Windows 8 Insider

Microsoft has dominated the computer scene for the longest period. For a company that big to face a threat in terms of market share is an area of major concern. Mobile operating systems around the world are slowly and gradually intimidating the computer giant. Hence arises the need and urgency for the new launch of Microsoft, Windows 8, to be exclusive and novel.  Windows 8 which is due to be launched sometime in 2012 hopes to fulfil these requirements.

Essentially, this updated version of windows is based on intense sensor technology to make the interaction between the user and the operating system stronger. For primarily security purposes identity of a person has a major role to play. The list of sensors includes microphones, multi-touch screens, webcam, motion sensors and many other such devices. These sensors will automatically sense your presence around and initiate an automatic log in without any effort on your part. What is interesting is the fact that most of the windows accounts will be integrated through the cloud. This means that the user will be able to have the same preferences/settings across numerous windows 8 machines. The new Windows also promises minimal time for start and shut down. It also has some exciting features to offer like advanced gaming where the game pauses the moment the gamer is interrupted by somebody or something or the player’s head moves away from the webcam. For people interested in reading some features like great touch support, wireless connectivity, e-reading, location awareness etc hold great importance. They also hope to establish a system that adjusts the brightness according to the lighting in the room of the user. All these features put together are known as the “my PC knows me” feature. This facet of windows 8 is being considered to be the selling point of the operating system.

Although microsoft is more than anything trying to launch a product that is fresh, useful and innovative, it is this time altering its business strategy. Its main aim with this launch would be to create product loyalty by giving a higher quality product to ensure product satisfaction and hence capture markets. According to sources, Microsoft is working along the business lines of Apple who believe that price is a secondary condition when quality is delievered.  Microsoft is hoping that with their new operating system they will be able to grab market share not because their product is cheap or preloaded on peoples’ computers but because their product will be of high quality. This will be a prominent step for Microsoft in terms of facing its competitors.

Once in every three years, Microsoft launches a new OS. The most recent launches have been failures and windows 7 still has much room for improvement. With windows 8 coming up, people have actually lowered their expectations from it and Microsoft has a genuine cause to worry. Not because of its previous failures but because the features revealed from the leaked information, do not seem that appealing and real “discoveries”. Most of it has been seen in other display models already. The windows store which is the windows 8 app storage is exactly the same as in Apple and Google. The sensory system will require elaborate modification and adaptation in the already existing systems which will be an expensive process. Features like lighting adjustment are redundant features, already inbuilt in many new models. The stark similarity between the Apple products and Windows 8 might be disheartening for many existing loyal customers.

Microsoft is finally modifying itself according to the public demand but in order to face the competition it might have to come up with something exceptional, lest, the new system will be outdated by the time it is released and it will be nothing but an expensive block for superfluous functions. Windows is different from what was launched by Microsoft earlier but not very different from other existing competition. Enough hasn’t been researched and done.

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Opinions on Windows 8 by admin

The buzz is that Microsoft is using Windows 8 to make the symbiotic relationship between a PC and its user even stronger. If the grapevine is to be believed, our PCs will soon be inconceivably perceptive to our voice and touch and even better, our presence within a certain proximity. This feature, rumoured to be called the “my PC knows me” feature , essentially makes heavy use of sensor technologies to improve the user’s interaction with the PC which makes us look forward to more contented and comfortable sessions with our computers. (more…)

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Features by admin

It Just Works!

The Apple mantra seems to be the new target for Microsoft. Windows till date almost monopolizes the PC market with a staggering 95% of global market share. Lately though, it faces a serious threat from mobile operating systems looking to infringe on the low end of the computer market including the iPad and the Android based services. So it isn’t surprising to see that news for now is flooded with slides depicting the obvious inspiration that Windows 8 has taken from Apple. For one, the app store and the focus on slates for Windows 8 are evidences that reveal Redmond’s attempts to be like Apple, more or less. “How Apple does it: a virtuous cycle” prominently shows how Microsoft has dissected Apple’s UX  and alluded to its value and design. It looks to take motivation  from the high quality and no complication aspect of Apple products. It realizes that the product UX is designed to help people realise the value which in turn would lead to product satisfaction, eventually leading to brand loyalty and a product that people would pay for. (more…)

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Leaked Information by admin

Just when you thought Windows 7 is the big thing, rumors on Windows 8 came along. The Microsoft secret did eventually leak and now it’s all that computer whizzes are talking about. Though the rumors are yet to be approved by Microsoft, much of what this new version of Windows has in store for us can be figured out from the leaked presentations and slides. Heavy use of sensor technology, faster start timing, better displays, advanced gaming, high definition video, e-reading, communication, media consumption, web browsing: all embraced under one (which Microsoft hopes will be its selling point) feature, called “My PC knows me”, makes it sound like the one breakthrough that Microsoft might have been looking for to protect itself from the serious competition it is facing.  But the question is: Will that happen when most of it already looks superfluous? (more…)

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Opinions on Windows 8 by admin

After reviewing the information that leaked via HP and other OEM partners, a lot of cool features of the next Windows can be worked out.

Although some may be dropped before Windows 8 hits the shelves (and othhers added) these features look promising.

(more…)

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Features by admin

In our last article on future hardware for Windows 8 we took a look at sensor integration. This time we are looking at one of the slides from the “differentiation” set outlining focus areas for Microsoft’s OS of the future.

In this, Microsoft clearly outlines 3 “centers of gravity” for PC form factors. Apart from the already existing ones, the desktop or “all in one” and laptop PC, the “slate” is mentioned as a clear focus area. (more…)

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Hardware by admin

This slide from the leaked presentation

announces a big event with little words – the IE 9 beta release date. (more…)

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Internet Explorer 9 by admin

The last post on the Windows 8 hardware predictions outlined that Microsoft will put a lot of weight on sensor integration. This opens up quite a few possibilites. (more…)

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Features by admin

This post takes it’s information from this Windows 8 presentation slide.

Reading the slide, one can see what assumptions Microsoft makes regarding future hardware, both on the minimum and on the maximum level. (more…)

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Hardware by admin

A lot of what we know of Windows 8 comes from a set of leaked slides that first appeared on an Italian Windows Blog called Windowsette.

While a lot of sites have reproduced these slides, most of the time only a few of the images are reproduced.

Before diving into an in-depth discussion on the presented points in the slides, you can download the full set here at the windows 8 insider.

(more…)

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Leaked Information by admin