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Windows 8
This article is based on official informations from Microsoft and exclude any rumors that is circulating sometimes to hold the Windows 7 successor recent in discussion. Windows 8 takes advantage of a lot of interesting ideas and technologies.The next version of Windows will support beside of the 32 bit and 64 bit Intel and AMD SoC (system-on-a-chip) architectures also ARM for a widest possible range of form factors on the market. NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments are working on different SoC designs based on the ARM architecture:
- Snapdragon ARM system from Qualcomm
- OMAP ARM system from Texas Instruments
- Tegra ARM system from NVIDIA with main focus to high-performance graphic
Microsoft is porting basic-applications like the Internet Explorer and Office applications to the new platfrom. They are native ARM applications for Windows 8.
At the D9 conference of May 31 till June 2, 2011 in California Microsoft unveil the recent development state of the new Windows user interface. The whole interface is useable over touch screen but also still with keyboard and mouse. A few aspects are e.g. the tile-based start screen for launch of applications as replacement of the existing Windows Start menu. Livw notifications from applications are also shown as tiles. Switching between running apps is done fluid and the resize and snap of application windows is convenient possible.
Web-based applications are built using HTML5 and JavaScript with full access to the entire capabilities of the computer. Browsing the internet is optimized for use by touchscreen and hardware-accelerated with Internet Explorer 10.
Microsoft will reveal much more informations at the BUILD developer event from September 13 to 16, 2011 in California. Until then there will be no public released builds with various milestones of Windows 8 for preview available.
On 14 September 2011, Microsoft released the first Windows 8 Developer Preview (build 6.2.8102) for free public download. As a downloadable ISO image in DVD format, x86, x64 and x64 version including development tools are available.
The new Metro-surface with the tile-based look based on the new Windows runtime (WinRT) which works as an asynchronous API. Applications for Metro can be programmed in Javascript, C++, C# and Visual Basic. Best usability of Metro is only possible with a multi-touch screen. A Windows desktop is also available, but a familiar interface like Windows Vista and Windows 7 only in this build after adjusting the value of "RPEnable" with the Registry Editor.
The minum system requirements for Windows 8 Developer Preview are appointed by Microsoft as follow:
- 1 GHz 32-bit processor (x86) or 64-bit processor (x64)
- 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher
- a screen that supports multi-touch, screen resolution of 1024 X 768 or greater
 |  |  |  |
| Windows 8, Developer Preview | Windows 8, new Metro User Interface with Tiles | Windows 8, new Windows Task Manager | Windows 8, Internet Explorer with Desktop |
 | |||
| Windows 8, classic Windows Desktop |
| Date | Version |
|---|---|
| 2011 Sept. | Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 6.2.8102 available to public for download |
| 2012 | Estimated release date for Windows 8 |