From its humble beginnings on prototype boards to a splashy developer debut on a host of Intel- and ARM-based slates, Microsoft's Consumer Preview version of Windows 8 is around the corner. Here's where you'll find the play-by-play of what's included and where Microsoft is heading.
Windows 8: everything you need to know
Microsoft reveals Windows 8 desktop UI changes, drops Aero Glass
Microsoft has revealed that it has made some big changes to its desktop UI for Windows 8, which includes moving away from Aero Glass — the UI first introduced with Vista. According to the company, this means visual changes that include "flattening surfaces, removing reflections, and scaling back distracting gradients."
Despite all of these changes with the interface, the company doesn't appear to be worried about the issue of "learnability." Instead, Microsoft believes that with a little...
Microsoft talks Windows Store features, Metro app sandboxing for Windows 8 developers
In a post today on Microsoft's Building Windows 8 blog, program manager John Hanzen took a deep dive on two topics that are set to separate the platform's Metro style apps apart from every Windows app before them: installation and permissions. It's no secret that Microsoft is pushing Windows' app ecosystem in the same direction that Windows Phone, Android, iOS, and OS X have all gone in recent years — away from the classic free-for-all and toward a central clearinghouse — and that means...
Windows 8 drops DVD playback, only available with paid Media Center upgrade
You might have heard that Windows 8 won't come with Media Center, but that's not the only missing multimedia piece of the puzzle. This week, Microsoft revealed that the new operating system won't have any kind of DVD playback, unless you specifically purchase Media Center or use third-party DVD software.
At the official Building Windows 8 blog, the company justifies the move by claiming that television and DVD use on personal computers is "in sharp decline," and says that it would have to...
Barnes & Noble to spin off digital Nook business, Microsoft will invest $300 million into it
Microsoft and Barnes & Noble have this morning announced a "strategic partnership" on e-reading, focused on the creation of a new B&N subsidiary that will spin off that company's digital and College businesses. The final name of the new business has not yet been determined, but it has been revealed that Microsoft is investing $300 million for a 17.6 percent stake. Among the first benefits of that cash injection will be a Windows 8 Nook application, which has been announced as part of today's...
Windows 8 Release Preview coming in the first week of June
Microsoft has said that the Release Preview of Windows 8 will be coming in the first week of June, confirming previous rumors. The announcement was made at the Windows 8 Developer Days conference in Japan. We still don't know when the final consumer version of Windows 8 will be released, but it looks like things could still be on track for the rumored October launch. Details are thin on the ground as to what the Release Preview will feature — we heard before that it could expand...
Next pre-release version of Windows 8 to support 38 markets for Windows Store apps
Microsoft is planning to extend its Windows Store service to accept app submissions from developers in 38 markets in an upcoming pre-release version of Windows 8. The expansion will add 33 countries to the existing five markets available to developers for the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New...
Windows 8 Metro style apps can hibernate and resume quickly to free up memory
Microsoft has detailed its power efficiency work for Metro style apps previously, involving suspending apps to save power, but the company is now revealing exactly how the method works. Metro style apps, available from the Windows Store, will effectively suspend any memory consumption while they are not being used. Apps that play music in the background or send and receive messages will be able to utilize scenario-focused multitasking APIs, but the majority of apps will simply suspend —...
Windows on ARM officially named 'Windows RT,' joins Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Enterprise
Microsoft has just announced its full suite of Windows 8 editions, and the major news is that Windows on ARM processors will be officially called "Windows RT." It'll join Windows 8 and the newly-announced Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise, which add features like virtualization and encryption to Windows 8. As previously rumored, Windows Media Center will be a separate add-on to Windows 8 Pro. The split in names is notable: "Windows 8" is for x86 machines, while Windows RT will signify...
Microsoft reportedly pushing Windows 8 ultrabook vendors for touch-enabled hardware
Microsoft may be hard at work tweaking its Metro style Windows 8 user interface for a public release later this year, but the company is also reportedly pushing ultrabook vendors to bring touch-enabled devices to the market. Although touch hardware is an optional component for ultrabook manufacturers, Digitimes claims that 30 percent of ultrabook models shipped at the end of the year will come "touch-enabled" thanks to Microsoft being "actively involved" in the hardware design process.
The...
Windows Media Center to feature in separate Windows 8 'Pro Pack' edition?
We briefly covered the revelation of a Windows 8 Professional edition earlier this week, but it appears there is also a "Pro Pack" SKU that specifically includes Windows Media Center (WMC). Although it's not clear if Microsoft is separating its Media Center application into a separate Windows 8 edition, Winunleaked claims the Pro Pack edition is labelled as "ProfessionalWMC" in post-beta builds — indicating that it is linked to Media Center somehow.
We have heard that Microsoft is...
