Windows 8 is being developed with more portable devices in mind, tablets more so than anything else. While it will still retain the traditional desktop interface somewhat, the new Metro UI has been designed specifically with touch screen devices in mind. Some tablets are pretty small and portable, but none of them are quite as portable as a watch.

So can you imagine having a watch powered by Windows 8 on your wrist? Well a creative designer came up with a watch concept that is just that, check it out below.

It certainly looks like something from the future and wouldn’t look too out of place in a high tech spy movie. It was designed by Mithun Darji and he’s managed to do a pretty good job at porting the Windows 8 Metro UI onto the watches screen. Of course it’s only a concept and the chances that we will ever see it are probably pretty slim, but then again we have seen some android powered watches recently so you never know.

This concept comes with built in Wi-Fi, doubles as a phone and even comes with a bluetooth headset for the times when you don’t want to do a James Bond on it and talk directly into the watch. Other features that we can see are the dedicated media buttons along the top of the device as well as volume keys and four buttons along the bottom of the device.

So will we ever see a watch like this? Probably not because Microsoft has laid down certain hardware requirements for Windows 8 which would be very hard to replicate on a device as tiny as a watch.

But it’s a pretty cool concept none the less.

Would you wear a watch like this if it actually came to market?

Let us know in the comments below.

Source:

Ubergizmo

The Coolest Windows 8 Watch Concept is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

File management is and always will be an essential task for all computer users. It includes file storage, accessibility and visibility among other things. Microsoft in a new blog post on the official Building Windows 8 blog has highlighted file management changes of the upcoming operating system. You probably know already that Microsoft intents to improve file management processes in Windows 8. This includes a better way to resolve conflicts. Conflicts occur for instance when you try to copy a file into a directory where the file name is already occupied by another file. Windows 8 adds visual information, e.g. thumbnails if you are moving photos to a new file conflict screen to give users more control over the process.

Windows 8 systems benefit from faster network throughput, for instance when you start a copying job over Wi-Fi and later on plug in a network cable. Jobs furthermore will automatically pause if the computer enters sleep or hibernation modes. The job can be resumed once the machine wakes again.

One of the many changes to Windows Explorer is the file manager’s ability to respect EXIF orientation, which means that you will always see your photos in the right orientation on the screen.

The padlock icon has been removed from Windows Explorer as it was causing delays in the file manager. They have been replaced by a sharing status column that is now displayed in the file browser.

Another new addition is the ability to pin folders to Start. This feature is accessible under the Easy Access menu in Windows Explorer’s new ribbon interface. It is furthermore possible to pin executables to the Start menu as well.

Please note that when I say Start, it means the Metro UI interface and not the original Windows Start Menu.

The announcement that Windows Explorer would ship with a ribbon interface has caused quite the controversy among users of the Windows operating system. Microsoft as a response has decided to minimize the ribbon interface in the Windows 8 beta release by default.

Ribbon minimized by default: With the ribbon maximized in the Developer Preview, we’ve been able to learn a lot about how people interact with it, which has enabled us to tweak and fine-tune it. With the beta, we will be making a major change that brings Explorer in line with our design principles for Windows 8. As in our copy dialogs, Task Manager, and Metro style experiences, we will be reducing distractions and trusting users to discover functionality on their own, by minimizing the ribbon by default.

According to an internal non representative study “heavier” Windows Explorer users make use of the Ribbon more often than lighter users. Users who prefer to work with a minimized ribbon interface on the other hand had a strong preference for hotkeys. To further encourage the use of hotkeys, Microsoft has added tooltips to many functions in Windows Explorer that highlight their hotkey.

Personalized Windows Explorer settings, like a maximized ribbon bar or actions in the Quick Access Toolbar, are now synchronized via Windows 8′s roaming feature.

The majority of changes make sense from a user perspective. Especially the ability to synchronize Windows Explorer customizations with other PCs running the operating system is an excellent option. What’s your take on the changes?

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If you thought that Windows 8 would improve the personalization features of Windows 7, then you are only half-right. While the operating system certainly offers its fair share of customizations, it has now been confirmed that Windows 8′s new Metro start screen will not offer as many customization options as users may have hoped for.

Instead of allowing users to pick the color scheme or background image they want, selection is limited to eight different styles currently. While it is fairly certain that we will see custom hacks to overcome the limitation, it is likely that many users will be disappointed by the lack of options.

Windows 8 director of communications Chris Flores mentioned in a Tech Radar interview that users would not want photographs as the background, as the photo would not stretch or scale with the start screen, and that it would be covered up mostly as well so that it would be barely visible.

