Previewing Windows 8

“Microsoft reimagined Windows,” says Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft. Steven recently unveiled the touch-first user interface of Windows 8, along with a whole host of other new features.


Reimagined Windows

More than two out of three PCs today are mobile devices—laptops, netbooks, notebooks,
tablets, and slates. Nearly every PC is capable of wireless connectivity. Screens range from
under ten inches to wall-mounted monitors to multiple HD screens. Storage has grown from
megabytes to terabytes and is moving to the cloud. Multi-core processing and powerful
graphics are normal. Touch screen mobile phones with the rich capabilities they bring together
have changed the way we view computing. The explosion of social technologies, cloud-based
services, and access to web services through apps give people powerful new ways to connect
and share. Modern computing focuses much more on people and apps than on the operating system. 
These changes in the landscape motivated the most significant changes to Windows.
But reimagining Windows® doesn’t mean starting over from scratch. Windows 7 fundamentals
like speed, reliability, security, and compatibility make it the best operating system Microsoft
has ever created. The next version of Windows (codenamed Windows 8) is being designed to
build on what is great about Windows 7, delivering richer security features, faster startup, and
longer battery life that runs on a wider choice of devices and chipsets. Windows 8 extends
these fundamental features with a new touch-optimized interface. Windows 8 also provides
the platform to create a whole new generation of full-screen apps that are based on modern
web standards and available through the new Windows Store. We’ve redesigned the Windows
experience and built on everything you already love.

New and beautiful user interface
Metro style

Windows 8 introduces a new Metro style interface, which shows the information important to you, embodiessimplicity, and gives you control. The interface is a personalized layout with clean typography and animationsto make interacting with your PC fluid and intuitive. The new interface is built for touch. With touch, you cando what you want to do quickly and naturally. The new Start screen puts all of your apps in front of you forimmediate access. You don’t have to remember where things are. And whether you want to type, click, orswipe, Windows 8 is optimized for easier navigation so moving around the operating system is effortless witheither a finger, or a mouse and keyboard.