Microsoft explains why Windows 8 touchscreens will be better, announces 20-pixel buffer for legacy edge gestures
Touch is optional in Windows 8, but for many devices, it will be central to the experience. That makes it pretty important for touchscreen hardware to work reliably and well. Today, Microsoft's admitted that wasn't always the case with Windows 7 devices, and shared some of the particular issues it hopes to fix with Windows 8 hardware.
In the latest Building Windows 8 blog post, product managers Jerry Koh and Jeff Piira explain how swipes can be misinterpreted as taps, how taps can be missed,...
Windows 8 Professional edition revealed in latest beta builds
Documents from HP revealed earlier this year that Microsoft may be preparing to scale back its plethora of Windows 8 editions, and leaked information on the company's latest internal builds appears to confirm at least one SKU. Winunleaked posted several screenshots of a post-beta version of Windows 8 today, documenting a "Windows 8 Pro" edition that includes Windows To Go and an option, through Windows Anytime Upgrade, to add extra features with a "new edition of Windows" — indicating that...
Microsoft reportedly completing Windows 8 development this summer, will launch in October
This isn't a major surprise, but Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft is planning to finish up development on Windows 8 this summer, with the OS ready to ship on tablets and PCs in October. Bloomberg's sources of "people with knowledge of the schedule" line up with exactly what Microsoft hinted at back at CES — October will be three years after the launch of Windows 7, and director of Windows PR Janelle Poole noted that Microsoft wanted to keep on its "every three years" schedule. Close...
Lenovo will be 'first to market' with a Windows 8 tablet, says source
Michael Dell said that he would offer an enterprise tablet "on the exact day" that Windows 8 ships to customers, but his company may have some competition right out of the gate: We've learned that Lenovo is internally planning to be the very first manufacturer to release a Windows 8 tablet, and that the company believes that October is when the operating system will ship. Our source wouldn't provide any details on the slate, save that it will use an Intel chip, but we already saw one possible...
Microsoft details Internet Explorer 10 security and feature improvements in Windows 8
Microsoft's Windows 8 Consumer Preview turns two weeks old today and Microsoft has started to dig into the security and feature improvements of the company's Internet Explorer 10 browser. With Google and Mozilla both promising their own Windows 8 Metro style browsers, Microsoft has placed a lot of focus on its touch, performance, and security improvements for the Metro version of Internet Explorer 10.
Simple usability improvements include swiping backwards and forwards (with a touch screen)...
Microsoft to let Windows 8 web browsers play nice with Metro, Firefox version in the works
We previously heard that Mozilla was planning a Metro version of Firefox, and now developer Brian R. Bondy has announced that the company has begun work on it. While that's good for Firefox fans, the real news is that the program is going to belong to a new, third type of Windows 8 apps: "Metro style enabled desktop browsers." We're still trying to figure it all out (and we think Microsoft is too), but from what we understand, this new, third type is an exception to Microsoft's rules and lets...
Dell plans to release new enterprise tablet the day of Windows 8's release
We've seen plans for a Dell consumer-focused tablet in 2012, but now it looks like the company is looking to jump into Windows 8 with an enterprise tablet "on the exact day" the new OS comes out. In an interview with Bloomberg, CEO Michael Dell said that there was strong demand for a "secure Windows tablet that works with all the Windows applications." In a separate interview, the head of Dell's Asia division said that the company would still release tablets and smartphones based on the...
Windows Embedded Standard 8 preview available to download, Microsoft details roadmap
Microsoft has laid out its roadmap for the next version of Windows Embedded, with a preview of the standard version available to download now. Windows Embedded is the specialized version of the OS that you'll often see running in devices ranging from kiosks and ATMs to car dashboards and medical equipment. It looks like the next version will be labeled with the Windows 8 branding across the board, though it's officially being called Windows Embedded v.Next in Microsoft's press release. The...
HP reportedly planning Windows 8 tablets using Intel and Qualcomm processors
HP CEO Meg Whitman recently told investors that the company will be shipping Windows 8 products by the end of the year, and now CNET is reporting some possible details about its tablet plans. According to the site, HP is working on at least three different Windows 8 tablets, powered by chips from Intel and Qualcomm. The two Intel models are said to utilize the chipmaker's 32nm Atom Clover Trail platform, and will come in two distinct form factors. The first is reportedly a laptop / tablet...
Potential Windows 8 SKUs discovered in HP documents, have since been pulled
Microsoft has never been shy about offering up a cornucopia of SKU selection when it comes to Windows, but some information discovered by ZDNet could be an indicator that Microsoft will be scaling things back for Windows 8. Revision notes for a device driver discovered on HP's FTP servers reportedly listed 3 different editions of Windows 8: the standard install, along with both Professional and Enterprise editions, all available in 32-bit and 64-bit variants. While the documents themselves...
How Microsoft is killing off the Zune and Windows Live brands in Windows 8
Microsoft appears to be killing off two of its key user-facing brands with the upcoming Consumer Preview release of Windows 8. Windows Live applications have been rolled into preinstalled apps that work as the core "Windows Communications" applications for Windows 8, and this lack of Windows Live branding is only the tip of the iceberg. "Microsoft Account" will replace Windows Live ID in Windows 8, and the software giant has also removed traces of Zune from its Windows Store, Music, and Video...
