Windows 8

Microsoft has been planning it for years now, but we are finally getting some detailed glimpses of what Windows 8 will be. Microsoft must feel that there is room for change, because they are certainly applying it. From functionality to logo, Windows 8 is getting a remake, and for good reason.


One of the most outstanding additions to Windows 8 will be an interface similar to a mobile phone. Because everyone is on the move, Microsoft seems to think that people want their desktop to function much like their smartphone, and while that may be a legitimate claim, not everyone feels that way. But this could be a smart move if it makes the user interface simpler to use, as Windows has always been more complex than its Mac rival.


However, Windows 8 is rumored to be considerably more Mac-like. The success of Apple as the world's #1 company may have something to do with this transition. Macs are certainly more coveted than Windows in general, and Microsoft knows this. Their attempts to copy OS X may buy them more grace in the eyes of some, but if they mess this one up, they may not have another chance with Windows 9.


Windows 8 is predicted to be integrated with smartphones, a wise move since everyone and everything is mobile. Yet Apple has already synchronized multiple features and services with their iPhones and iPads. And OS X Mountain Lion is to bring many more synced features this summer. Because they are more prepared, Apple may have more success with their seamless integration of dozens of services, but time will tell.


Microsoft is expected to release a tablet of their own in late 2012. This is around the same timeframe as Windows 8, so expect some similarities and integration between the two. We already know that Microsoft's tablet will have a default interface similar to that of Windows phones, but it will also have the ability to emulate an actual Windows desktop like that of Windows 7. But for that to be practical, the tablet will need to have some good hardware unless Microsoft removed a lot of dead weight from the desktop OS.


Microsoft has also produced their own smartphones running a mobile version of Windows, and from what I've heard, the phones themselves are pretty snappy. However, they don't seem to be getting much attention from the general public, as most smartphone users flock to either Apple or Google for their products. But with the release of Windows 8, we may see more dedicated Windows users flocking to Microsoft for their smartphones and tablets as well because of the mobile theme and synchronized data that will come with pairing Windows 8 and the mobile version of Windows.


Another thing Microsoft says they're changing about Windows 8 is the logo. No longer will you see the quad-colored flag; it is being replaced with a blue, four-paned window, thus reflecting the whole idea of Windows. Follow this link to Engadget for more information on the Windows 8 logo.


All in all, we don't know everything that Windows 8 will bring us. We know that Microsoft is leaning towards mobility in its design of 8, but the extent thereof is unknown. Will it revolutionize Windows? Maybe, maybe not. As previously stated, time will tell. Late 2012 is the timeframe Microsoft has given. However, I'm not going to be holding my breath.

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This blog is under construction. Also, we are waiting on Microsoft to do something newsworthy.