Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Microsoft previews 'bold' new Windows 8

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Windows president Steven Sinofsky introduces "reimagined" Windows 8 at a developer conference Tuesday.a

By Wilson Rothman

Microsoft Windows Division President Steven Sinofsky took to the stage at the BUILD conference in Anaheim, Calif. to show an audience of developers the newest version of Windows. Sinofsky called Windows 8 a "bold reimagining" of the platform, saying that 1995 was the "last time Windows underwent a significant bold overhaul."a

The key points of the Windows 8 experience, according to a presentation slide, are:a

Fast and fluid user experience Immersive and full-screen Touch first with full keyboard and mouse Web of apps working together Experience for all PC devices and architectures

"It feels like a different system," said Sinofsky, who previously led the development of Windows 7. "It's fast, it's fluid, it's snappy, it's alive."a

The look of the thing is certainly bold and fresh, relying heavily on the Metro look previously seen on Windows Phones. The resemblance to Windows Phone goes pretty deep: Once you log in via "picture password" — a secure entry that relies on finger sketches rather than a numeric passcode — you get a Start screen that has pinned apps, contacts and data-rich tiles, just like on the phone platform.a

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You can swipe through multiple screens on the Start menu, moving elements with your finger. Sinofsky says — taking a veiled shot at Apple's former boss Steve Jobs, who publicly said touchscreens weren't for laptops — that "as soon as you use touch on your PC, you want it on all your devices."a

But beyond the phone platform, as Sinofsky points out, the Start screen integrates program launching, screen-switching and gadget management.a

Microsofta

Everything modified on one system can be synced to another, even if one device is running an Intel-type x86 processor, and the other is an ARM-based tablet, as Sinofsky demonstrated with an ARM-based tablet (a rather thick one, seen at right, that looked more like a Motorola Xoom than a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1).a

Windows 8's Start menu is not just a skin over boring old-style apps. Microsoft is already building many apps, obvious ones like Internet Explorer and Music, and using "contracts," tools that let these apps work together, for sharing content across apps and out to the Internet by way of email, Twitter and other social networks. Sinofsky says the older app approach has left software in silos, whereas this system lets apps work together, regardless of when they were written.a

Sinofsky did reassure people that Windows 7 apps will still run on all Windows 8 devices.a

This story will be updated as the Sinofsky keynote continues.a

More on Windows 8 from msnbc.com:a

Can Windows 8 save the PC? Top 8 expected features of Windows 8 Windows 8 boots super fast, says Microsoft Windows 8 will have its own app store

Catch up with Wilson on Twitter at @wjrothman, or on Google+. And join our conversation on Facebook.a

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