Microsoft readies final Windows 8 Consumer Preview build 8250
Microsoft is on the verge of signing off the final version of its Windows 8 Consumer Preview. That is the word from a number of sources who tell us that the company has stopped compiling beta builds of Windows 8. The final build will be signed off officially on Friday and is expected to be numbered 8250.
Microsoft will unveil its Windows 8 Consumer Preview work during a special event at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona next Wednesday. We are told that the company will release the...
HP x86 Windows 8 PCs will be available by the holidays, says Meg Whitman
On HP's earnings call today CEO Meg Whitman told reporters that the company "will be well positioned on Windows 8 x86 by the holidays" — confirming that the world's largest PC maker will release a product that runs the new operating system by years' end. With HP's less-than-stellar quarter, the CEO noted the company's dependance on Windows, saying that the better Windows 8 is, the better the computer manufacturer will do. While Windows 8 availability isn't yet known, it's expected to be...
New Windows Store screenshots show Bing Maps app for Windows 8
Microsoft is still putting the finishing touches on its Consumer Preview version of Windows 8 but freshly leaked images show that the company will offer Bing Maps in the new Windows Store. We brought you news of the preinstalled apps for Windows 8 Consumer Preview, but Chinese site PCBeta has posted some screenshots of the applications available in the Windows Store. Games like Flow, Hive Mind, PuzzleTouch, Cut The Rope, and Train Titans are all visible but the biggest addition is Bing Maps.
B...
Microsoft overhauls language support in Windows 8, UK gets its own display language
As the world celebrates International Mother Language Day today, Microsoft has revealed it will make installing additional display languages on Windows 8 a lot easier than current versions of Windows. Microsoft has created a new languages preferences section as a one-stop place to find and download all display languages in Windows 8. The consolidation means that Windows 8 users will not have to hunt around websites, Microsoft's Download Center or Windows Update to find their language pack of...
Windows Phone app shown running in Windows 8 with over 90 percent of original code
Rick Walrond, a Windows Phone app developer, has demonstrated how he's managed to get one of his games running on Windows 8 with over 90 percent of the original code. The port of AlphaDrops took about two weeks to complete, and was shown running on a Samsung Series 7 Slate with the Windows 8 Developer Preview. We know that Windows Phone 8 apps will use the same code as in Windows 8, but this demonstration suggests that a lot of current Windows Phone developers will be able to get in on the...
New Windows 8 accessibility features detailed
When the Windows 8 public beta launches later this month, Microsoft will be introducing improvements to two of the OS's key accessibility features, the Narrator and Magnifier. The Narrator — which reads on-screen content for the visually impaired — is said to be more responsive, support more languages and voices, and be able to read additional UI components. It has also been optimized for touch screens, with a feature called "exploring" that will read out what it is you're touching as you...
Microsoft outlines unique Windows 8 app name requirement for Windows Store developers
Microsoft revealed some additional details about its Windows Store certification process this week. The biggest change is that developers will have to pick a unique name for Windows 8 apps, preventing others from using an identical name to create a fake application, as we have witnessed on the Windows Phone marketplace — we counted over 70 apps using the CNN name and logo recently. The company's Windows Store will debut later this month alongside a Windows 8 Consumer Preview, and developers...
Microsoft was running Windows on ARM two years ago
Microsoft's attempts to port Windows to ARM began earlier than we thought: over two years ago, the company apparently already had Windows running on the low-power architecture. According to EXIF data, the two photos above were taken on January 22nd, 2010 with a Samsung Omnia Pro, but that's not Windows Mobile on this Asus P835 smartphone. It's a build of Windows 7, and to give you some idea of the timing, it predates the January 27th announcement of the original Apple iPad by several days. Of...
Windows 8 ARM edition will include built-in Office apps and access to the traditional desktop mode
Microsoft revealed today that Windows on ARM (WOA) PCs are still under development, but that PC makers should ship them at the same time as PCs designed for x86 / 64 chipsets. Windows 8 ARM will include a built-in version of Office 15 with access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. These Office applications will be desktop ones, and Microsoft confirmed our earlier report that Office 15 is designed for ARM with touch and power consumption in mind.
The desktop mode on WOA will remain,...
Microsoft to launch Windows 8 'Consumer Preview' on February 29th
Microsoft revealed today that it plans to launch the highly anticipated "Consumer Preview" version of Windows 8 on February 29th. The company will hold an event at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on February 29th to launch the Windows 8 Consumer Preview between 3PM and 5PM (CET). The unusual choice of venue (a cellphone conference) could hint at the company's plans for the future of Windows 8 and Windows Phone.
Details on Windows Phone 8, codenamed Apollo, leaked last week and...
