At its developer-focused BUILD conference, Microsoft has showcased a detailed preview of the next major release of Windows, codenamed Windows 8. The company also detailed new tools for developers to help write applications for more than one billion people around the world who use Windows every day.
The company also highlighted a variety of new features in Windows 8, including the following:
Touch-first user interface: Windows 8 introduces a new Metro style interface built for touch, which shows information important to you, embodies simplicity and gives you control. The Metro style UI is equally at home with a mouse and keyboard as well.
Touch-first browsing, not just browsing on a touch device. Providing a fast and fluid touch-browsing experience, Internet Explorer 10 puts sites at the center on new Windows 8 devices.
More ways to engage with powerful, connected apps: Metro style apps built for Windows 8 are the focal point of consumer experience, filling consumers' entire screen so there are no distractions.
Apps communicate with each other in Windows 8. For example, consumers can easily select and email photos from different places, such as Facebook, Flickr or on consumers' hard drive.
Live roams all the content from the cloud services consumers use most - photos, email, calendar and contacts - keeping them up-to-date on consumers' devices. With SkyDrive, consumers can access their files, photos and documents from virtually anywhere with any browser or with Metro style apps in Windows 8.
Enhanced Fundamentals: Windows 8 is built on the rock-solid foundation of Windows 7, delivering improvements in performance, security, privacy and system reliability. Windows 8 reduces the memory footprint needed - even on the lowest-end hardware - leaving more room for consumers' apps.
For those who push the limits of their PC, Windows 8 features an enhanced Task Manager and Windows Explorer and new, flexible options for multi-monitor setups.
New Developer Opportunities: The Windows Store will allow developers to sell their apps anywhere Windows is sold worldwide, whether they're creating new games or familiar productivity tools.
Windows 8 lets designers leverage their existing skills and code assets to create great experiences using the programming language they prefer.
DirectX 11 gaming power underlies Windows 8, allowing the easy creation of full-screen games with smooth, flicker-free action.
New Generation of Hardware: Support for ARM-based chipsets, x86 (as well as x32 and x64) devices, touch and sensors means Windows 8 works beautifully across a spectrum of devices, from 10-inch tablets and notebooks to all-in-one PCs with 27-inch high-definition screens.
With Windows 8, new ultra-thin PCs and tablets turn on instantly, run all day on a single charge and stay connected to the Internet so consumers' PCs are ready when they are. Next-generation system on a chip (SoC) support will also enable greatly extended standby and low-power states.
Windows 8 runs on PCs and is compatible with the devices and programs consumers use today on Windows 7, without compromise, to deliver the performance consumers expect of a PC.
Source:digitimes