Previewing ‘Windows 8’

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.
more at: Microsoft News Center
 
If anyone has been able to find footage of Windows 8 running on a laptop or desktop (any machine that uses a mouse instead of touch input), could you please post it here?



[video=youtube;t3vtrG3pQl4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3vtrG3pQl4[/video]

You can fast-forward to 15:00
 

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We actually still have normal start menu, taskbar, desktop...

There is a mention that it is a possibility to switch to "desktop mode" ?

That makes me feel better. The neu GUI is nice but I'm a desktop guy. :)
 

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I saw this:

[video=youtube;7MnEndww2YQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MnEndww2YQ[/video]

and thought to myself: the new UI seems more like a replacement for the Windows Sidebar rather than a whole new interface. Even though it's new, it doesn't really strike me as something completely different, or having more/new features. It's just... there!

Though I am absolutely certain that the start menu can be reverted to the classic one, or someone would be able to make a tweak for it soon enough after we get a beta, and even when it goes RTM. There is, however, reason to upgrade to Win8 still, as we've already seen the many new features and improvements over 7 (if all those rumors are true and end up built into the RTM).

I keep seeing people's posts being mostly skeptical about the new UI, except the ultimate MS fans, but in the end, I'm sure we'll all get used to it, and even configure it to fit our needs. If not, well, we'll still have more new stuff to explore :)
 

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    500GB SATA
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    Acer FineTip & MultiTouch Touchpad
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    ADSL 5M
Well said, have to agree with you.

Change is good, there is a lot more to Windows 8 than the new tablet GUI.
 

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    8GB (2X4GB) DDR3 1600 CORSAIR Vengeance CL8 1.5v
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    Samaung 840Pro 128GB, Seagate 500GB SATA2 7200rpm 32mb, Seagate 1TB SATA2 7200rpm 32mb,
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    CM Sentinel
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this is disappointing and nice at the same time. Disappointing because the touch side of the OS isn't all that nice to look at although it is somewhat innovative. But to be honest it looks uglier than the phone or even some drafts of Windows Phone 7.

The desktop side is worse, to be honest the start menu/taskbar need some new functionality. At this point the desktop side has and looks to still be stuck in 1995. Aero is not that great. I'm hoping for a more metro-user interface. I hate the glass look and the ribbon user-interface. Although I guess having option to change is fine. I just hope the user-interface is not stuck in ribbon mode. It's even worse than the old 1995 user-interface look.
 

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However, for those of us that have touch devices, it sounds really good.
 

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    Windows Defender + MB 3
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    Lenovo ThinkPad E545
What's this I am reading Windows 8 will be x128. Looks like 4GB RAM might not be enough.:crazy:

[h=3]The Guts: 128-Bits of Power[/h]
Good for us, bad for Microsoft: Robert Morgan, a Microsoft employee, shared a small but interesting detail about Windows 8's architecture: it'll be 128 bits. Morgan wrote: "128-bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and Windows 9 project plan." Windows 7 was available as 32 bits or 64 bits, the latter of which requires more RAM and are theoretically more powerful than 32-bit equivalents. A 128-bit version of Windows 8 would represent the next leap in performance.

Link
 

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What's this I am reading Windows 8 will be x128. Looks like 4GB RAM might not be enough.:crazy:

[h=3]The Guts: 128-Bits of Power[/h]
Good for us, bad for Microsoft: Robert Morgan, a Microsoft employee, shared a small but interesting detail about Windows 8's architecture: it'll be 128 bits. Morgan wrote: "128-bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and Windows 9 project plan." Windows 7 was available as 32 bits or 64 bits, the latter of which requires more RAM and are theoretically more powerful than 32-bit equivalents. A 128-bit version of Windows 8 would represent the next leap in performance.

Link






If you notice that article they link to is from Oct. 10, 2009.

Don't think it was ever confirmed beyond a doubt about the 128 bit thing. Most were saying it was just an early rumor.

http://www.eightforums.com/windows-8-news/137-microsoft-mulling-128-bit-win-8-a.html
 

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