Windows 8 Media Center unchanged from previous version, may not make it into upcoming 'Consumer Preview'
It's unclear if Microsoft will include Media Center in the "Consumer Preview" version of Windows 8. The software maker originally removed the application from its Windows 8 Developer Preview, released at BUILD in September last year, and explained "Media Center will not be part of the first pre-release builds," at the time. However, Media Center fans expected to hear more during the beta (Consumer Preview) phase.
We are hearing that Media Center will still be included in Windows 8, but that...
First Windows 8 'Consumer Preview' preinstalled apps revealed
Microsoft's Windows 8 "Consumer Preview" is nearing release and the company is putting the finishing touches on the preinstalled application list. We have learned from sources familiar with Microsoft's plans that the company will bundle in a number of Metro style applications:
- Camera
- Messaging
- Calendar
- SkyDrive
- People
- Photos
- Video
- Music
These applications, and possibly more, will come preinstalled for the Consumer Preview release, and will be updatable from the Windows Store. Mail,...
Windows 8 power management will 'focus on the foreground'
In the latest blog in Microsoft's excellent series on Windows 8 development, the company goes into detail on its new operating system's power management practices. There's an intense amount of detail, but Microsoft focused on the concept of "focus on the foreground" — Metro apps will act much like modern smartphone apps, with background apps using minimal resources based on a specific set of background capabilities. Microsoft goes on to outline the three possible states of apps: actively...
Exclusive: First Windows Store games for Windows 8 revealed
Microsoft is readying its Windows Store for a public preview and the "Consumer Preview" version of Windows 8 will provide access to a number of launch games for the company's latest operating system. A source familiar with Microsoft's plans has revealed a list of games that will be available in the preview version of Windows Store:
- Hydro Thunder
- Toy Soldiers
- Reckless Racing
- Angry Birds
- Ilomilo
- Rocket Riot
- Full House Poker
- Tentacles
- Crash Course
- Ms Splosion Man
- Wordament
Pinball and S...
Windows 8 build 8220 screenshots demonstrate improved Charms bar
Microsoft's Windows 8 Start button has been removed but new screenshots leaked today offer a closer look at an improved charms bar and desktop experience in the company's "Consumer Preview" release. Chinese site PCBeta has supplied a number of new screenshots from build 8220, a near-final copy of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, that confirm the Start button removal and show off the transparent Charms bar that offers similar functionality and access to search, share, start screen, devices, and...
Windows 8 Start button removed by Microsoft in 'Consumer Preview'
Microsoft has taken the bold step of removing the traditional Windows Start button from its Windows 8 "Consumer Preview." The Start button and menu were introduced with Windows 95 over 15 years ago, and it appears Microsoft will scrap both of them once Windows 8 is released later this year. Screenshots of a near-final Windows 8 "Consumer Preview" version (build 8220) leaked to the internet this weekend, and show a Super Bar without the Start button orb. In previous test builds Microsoft had...
Microsoft teases Windows 8 'Consumer Preview' with Bing betta fish site
Microsoft's Windows 8 "Consumer Preview" is nearing release and the company has started to share some of its promotional plans for the test release. A Bing homepage went live over the weekend that shows the software giant is planning to name its Windows 8 beta a consumer preview release. The site includes a betta fish, used in the Windows 7 beta, and a number of links to sites (that are not live) with information on the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
Microsoft is expected to release the first...
Windows 8 ARM devices to have a non-Metro desktop experience with app restrictions?
Back in December, a rumor emerged that Microsoft could be ditching the traditional Windows desktop for Windows 8 ARM tablets, signaling a move towards the Metro style user interface as the sole ARM strategy. Microsoft has consistently refused to comment on its plans for Windows 8 ARM, and has been reluctant to let vendors show off tablets running on ARM chipsets. The air of secrecy has created uncertainty for application developers and confusion for analysts and media who follow the company's...
Microsoft details changes to Explorer in Windows 8 public beta; ribbon is here to stay
Ilana Smith, a lead program manager on Microsoft's Engineering System team, has posted an article on MSDN explaining some of tweaks that have been made in Windows Explorer for the upcoming Windows 8 public beta in February. There are certainly those who have not taken well to the new ribbon interface, and to those opponents Smith says in no uncertain terms that they'll be sticking with the design. For those who don't approve, she reminds them "that there are third-party tools available" that...
Windows Store apps for Windows 8 detailed, restricted to five PCs at a time
Microsoft detailed the fine points of its Windows Store for Windows 8 today. The store, due to enter beta in late February, was previously revealed in December, and allows developers to submit apps starting at $1.49 and charge up to $999, with free and demo apps also available. Applications will be presented in a variety of categories, designed to surface apps to users in a single tap. There doesn't appear to be any restrictions on the amount of installable apps, but Windows Store apps will...
