Windows 8 is the name of Microsoft’s upcoming operating system after Windows 7. The operating system is not released by the company but there is already much excitement in the air.
New Firmware
With operating system under development the final design is not released by the company. Microsoft arranged some seminars, which gave little glimpse inside Windows 8. There were some confusion about system requirement for new operating system, especially with firmware but the confusion was later cleared.
One major change was announced at a seminar in Taiwan. Microsoft announced that their new operating system will also have UEFI (unified extensible firmware interface), which is the newer version of BIOS (basic input output system). The corporate vise president Michael Anguilo announced that PCs with space beyond 2.2 TB would require UEFI operating system for ARM processors. But users with space less than 2.2 TB will be able to use Window 8 with same system requirement.
New Features
There are some rumors that Windows 8 will have a dedicated application for 3D monitors, which will allow users to use new operating system in 3D. It is also not confirmed whether the operating system will offer a complete 3D environment or is it for cloud of applications. There are many upcoming seminars such as in September where it is expected to see new releases by Microsoft.
Some reports released by Microsoft also showed a new exciting feature named Smart Screen. It allows users to easily manage passwords, usernames and other important information required for software and hardware. It makes it easier to manage networks, devices attached to the system and synchronization of portable devices. The Smart Screen software is not briefed in seminars and there is very little information about the application.
Microsoft has been planning to work with ARM processors for sometime. The tablet version of Windows 7 runs on system-on-chip. The company signed agreement with ARM chip manufacturing company last year. The company worked on project LongARM for Windows Vista but kept the same x86-architecture. There is also a rumor about release of Windows 8 tablet version and it may have LongARM, but it is still a rumor.
Smarter Features
Users expect Windows 8 to be an ultimate operating system and it will have all the features of Microsoft’s previous operating systems. It is also expected to have features of today’s smartphones and tablets in Windows 8. There are also some user-interface leaks in past few months and it is available for download on the internet. The leak was confirmed by the company but has not made any comment. The users can experience part of new operating system and it is available for download on private FTP servers.
The date of release has not been announced by the company but there is high possibility for April 2012. On the other hand Vista’s support ends on April 10th 2012 as Ed Bott from ZDNet writes and some other reports also confirms.
Microsoft is working to introduce some of their best features in Windows 8 operating system and to set a new stream of technological advancements in the age of smartphones and tablets, but users have to wait till 2012 for final show-down.
