Windows 8 - Some of the new Features

[Melbosa]

Source: http://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/feature/A-first-glimpse-at-Windows-8?asrc=EM_NLT_13876763&track=NL-1108&ad=832100

Windows 8 has been the topic of speculation for many months now, but as was the case with Windows 7, Microsoft is pretty tight-lipped about what's to come in the next version of its flagship operating system. However, early information has emerged over the past few weeks. Here's a rundown of exactly what we know at this point about Windows 8.

Cross-platform operating system
Microsoft designed Windows NT to run on both x86 systems and Alpha machines -- and later on Itanium. According to industry buzz, this multiplatform trend hasn't diminished. In fact, Windows 8 will run not only on Intel chips, but also on ARM processors, which are popular in tablet devices, smaller netbooks and other portable devices.

New (or improved) user interface
Windows 7 was widely heralded as a better way to use a computer, much like the positive attention that Mac OS X has received over the past few years. Since then, Microsoft has gone on to develop other interesting user interfaces (UIs) such as Kinect and the Windows Phone 7 operating system's Metro UI, which has also drawn positive reviews. Expect to see enhancements and flashes of those two UIs, along with iterative improvements that will be native to the final builds of Windows 8 as they become more mature.

Internet Explorer 10
Although Internet Explorer 9 was just released a couple of months ago, the IE team is hard at work on the next version of Microsoft's browser, one of the cornerstones of Windows 8. IE10 is expected to have increased support for the HTML 5 standard and enhanced compatibility for key Cascading Style Sheets and properties, such as gradients and a flexible box layout. A touch interface will also be included, since most features in Windows 8 will have multi-touch capability.

Enhanced security
Each version of the Windows operating system has included improved protection from both local and remote attacks, and it looks like Windows 8 will be no exception. SmartScreen -- the intelligent file filter in Internet Explorer 8 and 9 -- makes it directly to the Windows file system, protecting users from launching potentially dangerous files.

History Vault
Similar to Apple's Time Machine feature is Microsoft's History Vault. Apple introduced Time Machine in 2007 to enable its OS to automatically make copies of important data files at regular intervals and make them available for easy restoration. History Vault in Windows 8 lets users back up to external drives or to inexpensive, home-oriented network-attached storage (NAS) drives.

Operating system application store
Microsoft is following the example of the newer Mac App Store and the somewhat older iOS App Store from Apple by making software purchases and downloads possible from directly within the Windows user interface.

A grab bag of additional features
In addition to the major Windows 8's highlights so far, the following minor features might grab end-user attention:

• Quicker installation
• Built-in PDF reader
• Ability to mount ISO files directory to the file system
• "Restore factory settings" function to revert to a clean slate
• Integrating Microsoft Kinect directly with Windows (and not just Xbox)
• Integration with Windows Live ID service

For now, Microsoft is still in the development stage with Windows 8, but the expected release date is rumored to be sometime next year.

[Thorin]

Hmm, Microsoft seems to be decreasing the time-to-market cycle.  Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway, if we were to follow historical trends, then Windows 8 would be the version to skip (Win98, skip WinMe, WinXP, skip Vista, Win7, skip Win8?)

[Lazybones]

Hmm, Microsoft seems to be decreasing the time-to-market cycle.  Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway, if we were to follow historical trends, then Windows 8 would be the version to skip (Win98, skip WinMe, WinXP, skip Vista, Win7, skip Win8?)

I have heard this comment a few times, however WE are just getting old, the release cycle also has not been consistent. Also XP and Vista where far apart for desktop releases.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows#Timeline_of_releases

[Mr. Analog]

It's hard to forget that within the span of 6 years we went from Win95/98/NT/2000/XP then there was a gap (unless you were using server stuff) then Vista/7 and now 8...

I think Microsoft was criticized at the time for releasing so many different OSs in such a short time (large organizations were having trouble keeping up) so they went the other route and now XP has become entrenched in both infrastructure and (in some cases) the minds of users.

There needs to be a better balance I think.

[Darren Dirt]

Hmm, Microsoft seems to be decreasing the time-to-market cycle.  Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway, if we were to follow historical trends, then Windows 8 would be the version to skip (Win98, skip WinMe, WinXP, skip Vista, Win7, skip Win8?)

