August 12, 2011

More Windows 8 Features Are Being Revealed


As most of us know that Microsoft started working on Windows 8 (even before Windows 7 was completed). New critical features are being worked on, including cluster support and support for one way replication. The core engine is also being reworked to provide dramatic performance improvements. The latest windows 8 rumor was that it’ll make gaming one of Window 8′s key component. A bit found on TechRadar;“Windows 8 will represent a real new push into PC gaming, gaming will be a key component for the whole OS.”


Last week, Microsoft Announced; Support of System on a Chip Architectures From Intel, AMD and ARM for Next Windows aka Windows 8. According to the press release

Microsoft announced that the next version of Windows will support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures, including x86 systems from Intel and AMD, as well as ARM-based systems from partners NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments. By supporting these architectures, the next version of Windows will enable smaller, thinner devices, while reducing the amount of power required for the device, increasing battery life and making possible always-on and always-connected functionality. Windows will continue its industry-leading support across the widest possible set of devices, delivering the breadth and choice that customers demand.

“With today’s announcement, we’re showing the flexibility and resiliency of Windows through the power of software and a commitment to world-class engineering. We continue to evolve Windows to deliver the functionality customers demand across the widest variety of hardware platforms and form factors,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft.

Microsoft demonstrated the outstanding performance of the next version of Windows running on new SoC platforms. The technology demonstration included Windows client support across a range of scenarios, such as hardware-accelerated graphics and media playback, hardware-accelerated Web browsing with the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer, USB device support and printing. Microsoft Office running natively on ARM was also shown as a demonstration of the potential of Windows platform capabilities on ARM architecture.


More features that were rumored earlier this week (by Paul Thurrott) were

Windows 8 will include a new tile-based user interface that’s codenamed Mosh.Assuming this is true, I have to believe that this UI will be an alternative UI, and not a full replacement, or will appear only on low-end tablet-like devices aimed at the iPad. It sounds like something that will silence the critics who want the Windows Phone OS on a tablet.

Windows 8 will also include a new app model codenamed Jupiter that will target a new Windows Marketplace app store. The app store will provide access to new, Silverlight based “immersive” applications that are deployed as AppX packages (.appx). The Windows and Office teams are betting very heavily on this new app type, according to my source, and development has already begun using a beta version of Visual Studio 2012. These apps can be written in C#, Visual Basic, and even C++.

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