He is basically saying that Windows 8 users lack the intelligence to make this personalization decision on their own, and that Microsoft has to step in to protect their Metro interface from ugliness.

We here at Windows 8 News do not like this restriction at all for a number of reasons. There is certainly nothing wrong with offering official styles that users can switch to. But offering eight styles, and maybe more when the final version comes out, is not enough from a personalization perspective. What if I want to have a photo as the background and do not care if it is repeated or stretched out? What if I have configured Metro for a set amount of apps that won’t change in the near future? Why would Microsoft block the use of a fitting wallpaper image or photo?

What Microsoft should do to resolve the issue? Add a switch to the Control Panel so that users can remove the restrictions, or even better, remove the restriction completely and let users personalize their desktop the way they want to.

What’s your take on the issue? Lets discuss in the comments.

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Microsoft will introduce a Windows Store in the Windows 8 operating system that can be accessed directly from within the operating system. Navigation of the store will be consistent with the Metro UI, and the store layout has been designed with touch interfaces in mind. The store on first look looks like a horizontal copy of Google’s Chrome web store. Apps are displayed in rectangles with the logo making up the majority of screen estate, while the apps title, costs and ratings are displayed in a smaller area at the bottom of the screen.

The store landing page will be the first page that users see when they open the store. Microsoft intents to feature interesting apps there, but also app categories that are easily reachable by scrolling horizontally in the store window.

The store has been designed with touch in mind, which becomes apparent in this paragraph:

Navigation is simple and consistent with Windows 8 Metro style UI, so it will be familiar and easy for Windows 8 users to find their way through the Store. Store categories are presented across the top of the screen, with compelling apps featured in each category. To browse, you simply pan to the right or left—with a flick of the finger it’s incredibly easy to see new and interesting apps across all categories and the overall breadth of the Store. If you’re interested, you can also drill down to the apps in a specific category with a single tap on a category name.

Mouse and keyboard users, the majority of Windows users right now, can use those input devices to navigate the store. The experience won’t be that pretty though, considering that scrolling pages horizontally is not that common with these input devices.

The store front categories will feature “a set of apps that are editorially chosen based on a variety of factors, including whether they do a great job on the platform or a great job expressing Metro style design principles”.

It is possible to use the pinch gesture to zoom out of the store interface to get a zoomed out view of the store to pick specific categories right away. You may remember that this is also possible in the Metro UI to quickly get an overview over all installed apps on the system.

Searching the store, unsurprisingly, uses the same mechanics that Metro UI search uses. Just tap on the search charm to display the search sidebar on the right. This feature is available in all Metro UI windows and apps.

If you happen to think of an app while browsing the web or using another app, you can just tap the Search charm, type in your search term, and select the Store to see search results for your query.

Suggestions are displayed while you type the search phrase into the form. Windows 8 will display a search results page in case no app matches what you are looking for.

The very same layout is also used for all category pages in the store. Users can filter results in a variety of ways. It is for instance possible to only display free apps, sort by newest or display only a specific subcategory that is available.

Individual app listing pages follow all the same layout. The pages use visual elements of the apps brand color and logo on the app pages which means that colors will vary widely across the board.

Microsoft notes that it takes one tap on an app listing page to install free or trial apps. A password prompt is displayed for paid apps that acts as a confirmation to go ahead with the purchase. Users are automatically taken back to the previous page they were looking at while the app is downloading and installing in the background.

A progress indicator is displayed and the app is automatically added to the start page, so that you now that everything is going along as planned.

Update checks for new app versions are performed once a day according to Microsoft. These updates are automatically downloaded in the background when the computer is idle. They won’t be installed without user input though. This behavior can be turned off in the Store settings.

All apps can be installed on a total of five different PCs running Windows 8. This sounds as if information about installed apps are synchronized with other PCs of the user automatically.

Here is a short video that offers additional information and details:

You can find out more about the Windows Store user experience on the official Windows Store blog.

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With Windows 8, Microsoft introduces the optional capability to sign in to your PC with a Windows Live ID and, by doing so, gaining the ability to roam a broad range of settings across all of your PCs.

Working on a PC is about customization to a large extent. It is what makes you confortable as you go about your work or pleasure on the computer. So each Windows user wants to have the ability to set up and use a PC in a way that is unique to them.

Problems

But this can be challenging. For instance, in a work environment, shared PC usage is common and switching between multiple accounts can be cumbersome. The difficulties associated with managing multiple accounts often leads to the sharing of a single account on a PC, and a less personal and even a less private experience for each user.

