Windows 8 reimagines Windows - this has to be the new mantra of the next generation of the operating system, although Microsoft has yet to unveil the evolution of its Windows platform.
Still, Steven Sinofsky, President, Windows and Windows Live Division and his team are hard at work reimagining Windows from chips to experience.
So much so, that the software giant has not been shy about comparing the introduction of Windows 8 with the advent on Windows 95, an OS that dramatically changed desktop computing.
“But so much has changed since Windows 95—the last time Windows was significantly overhauled—when the "desktop" metaphor was established,” Sinofsky said.
“Today more than two out of three PCs are mobile (laptops, netbooks, notebooks, tablets, slates, convertibles, etc.). Nearly every PC is capable of wireless connectivity. Screen sizes range from under 10" to wall-sized screens and multiple HD screens. Storage has jumped from megabytes to terabytes and has moved up to the cloud.
“The appearance of touch-screen mobile phones with the rich capabilities they bring, have together changed the way we all view computing. Most of all, computing is much more focused on applications and on people than on the operating system itself or the data. These changes in the landscape motivate the most significant changes to Windows, from the chips to the experience.”
When Windows 7 came out there was an entire debate of evolutionary vs. revolutionary. After Windows Vista failed to rise to the expectations of the Longhorn project, the Redmond company decided to play it safe, building Windows 7 as the evolution from Vista.
But emerging computing paradigms and next generation form factors are now pushing the software giant into delivering Windows 8, with hints of promise that it will be revolutionary.
“We showed you a preview of Windows 8 in June, demonstrating the user experience and providing an update on ARM SoC support. The next major event for Windows is our BUILD conference in September, where we will provide developers with more details about the full spectrum of tools and capabilities available to make the most of Windows 8,” the Windows boss stated.
“With our preview in June, we started by showing you user experience, because it is the most visible change to Windows. Rest assured we've thoughtfully engineered changes across the full range of Windows capabilities.”
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