Windows 8 to provide more intelligent network awareness and data monitoring
In a new MSDN blog post, Microsoft details the optimizations it's made to Windows 8 for mobile networks — the company says the new OS will be able to manage connectivity more intelligently by being more aware of 3G and Wi-Fi networks, which will allow apps to compress data based on the type of connection. The Windows 8 task manager will also provide more coarse-grained information on how much data individual applications have consumed for each network. The optimizations should allow users...
Microsoft's Windows 8 tablet hardware requirements detailed
Microsoft's latest hardware certification requirements document, which revealed ARM devices won't have the option to switch off secure boot, also contains a number of details on the software giant's plans for Windows 8 tablet hardware. Rafael Rivera, known for his work on the first Windows Phone jailbreak, has dug into the document to reveal some interesting requirements from Microsoft, including the new CTRL + ALT + DEL replacement for PCs without a keyboard: Windows Key + Power.
Windows 8...
Microsoft unveils its new file system for Windows 8: ReFS
We've heard about Microsoft's Windows 8 Resilient File System (ReFS) before, but Microsoft revealed the specifics of its next-generation file system in full today. Microsoft's "designed from the ground up" ReFS has been created to meet today and tomorrow's needs for Windows storage — the ability to handle large volumes, resiliency to corruption, and shared storage pools across machines. ReFS will only be available inside Windows Server 8, so the vast majority of Windows 8 users will not...
Windows 8 ARM devices won't have the option to switch off Secure Boot
Microsoft's latest hardware certification requirements will make it tricky for Windows 8 ARM machines to boot into alternative operating systems. Microsoft is preventing ARM system builders from disabling a controversial Secure Boot feature that requires signed keys to allow operating systems to boot. Designed to prevent bootloader attacks for Windows 8, Secure Boot will also block other operating systems (including older versions of Windows) from booting correctly without assistance from an...
Windows 8 will sync passwords between computers, use virtual smart cards
With Windows 8's cross-computer password syncing, Microsoft is looking to bypass what hacker Kevin Mitnick has called the weakest link of computer security: the user. After signing in using a Live ID — a new feature on Windows 8 — you'll be able to store any passwords you create, then sync them across all other trusted Windows 8 machines. Since the Live ID is the only password you'll need to know, other passwords can be set to long, complex, and unique values that would be difficult to...
Windows Store guidelines currently allow for open source apps
It looks like Microsoft will allow developers to submit open source applications to the forthcoming Windows Store for Windows 8, unlike the Windows Phone Marketplace. While Microsoft's Standard Application License Terms prohibit the sharing of apps (something that contradicts the nature of open source apps), Microsoft also wrote in a clause noting that any free or open source software is excluded from this requirement, as long as it meets a number of other provisions; specifically, Microsoft...
Windows Defender Offline beta tool removes malware before startup
Microsoft has released a new beta tool called Windows Defender Offline that's designed to scan for spyware and viruses prior to Windows startup, which could make it effective against malicious software, like rootkits, that can be difficult to remove while the OS is running. It's designed to boot from removable media such as a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, making it particularly useful for troubleshooting multiple computers. The tool has similar functionality as the new version of Windows...
Microsoft confirms Windows 8 public beta coming February 2012
We wouldn't be surprised if you missed it in all the Windows Store hubbub, but Microsoft also just confirmed that the public release of Windows 8 Beta will come in February of 2012. We'd previously heard competing rumors of a late January or late February launch, so it looks as though Microsoft is doing a good job of hitting its development goals for the new OS.
The Windows 8 Developer Beta has already seen over three million downloads, but a public beta is something else entirely and we...
Windows Store launch details: late February, $1.49 minimum price, 80% revenue share after $25K sales
Microsoft just revealed when we can expect the Windows Store for Windows 8, and how much you can expect apps to cost. Starting in late February, developers can submit apps starting at $1.49 and charge as much as $999. We're not sure why Microsoft chose to set the bar above the 99-cent mental barrier, but there's some great news for developers when it comes to revenue share — like other app stores, Microsoft will take 30 percent of the proceeds at first, but reduce its cut to 20 percent...
Nvidia, Qualcomm, and TI each teaming up with two tablet manufacturers for Windows 8?
We're still not entirely clear on what Windows 8 on ARM hardware will look like (and if the full desktop mode will be making the jump), but word from Taiwan is that each of Microsoft's chosen ARM partners have been in the process of selecting two manufacturers to partner with on Windows 8 tablets. According to Digitimes, Qualcomm has teamed up with Samsung and Sony, Texas Instruments has linked arms with Toshiba and Samsung, and Nvidia has chosen Lenovo and Acer. Note the repeat of Samsung;...
Windows 8 beta to be released early next year, following a demo at CES 2012?
Insider sources at Microsoft seem to have been working overtime lately, as they've provided both The Next Web and WinRumors with release windows for the public beta of Windows 8. Regrettably, their intel doesn't quite overlap, as TNW reports the Windows 8 beta won't be available until late February, whereas WinRumors pegs it at late January. The latter site also adds that we should expect Microsoft to demonstrate a near-final build of the beta software at CES 2012 (kicking off on January...