Users are utilizing multiple devices more often now, and setting up a new PC can be inconvenient and time consuming. In Windows 8, Microsoft has set out to ensure that each PC user has a truly personal experience that seamlessly bridges their online and offline tasks, is simpler to set up and use, and persists across their set of Windows 8 PCs.

To do this, Microsoft introduced the ability to log in to Windows with a Windows Live ID that works across devices, apps, and services, allowing you a uniquely personal experience with Windows. Logging in with a windows Live ID is not required but there are advantages if you do so.

Benefits

Signing in with an ID allows you to:

• Easily reacquire your Metro style apps on multiple Windows 8 PCs. The app’s settings and last-used state persist across all your Windows 8 PCs.
• You can associate the most commonly used Windows settings to your user account. In this way, the saved settings are available when you sign in to your account on any Windows 8 PC. So your PC will be set up just the way you are used to.
• You can also save time with sign-in credentials, because now the same credentials are available for the different apps and websites you use and you can easily get back into them without having to enter credentials every time.
• You can automatically sign in to apps and services that use Windows Live ID for authentication.

With this new configuration, Microsoft is taking the computing experience to a different level. While the iPad, and the iPhone have made their impact, this new login style will certainly show users that Microsoft can also provide a dynamic PC experience. Apple doesn’t have it all.

MSDN Blog

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With the focus lying heavily on optimization for low screen resolutions, touch devices and mobile devices in general, Microsoft had to find ways to optimize the operating system’s power consumption and saving features. During the introduction of the Windows 8 developer preview Microsoft did not really reveal that many information about battery life, power consumption and new power saving options that the company build into the operating system.

One of the new features that we have not seen mentioned explicitly yet on the Internet is called Zero-Power Optical Disk Drive. It refers to a feature of the SATA Revision 3.1 specification (or short SATA 6GB/s). The official feature description is as following:

Zero-Power Optical Disk Drive (ODD) – eliminates the power consumption of an idle SATA ODD, resulting in increased energy savings

Microsoft supports SATA ODD in Windows 8. This basically means that optical drives will not consume any power when they are idle. It has to be noted though that the feature is only available if the computer supports SATA 6GB/s. If it does not, Windows cannot make use of the feature to reduce the power consumption of the operating system.

We have not seen any data yet on how much power this new feature will save on average. It is however likely that Microsoft will eventually publish an article on the Building Windows 8 blog that details all the improvements the company made when it comes to making the operating system more power efficient.

It will also be interesting to see if the new technology has an impact on the responsiveness of the disk drive.

Windows users who want to disable the feature in the operating system can do so in the Registry. For that they need to open the run box with Windows-r, type in regedit and hit enter.

They then need to display the Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\cdrom\parameters\ and locate the responsible parameter ZeroPowerODDenabled on the right side. Changing the value of the parameter to 0 disables Zero-Power Optical Disk Drive on the system. A restart is required afterwards.

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The Windows 8 Developer Preview has been out for some days now. If you have been living under a rock, you may be interesting in our Windows 8 screenshots tour for a visual impression of the operating system, Jason’s first impressions of Windows 8, a list of mouse and keyboard shortcuts, Windows 8 Download links and Mike’s take on Windows 8.

If you have already installed the operating system, you’d probably noticed that the installation is straightforward and fast. Windows 8 users who try and reinstall the operating system or use the new reset feature to reset it may be in for a surprise, as they may be asked to enter a product key for the operating system to proceed with the installation.

The problem here is that Microsoft has not officially published a product key for the OS. A forum thread at the Microsoft Developer Network forum has the answer. A user is asking Microsoft there about the product key that needs to be entered during reinstallation of Windows 8.

Microsoft responds with the following answer:

If you need to reinstall Windows Developer Preview or use the Reset functionality, you might be asked to enter this product key:

6RH4V-HNTWC-JQKG8-RFR3R-36498

If you’re running a server version of Windows Developer Preview, you can use this product key:

4Y8N3-H7MMW-C76VJ-YD3XV-MBDKV

Note: These product keys are only for use with the Windows Developer Preview version of Windows 8.

Both the Windows 8 product key and the Windows 8 Server product key are mentioned in the answer.

Users who encounter similar difficulties can use those product keys to reinstall or reset the Windows 8 developer preview.

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We already know that Microsoft is working on improving the file management capabilities of the Windows 8 operating system. Back when we published the story we suspected that Microsoft would improve other core areas of the operating system as well. Today, Alex Simons posted a large, and I mean very very large, article on the Building Windows 8 blog that demonstrates how the new Windows Explorer will look like in Windows 8.

Microsoft engineers basically took a look at how Windows Explorer is used under Windows 7 to come up with a streamlined version of the program that will improve the workflow for the majority of users. In particular, the goals where the optimize the program for file management tasks, to create a streamlined command experience and to respect Explorer’s heritage.

