First impressions of Windows 8 - an extreme makeover
Microsoft is preparing Windows 8, its most radical operating system software upgrade since Windows 95.
The Windows interface gets an extreme makeover with “tiles” stolen from the company's smartphone software, Windows Phone, central to the new look (dubbed "Metro").
Windows 8 can be used with ye olde mouse and keyboard, but touchscreen features are central, and the new OS will work best on a touchscreen device. Samsung and others will make Windows 8 tablets.
A third radical element sees Microsoft increase its efforts to push "cloud" (internet-based) computing toward the mainstream. Windows 8 will give every user a "Sky Drive", or online space for storing and retrieving files.
Software developers can now download a preview version of the new OS, but Microsoft has yet to set a date for its commercial release.
Intergen solution architect Ben Gracewood previewed Windows 8 at Microsoft’s Build conference in Anaheim, California Sept 13-16, and filed this report for The National Business Review.
To read more on this blog post and Ben Gracewood's preview of Windows 8, please click here.