Windows 8 ARM tablets ditching the 'no compromise' desktop?
Microsoft insider Paul Thurrott says that ARM-based Windows 8 tablets could eschew the traditional Windows desktop environment found on its x86 brethren. How this would affect Windows 8 laptops built upon ARM is unclear: Thurrott's information is described as "generic" whereby he assumed it was about Microsoft's ARM tablet strategy.
The particulars were shared with Mary Jo Foley while the two were taping the latest edition of Windows Weekly. According to Foley, Thurrott says that Microsoft...
Acer President confirms quad-core Android and Windows tablets launching in 2012
We've seen several pieces of evidence indicating that Acer is preparing tablets based on the Nvidia Tegra 3, and now Acer is confirming that we'll see quad-core Android devices from the company sometime in 2012. In an interview with T3, Acer President Jim Wong said, "You may have seen some leaked stories in the media relating to Acer launching a new quad-core tablet and I can confirm these stories are true." Not surprisingly, all signs point to these new tablets running Android 4.0, as Wong...
Microsoft releases fourth Internet Explorer 10 preview to Windows 8 developers
The fourth preview of Internet Explorer 10 has just been released by Microsoft, bringing a host of HTML5-related improvements. This release is squarely focused on developers and brings little in the way of new consumer-facing features — in fact, you need to be a developer running the Windows 8 preview build to download the new IE preview. The biggest new feature is called Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), which allows web developers to upload and move data across different domains....
Taiwanese PC vendors reportedly planning Windows 8 on ARM laptops for June 2013
Microsoft's Build conference in September was full of ARM devices running the Windows 8 developer preview, but word out of Taipei today suggests that we may be a fair distance away from actually seeing them on sale. DigiTimes reports that sources from within notebook vendors have identified June 2013 as the launch window for new ARM-based Windows 8 laptops. Microsoft is widely expected to release Windows 8 in the latter half of 2012, and while the DigiTimes report goes on to note that ARM...
Microsoft says Windows 8 setup can be completed in as few as eleven clicks
Windows users have long had to deal with cumbersome upgrade and setup processes — if you even mention Windows Millennium Edition we're prone to relive some profound nightmares — but Microsoft is working hard on improving that experience with Windows 8. In a new blog post, the Windows engineering team details the streamlined setup in Windows 8: what took four wizards and up to 60 screens in a Windows 7 upgrade can now be accomplished in a consolidated experience that requires as few as...
Nokia Windows 8 tablet coming in June 2012, says company's French chief
Paul Amsellem, Nokia's General Manager in France, has been quoted today as saying the company will have a Windows 8 tablet in June 2012. That piquant disclosure was made in an interview with Les Echos newspaper, where Paul was discussing the imminent launch of the Lumia 800 in the country and Nokia's plans to lure the 60 percent of French people that still don't have smartphones over to the Windows Phone side. Unfortunately, most of the interview related to the phones and all we have to go...
Microsoft bringing Windows 'down to the phone' with Windows 8
There's been plenty of speculation, but Steve Ballmer just dropped the quasi-bombshell at a shareholder meeting: "We've got broad initiatives driving Windows down to the phone with Windows 8." The choice of words is incredibly (if unintentionally) telling, but also a little vague. Like with tablets, Microsoft would rather cram a desktop OS "down" into mobile form, than build off of a simple mobile platform into something more complex. Of course, that's the least favorable interpretation, and...
Windows 8 auto-update will consolidate restarts into one per month, give you three days to do it
Trusting Windows Update to install new software to your Windows machine automatically is about to get that little bit easier in Windows 8, Microsoft has revealed. At present, the automated updater will initiate a reboot sequence on your computer after completing an installation that requires it, giving you only 15 minutes to make sure that the reboot doesn't interrupt something important. Microsoft's welcome solution to that inconvenience is to increase the post-install grace period to three...
Asus: Transformer Prime won't launch with Ice Cream Sandwich, two Windows 8 ARM products coming in 2012
As we learned a few weeks ago at All Things D's Asia D conference, Asus' next version of the Transformer -- the Transformer Prime -- is set to launch on November 9th. And while we were fairly certain it wouldn't launch with Android Ice Cream Sandwich on that date, Asus' German team has now confirmed that on its Facebook page. However, as Chairman Jonney Shih said, it will be getting the upgrade to the fresh Android OS before the end of the year.
But that's just this year. Naturally, Asus has...
Acer CEO happy for HP's PC division, bullish on Windows 8
In a sign of solidarity, Acer chairman and CEO JT Wang says he welcomes HP's decision to stay in the computer business and believes it'll be good for Windows computer manufacturers overall. He also shared kind words for Windows 8, saying he believes that consumer demands will be answered and that Microsoft's platform will grow. As Electronista points out, Wang has been vigilant over the years in stating his belief that Apple's success in tablets — at the expense of dropping netbook...
