Rumors are starting to circulate about the next iteration of Windows, Windows 8. The information so far comes from a number of leaked slides that detail a range of interesting improvements, and seem to have some credibility.
Chief among the improvements is a desire to follow Apple’s mantra of “it just works…” by streamlining operation and efficiency. An Italian blogger reports “Windows 8 PCs turn on fast, nearly instantly in some cases, and are ready to work without any long or unexpected delays. When customers want to check e-mail, sports scores, or play media they love to reach for their PCs because they can get to what they want quickly.”
To this end, it seems as though employing the new Kinect technology will be inevitable. It would offer such advantages as face recognition to switch on a computer and log into an account when a registered user enters the room.
It’s also expected to be extremely energy efficient, far more effective at enabling an appropriate power saving mode and returning to operation quickly. A Windows-based “app-store” equivalent and cloud-based operation and account management is being touted, along with dedicated support for tablet-type devices and less surprisingly, support for USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0.
None of this has been confirmed or even acknowledged by official sources, but all of the improvements seem like logical steps forward. Early beta editions of Windows 8 are expected mid 2011, so realistically a two year wait would seem to be on the cards.
Tech blog Windows Kitchen has painstakingly dissected dozens upon dozens of leaked slides from an internal Microsoft presentation. The slides detail: why Microsoft feels Apple is successful, a hardware prototype, developer engagement strategies, differentiation and energy efficiency goals, and much more. Read
Published on July 6, 2010
