 best tablets and 3 most notable e-readers you should keep an eye on.

However, NPD analyst Stephen Baker said Microsoft is likely working on a Windows 8 tablet. One major hint: He says Microsoft is developing a version of the next OS that will run on standard PC chips and -- for the first time ever -- on a different class of processors like the Tegra, which are based on a totally different architecture.

“We all know they are working on Windows 8. We all know that tablets will be a key market for them. We just don't know when these will be in the market and competing,” he told FoxNews.com.

"Expect a tighter familial relationship with the Windows Phone platform," Rob Enderle, a consumer analyst, told FoxNews.com. He expects a Windows 8 tablet to boast "full Windows capability and likely have enhancements that will dramatically reduce launch time, battery life, and communications -- with some level of Skype built in."

Not everyone agrees. Ken Dulaney, a Gartner analyst, told FoxNews.com Microsoft will have a tough road to walk in the tablet space.

"Apple made tablets popular because they created software that was another generation above Windows in ease of use," he told FoxNews.com. "Microsoft will have to change the Windows UI radically to succeed," Dulaney said.

The news of Windows 8 tablets comes as computing shifts from total reliance on desktops and laptops to a new touchscreen paradigm. And ironically, Microsoft attempted to capture the tablet market over a decade ago with the Tablet PC platform.

Of course, those devices were bulky, operated more like a computer, and required the use of a stylus.

A recent Nielson survey showed the Apple iPad has an 82 percent share of the tablet market. Financial services firm UBS has predicated sales of around 28 million units for the reigning touchscreen device. So how can Microsoft differentiate from the field?

One key to success will be a diversity of apps, Baker said. Windows developers should be able to port their wares to the tablet easily. And Microsoft has a long history of working with hardware makers, helping them bring products to market.

Baker said he'd like to see Microsoft come out with a Windows 8 tablet by the holiday season this year -- but predicts it will probably be sometime next year instead. As to whether Microsoft will shoot its own foot by promoting a switch to tablets, Baker said most people will continue using computers and carrying smartphones -- they'll just add in tablets.

“Consumers will migrate to multiple devices that do different jobs in different circumstances, and we expect to see consumers own all three types of devices over time,” he said.

Still, Microsoft has an unusual ability to challenge even the biggest names in technology. The company's Bing.com search engine has encroached on Google dominance, for example. And in the video game market, the Xbox 360 has taken on and arguably bested Goliaths of the industry like Sony and Nintendo.

But will the company's market capitalization of around $208 billion let it afford the marketing resources to challenge even the mighty Apple? Only time will tell.

Only to be expected given that WP7 has been such a monumental failure for them.

It will be nice to have a more touch/tablet-friendly OS- Windows 7 isn't bad, but it could use a few improvements.

Microsoft has totally redesigned the Windows interface for Windows 8, that is both touch- and gesture-based. This is a brief walk-through. Read more at Windows 8 Reinvents the Windows Interface | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

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Windows 8 Beta - Windows 8 news,Windows 8 rumors, Windows 8 downloads

Originally Posted by FailSafe

It will be nice to have a more touch/tablet-friendly OS- Windows 7 isn't bad, but it could use a few improvements.

Have you tried Honeycomb?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by FailSafe

It will be nice to have a more touch/tablet-friendly OS- Windows 7 isn't bad, but it could use a few improvements.

Have you tried Honeycomb?

My Asus EP121 came loaded with Windows 7 and it works fine- W8 will be an improvement and I'll upgrade when it's available, but I wouldn't switch my OS for anything else at the moment.

Windows 8 looks very much like an enhanced version of WP7/Mango. I don't know if it will ever be a mainstream Desktop OS.

Much like Android have virtually standardised on 2.x for Smartphones and 3.x for tablets.

This is just like the car reviews back in the 60ies. When a new model was introduced the press would write rave reviews...greatest car ever....when the next model was introduced a year or two later the previous model was suddenly crap and the new model was the greatest car ever...and so on and on....
I'm quite happy to know fuck all about this stuff.. that way I don't have to keep spending money trying to keep up with the tech junkies....Windows 95 was great..they should have just left it alone...

Well the funniest thing is, last year they were promising to update WP7 to a shiny new all-singing, all-dancing version.

Now they've "announced" Mango, but the earliest it looks set to arrive is 4Q11. And they're already talking about Windows 8 (or WP8) which implies they know that WP7 and Mango are basically Windows Vista and Vista SP1 - pure crap to fill the space before they produce a decent mobile OS.

who cares about OS, this is so 1990

how old are you Harryb ? 15 ?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

who cares about OS, this is so 1990

how old are you Harryb ? 15 ?

No point in you even posting in here, you can't even understand Windows 7 and we're talking about Windows 8.

You dumb fuck.

Ironically, MS leaked last year that Windows 8 would be released at the beginning of July. It seems they can't even get WP7.5 out by then.

They are the absolute masters of keeping people waiting.

Interesting, they seem to be touting it for all platforms. They must think the sun shines out of WP7's arse.

Write up and more video

Bwahahaha! Looks like they've already lost!

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) showed off a version of its next operating system at technology conferences in the United States and Taipei, as some PC makers grumbled over restrictions on their involvement in the development of the system.
The world's largest software company is expected to launch the new system, code-named Windows 8 and highlighting touchscreen features optimized for tablet computers, in the next 18 months, as it races to catch up with Apple Inc

looks like plenty of life left for WinXP, thank god for that

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Bwahahaha! Looks like they've already lost!

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) showed off a version of its next operating system at technology conferences in the United States and Taipei, as some PC makers grumbled over restrictions on their involvement in the development of the system.
The world's largest software company is expected to launch the new system, code-named Windows 8 and highlighting touchscreen features optimized for tablet computers, in the next 18 months, as it races to catch up with Apple Inc

I wonder what these optimizations are, I'm running win 7 on my Car-Pc with an 8" lillput touchscreen and it works perfectly ?

Fondles,

Take a look at Windows Mobile 7. Then picture it on your PC. Hey Presto! Windows 8.

Originally Posted by koman

.Windows 95 was great..they should have just left it alone...

It sure was. When Win98 came along seemed like all hell broke loose in virus city.
I soon switched to the bad apples. The first two mac laptops were defective,(2003) three was a charm. It still works today!

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Fondles,

Take a look at Windows Mobile 7. Then picture it on your PC. Hey Presto! Windows 8.

Can't say I've ever seen win7 mobile.

Originally Posted by Fondles

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Fondles,

Take a look at Windows Mobile 7. Then picture it on your PC. Hey Presto! Windows 8.

Can't say I've ever seen win7 mobile.

It's a very snappy, quite functional mobile OS, but it lacks the applications available with Android and iPhoney.