Whitman: HP will be in the tablet business with Windows 8, long term decision about webOS coming
Brand new HP CEO Meg Whitman announced a final decision to keep the company's PC division today, however, she also shared a bit about HP's tablet and webOS plans. When asked about HP's tablet strategy on the analyst call, she said that HP's continuing to focus on a Microsoft-based tablet and Windows 8 for that category. Todd Bradley followed that sentiment later on in the call by adding that he isn't deterred by Apple or Android devices: "we're at the beginning stages of a new segment. I...
Nvidia’s Jen-Hsun Huang: Windows 8 ARM tablets should run Office, shouldn't be considered PCs
The last speaker here at Asia D was none other than Nvidia's outspoken CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. Of course, we couldn't resist asking Jen-Hsun about Windows 8 on ARM, with a particular focus on legacy apps concerns and consumer confusion surrounding compatibility. While he didn't share any of Microsoft's future plans, he did say "It's really important -- and my sense is that Microsoft will do this -- not to position these [Windows on ARM devices] as PCs. That's number one. From a finesse...
Windows 8 Metro apps will only be available from the Windows Store for most users
All roads, says Microsoft, lead to the Windows Store. That's the message coming from the company's newly posted Windows 8 Developer Preview primer doc, which specifically points out that Microsoft's new app store will be the exclusive source for finding and installing Metro-style applications. The only exceptions allowed will be for developers and enterprise users, who'll be able to side-load (i.e. download and install independently of the Windows Store) their Metro software of choice...
Windows 8 demos hint at phone integration?
Could Windows 8 let you call and text your relatives directly from your "Metro-style" tablet? That's what a raft of new evidence suggests, as istartedsomething discovered that two videos from Microsoft's Build developer conference have a variety of references to telephony. You can see a "Missed calls" tile on the home screen in the picture above, and in a second video, there's a contact info screen with options to "Text and Chat" (including SMS) as well as the telling "Call mobile."
Mind...
Windows 8 on ARM: more than just tablets, more to come on legacy apps and Office
One of the first things Windows 8 chief Steven Sinofsky said in the Build keynote this week was that all the demos were "equally at home on ARM and on x86." However, besides that statement and our brief look at the Developer Preview running on an Nvidia quad-core Kal-El reference tablet, Microsoft remained relatively tight-lipped on the new architecture support -- especially on when it will release the ARM version of Win 8 to developers and how it plans to address the fact that future ARM...
Microsoft demos Xbox Live on Windows 8, promises cross-platform asynchronous multiplayer games (video)
You might recall that Xbox Live is coming to Windows 8. What does that entail? You can see for yourself in a pair of videos shot at a Build session this morning. GeekWire and WinRumors were both in attendance as Microsoft program manager Avi Ben-Menahem demonstrated an early version of the Metro-style Xbox Live app running on Windows 8, and it looks like a far cry from the current, often-obnoxious Games for Windows Live. Instead of enforcing game licenses and hiding achievements in a...
Windows 8 Metro-style Internet Explorer 10 doesn't support Flash (hands-on video)
Well the presence of two versions of Internet Explorer in Windows 8 is certainly making a bit more sense today -- Microsoft has said that the Metro version of IE10 will be plug-in free, and thus, will not support Flash. However, the Desktop version still retains plug-in support. Why the move? Windows chief Steven Sinofsky explains in a blog post that "The experience that plug-ins provide today is not a good match with Metro style browsing and the modern HTML5 web." Of course, Flash isn't...
Nvidia Kal-El tablet running Windows 8 developer build (exclusive hands-on video)
Well, talk about being in the right place at the right time: We just ran into VP of Windows Planning Michael Angiulo at the Nvidia booth, who was kind enough to snatch that quad-core Kal-El tablet from its glass cage and let us play a bit with Windows 8 on ARM. We'll admit, it wasn't a very in-depth demo, but we were able to see snappy transitions between the Desktop and Metro interfaces. Even better, scrolling on the Start screen was nearly as smooth as that on the Samsung Core i5 developer...
Windows 8 on two AMD Fusion tablets: pictures and hands-on video
We still haven't personally touched Windows 8 on an ARM-based device at Microsoft's Build convention -- save for a tiny pat -- but there are plenty of repurposed Windows 7 machines in Anaheim this week. Yesterday, we got our very own developer edition of Samsung's Series 7 slate (dubbed the Windows 8 Developer Preview PC) and today we tried an early version of Windows 8 on the MSI WindPad 110W and the Acer Iconia Tab W500. In case you've forgotten, each of these devices sport an low-power AMD...
Windows 8 on ARM tablets: reference designs from Qualcomm, TI and Nvidia shown
While the x86 version of the Windows 8 Developer Preview was released last night and attendees were given Intel Core i5-powered tablets, there's been very few public demos of the new OS on ARM devices here at Build. And while we'd love to say that's changing today, it seems all the Win 8 ARM devices are being guarded quite closely. Reference design tablets running the Developer Preview from Nvidia, TI, and Qualcomm are now on display at the show, but sadly, most of them are behind glass with...