Although at the time of the post above I was expecting to agree with you (and the majority of techies also agreeing), but now I gotta admit more and more articles are saying complimentary things about Windows 8, even -- surprisingly -- feature-wise.

e.g.
The 10 Best Features in Windows 8 http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/10/the-10-best-features-in-windows-8/?pid=3892&viewall=true

...then again, not everyone at Wired is sold on its alleged awesomeness. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/10/why-windows-just-cant-win

[Mr. Analog]

HAVE I FALLEN INTO AN ALTERNATE DIMENSION

!!!

[Darren Dirt]

HAVE I FALLEN INTO AN ALTERNATE DIMENSION

!!!

lol -- I said I gotta admit I've been SEEING more positive comments and reviews than I ever expected.

Didn't say that *I* am sold on it

[Mr. Analog]

Didn't say that *I* am sold on it

Yeah but this kinda makes it sound like you do

Although at the time of the post above I was expecting to agree with you (and the majority of techies also agreeing), but now I gotta admit more and more articles are saying complimentary things about Windows 8

Given Thorin's post was about skipping it, I confuse.

----

Anyway, I have played with it a bit now and I think it's great for tablet devices, inspired even, but it will be a long time before it replaces Win7.

[Thorin]

I re-read a couple of times, and on the one hand it does seem to imply that Darren no longer think Win8 should be skipped, but on the other hand (and more strongly) it implies that Darren's opinions will be swayed by tech articles that he reads rather than hands-on experience.

Darren, you should find a way to try Windows 8 for a bit and then tell us what you thought of it.

[Mr. Analog]

All I know is you can still use a Win7 style desktop if you want

[Darren Dirt]

I re-read a couple of times, and on the one hand it does seem to imply that Darren no longer think Win8 should be skipped, but on the other hand (and more strongly) it implies that Darren's opinions will be swayed by tech articles that he reads rather than hands-on experience.

Darren, you should find a way to try Windows 8 for a bit and then tell us what you thought of it.

^ If I don't have the time (or interest in investing the time) to actually TRY the damn thing, of course I'm gonna let my opinion be tossed around by various waves of commentary and review. A part of me wants M$ to fail, a part of me wants a whole new way of thinking about OS/UI to go forward and ... change things[/JokerVoice].

I am just sick of having to have a new OS forced on me the next time I buy a laptop ... unless it's relatively configurable (after I give it some time to decide if I prefer the New Way Of Doing Things better than the old, imo-uber-efficient way).

/ChangeHatingCurmudgeon

[Mr. Analog]

I know how you feel, I'm the same way with Photoshop, for every whizbang feature they add they take away something I use.

I've been on CS3 for years, I've beta tested the last two releases and I still don't want to upgrade.

Not like I'm the Photoshop master or anything but if it ain't broke don't fix it!!

[Tom]

All I know is you can still use a Win7 style desktop if you want

Sorta kinda. It's not the same desktop. No start button. The log off/reboot stuff is hidden in some obscure location on the Start Screen's side bar... Oh and you can't make it start in desktop mode by default. Every time someone found a way, MS locked it out.

Change is good. But change for change's sake isn't necessarily good. Especially if they completely break people's work flow and muscle memory. I'm sure it makes an excellent mobile OS, but for a desktop? the touch interface is actively harmful imo.

[Darren Dirt]

Change is good. But change for change's sake isn't necessarily good. Especially if they completely break people's work flow and muscle memory. I'm sure it makes an excellent mobile OS, but for a desktop? the touch interface is actively harmful imo.

Perfectly worded, sir! The reference to work flow and "muscle memory" is exactly what irks me -- when corporations decide to toss all that aside, even though it's actually a kind of INVESTMENT that their customers had made, entrusted to the software design team... changing it "for the sake of change" = disrespecting the customers, by turning upside down the customer's experience.

Especially the tech-savvy ones -- who understand there may be a need to "dumb down" the UI for the Average Jo user, but would be ok with it if there was a non-hacky way of re-enabling at least SOME off the time-saving and intuitively-organized features/layout/etc that actually made those savvy folks CHOOSE your product over the competition in the first place!

[Tom]

Another thing, you know what they say about "jacks of all trades". As I said above, Im sure it makes a /wonderful/ tablet os. But attempting to be everything for everybody is asking for trouble. It's either going to do one job right and the rest wrong, or do none of its jobs well.