After evaluating several user interface concepts, Microsoft made the decision to go with a ribbon style UI that many Windows users are already familiar with. The interface is not without criticism though, and it will be interesting to see how users react to the new layout of Windows Explorer. Lets take a look at one of the screenshots that Alex posted in the announcement.

You see the ribbon interface at the top. It is only natural that the interface takes up more screen estate with the possibility to minimize it with a click on the minimize button.

The most common commands are displayed as buttons in the interface, from copying and pasting information and files to deleting and renaming them. Microsoft has created a screenshot that demonstrates how often select commands are used in Windows Explorer.

Paste is the most used command with 19% of all activities in Windows Explorer followed by Copy and Properties with 11% each, Delete with 10% and Rename with 8%.

The tabbed design means on the other hand that some elements are only accessible after switching tabs.

The share tab lists sharing options that include zipping, emailing or printing files.

The View tab lists all common view modes settings, for instance to hide or display the preview pane, change the file listing mode or hide or display columns in the listing.

Some of those features are not as easily accessible anymore as before, which includes the ability to change the view mode of a folder.

Depending on the folder, other tabs may be displayed. This includes a Library Tools, Picture Tools or Disk Tools tab. It will be interesting to see how users get along with the Disk Tools tab for instance when they open computer, as it allows them to format, cleanup or optimize a drive.

Windows Explorer under Windows 8 displays more visible files and folders than Explorer on Windows 7. This is mainly due to the minimalistic status bar. Microsoft has furthermore changed the font to a more readable one judging from the screenshots.

Here is a video that announces the new Windows Explorer.

Even better, power users get their way as well. They can minimize the ribbon ui if they want to save up space, use one of the more than 200 keyboard shortcuts for nearly every function of the file management software and customize a quick access toolbar with buttons that they want to access.

You can read the whole announcement over at the Building Windows 8 blog.

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Steven Sinofsky is on fire, one could think. Three blog posts about Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8 in three days: This could be a new record. The Introducing the team that builds Windows 8 post on the Building Windows 8 blog lists the Microsoft teams and divisions that help build the new operating system.

A total of 35 feature teams with 25 to 40 developers each is working on the operating system, and that’s without the test and program management. If you look at developers alone, you come up with a number between 875 and 1400 that are working on various Windows 8 features.

Some features benefit from synergies with other Microsoft products.

I mentioned earlier that Windows contributes code to lots of other products and vice versa, so when you look at this list, keep in mind there are features from other groups (for example, our browser language runtime comes from the development tools group) and some of the work here goes into other products, too. For example, all of our kernel, networking, storage, virtualization, and other fundamental OS work is also part of Windows Server—that’s right, one team delivers the full Windows Client OS and much of the foundation for the Windows Server OS. And some features are built in the core OS but are ultimately only part of the Server product.

When you look at the feature team listing, you will notice the App Store team near the top of the screen. Until now, an integrated app store in Windows 8 was nothing but a rumor. Jason posted some leaked app store screenshots back in April but there was no way to verify that the screenshots were indeed from an early Windows 8 build and not a fake.

The App Store team listing is a strong indicator that those screenshots might have indeed be from the app store that Microsoft intends to ship with Windows 8.

The listing furthermore confirms without doubt that Microsoft will integrate an app store into Windows 8. It will be interesting to see what the store will have to offer. Will it include only Microsoft products? Or will it be an open store, that offers both commercial and free software?

We do not know yet but will update as soon as we get more information about the Windows 8 app store.

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It is sometimes the small things, the nuisances that you had to deal with for a very long time, that can make a huge difference. When it comes to Windows’ default file browser Windows Explorer, there have been lots of small things that users hoped would change with every new release of the Windows operating system.

One situation that got on my nerves constantly was the missing option to move files up in the folder structure. For that, I either had to have the destination folder open in the Explorer sidebar, use the copy and paste command or open two different Windows Explorer windows to move or copy files effectively.

Recent builds of Windows 8 get better drag and drop support in Windows Explorer, which makes it then possible to drag and drop files to the breadcrumb navigation in the Explorer address bar. This way, it is super easy to move or copy files to another folder in the folder structure. All that it takes is to drag and drop the files to the folder name in the breadcrumb navigation.

The original post over at the My Digital Life forum where the screenshot was posted is no longer available.

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Another new Windows 8 feature was revealed yesterday, likely as a result of “playing around” with the leaked Windows 8 Milestone release. Roaming options are integrated into the operating system, which apparently are only available for users who have linked the operating system to an online account. It is very likely that Windows Live will be used for that purpose by Microsoft. This plays well into the rumor that users may use email addresses to log into the operating system.