Windows 8 on a laptop: pictures, video, tips, and hands-on preview
Testing out a new OS on standardized hardware is all well and good, but there's nothing like installing a fresh copy on your own machine. Now that the Windows 8 Developer Preview is out, we wasted no time tossing the latest build on our handy Toshiba Portege R705. So, what's it like to install and run Windows 8 on a last-gen Core i3 laptop with no touchscreen? Spoiler alert: it's actually pretty easy.
Installation
With our 2.26GHz Core i3-350M notebook equipped with a 5400RPM hard drive,...
Microsoft releases Windows 8 Developer Preview, announces Windows Store (update: it's out early!)
Microsoft's officially kicking off its Build conference this morning with a release of the first version of Windows 8 to developers. The actual bits (or operating system image) will be available to devs at 8PM PT this evening through the Windows Dev Center (dev.windows.com) and will also be distributed at the show itself. But where will all those future apps live? Microsoft's following that up with the announcement of the new operating system's Windows Store. While not actually included in...
Xbox Live coming to Windows 8
There's not a lot of detail yet, but Microsoft's Major Nelson -- the longtime face of Xbox Live -- has confirmed in a blog post this afternoon that Windows 8 will be getting Xbox Live functionality. After the Metro UI, this would be the second major feature of Windows Phone to make the transition to Windows proper. Major Nelson mentions that it'll be "easy for developers to create games for Windows 8 that take advantage of the power of Xbox Live," so the impression we're getting is that there...
Samsung tablets running Windows 8 Developer Preview given out at Build
It's no surprise after this morning's leak, but Microsoft just officially gave everyone at Build a special Samsung-built slate preloaded with the Windows 8 Developer Preview. The Samsung Windows 8 Developer Preview PC is essentially a Series 7 tablet with some added sensors, and it's running a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M -- it seems Microsoft isn't quite ready to hand out ARM-based tablets just yet. As with the Series 7, the tablet features an 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 Super PLS display,...
Windows 8 getting 'tap to share' capability with NFC support
Microsoft just demonstrated a heretofore unknown capability in Windows 8 on stage at its developer-focused BUILD conference today: built-in support for NFC communication. That's significant considering that NFC looks poised to explode on the smartphone side right now, and you can imagine scenarios where you might want to quickly transfer bite-sized pieces of data between your phone and your PC -- in fact, Microsoft specifically called it "tap to share," though it's unclear whether that'll be...
Windows 8: pictures, video, and a hands-on preview of the developer build
Microsoft's been releasing small breaths about its next version of Windows (still codenamed Windows 8 ) little by little for the past few months, but it's here at Build that it’s exhaling with all its might. As predicted, Redmond is releasing the Windows 8 Developer Preview today and along with it come tons of details on how the entire operating system will work. Lots of major questions are being answered, including details on app development, the Store, touch navigation, how the new Start...
Windows 8 Samsung tablet leaks out ahead of BUILD keynote (Update: video!)
We're only a few hours away from Microsoft's big BUILD keynote, which seems a fitting time to start seeing its Windows 8-related announcements start to leak out. A Weibo user by the name of Michelle Hu has posted the above, rather credible-looking image, of what she claims is the tablet Microsoft is giving away to BUILD attendees. You'll notice a Samsung label on the box cover on the left and what looks like a home button in the middle of the slate itself. The screen ratio looks likely to...
Watch Windows 8 boot in eight seconds, thanks to kernel hibernation
One half of Windows 7 users shut down their computers instead of hibernating them or putting them to sleep, according to Microsoft. That's not a surprising statistic to me -- I personally shut down my Win 7 machines because I've had drivers fail to initialize upon wake, as well as the rare blue screen. With Windows 8, though, users may change their mind about hibernation, because of the extreme benefit: in a new video released today on the Building Windows 8 blog (embedded after the break),...
Windows 8: all the initial details
It finally happened! On Wednesday, we finally got a glimpse at what Microsoft has in store for its next version of Windows and how it plans to compete in the tablet market. Yes, after months of some leaked screenshots and rumors, Redmond finally showed an early preview of what's now codenamed Windows 8 -- or what is perhaps better thought of as a mashup of Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7. While we expected to just get a brief glimpse of the OS, Vice President of Windows Steven Sinofsky demoed...
Windows 8 shown at D9
We had a gut feeling Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky was going to show off Windows 8 at D9, and that's exactly what he took the stage to do. While Sinofsky showed a very early preview of the future operating system (yes, we're talking wires hanging out of the box), it's extremely clear that the new OS is a melding of Windows 7 and Microsoft's Metro UI. The "start screen," which works a lot like a layer running over regular Windows, is tile based and will provide easy access to...