The Roaming Options configuration page is a subpage of the User Accounts control panel applet in Windows 8. It reads:

When you use your connected password to log on to different computers and devices, the personal settings you care about will travel with you and automatically be available”

We have mentioned previously that Windows 8 will make use of a cloud syncing feature and this appears to be it. In the article Robert mentioned that Microsoft plans to allow syncing with third party providers as well.

Here is the data that gets synced:

• Personalization
• Accessibility
• Language Settings
• Application Settings
• Windows Settings
• Credentials

This basically means that you can use your desktop backgrounds, configurations and preferences when you log on to other Windows 8 systems that have the roaming options enabled.

Network options at the bottom indicate that roaming can be disabled on paid networks and low bandwidth networks. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft manages to distinguish those from standard connections.

Cloud syncing is a big usability improvement, especially for users who work on multiple Windows boxes, and users who sometimes work on computer systems that are not their own. Especially the option to sync the language settings could be interesting for people who travel a lot.

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It feels only natural that Microsoft continues updating core Windows modules and programs which they have started under Windows 7. It is safe to say that additional modules and features will be updated. One of the latest that we know of is the Windows Task Manager which will get a complete overhaul.

There are currently two images available of the improved Windows Task Manager which you find below.

The first screen shows the dashboard of the Advanced Task Manager. It displays the cpu, memory, network and disk load in graphs. Tabs are available that lead to the process and service listing.

The second screenshot shows the Modern Windows Task Manager which lists the programs, startup items and users.

It is not clear why we see two different task managers at the moment. It could be that Microsoft is experimenting with different versions of the task manager at this point in time.

The different program classifications will make it easier to distinguish core system processes from background programs and applications that have been started by the user.

The interface appears touch friendly as well, with little test and big icons. Some users have mentioned that this could be indeed the task manager for Windows 8′s touch edition, while the other could be the replacement for the standard task manager. (via)

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Microsoft has added a new feature called Hybrid Boot to current builds of the operating system which appears to be active by default. Hybrid Boot has been designed to reduce startup times after shutting down the computer. For that, the shut down has been turned into a hibernation like feature to speed up the next start of the operating system.

It appears as if only the data needed to start the operating system faster is put into hibernation, not the data that the user is working on. This could be achieved with the default hibernation option instead.

Hybrid boot speeds up the start of the operating system considerably. Windows 8 Italia, the site that discovered the new feature, mentioned that it took 20 seconds to boot. That is definitely less than a standard startup takes, but since we do not know which system the site used to test the feature, we cannot really make a judgement on the average gain.

Dual-boot, or multi-boot system users will not see the default boot manager when they have shut down Windows 8 with Hybrid Boot enabled.

They need to disable the feature to enable the old shut down option again.

This is handled in the Windows Control Panel under Power Options.

To sum it up: The shutdown button in Windows 8 uses a feature called Hybrid Boot to speed up the next start of the operating system using a hibernation like system.

What’s your take on the feature?

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Back In August 2010 I ran a story on a new feature of Windows 8 called Direct Experience Mode which basically meant that the operating system would be able to load different modes depending on use. A basic example would be a video DVD inserted into the drive before boot. Instead of booting into the operating system to play the video DVD, the Direct Experience Mode would quick load a video player directly to speed up the user experience.

Microsoft back in January applied for a new patent. FAST BOOTING A COMPUTING DEVICE TO A SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE appears to be a variant of the Direct Computing Experience patent.

The patent describes a booting process that loads a virtual machine manager which decides which general or specific purpose operating system module gets loaded. The chart shows four specific purpose modules including TV, Music and DVD usage as well as one general purpose operating system.

Described is a technology by which independent computing functions such as corresponding to separate operating systems may be partitioned into coexisting partitions. A virtual machine manager, or hypervisor, manages the input and output of each partition to operate computer system hardware. One partition may correspond to a special purpose operating system that quickly boots, such as to provide appliance-like behavior, while another partition may correspond to a general purpose operating system that may load while the special purpose operating system is already running. The computer system that contains the partitions may transition functionality and devices from one operating system to the other. The virtual machine manager controls which computer hardware devices are capable of being utilized by which partition at any given time, and may also facilitate inter-partition communication.

It is very likely that the patent is directly related to Windows 8′s Direct Experience Mode. Microsoft has not confirmed or denied the availability of the mode in Windows 8.

The patent application Summary offers details on the process. Microsoft describes that it is possible to load another partition, which is one of the available operating system modules, may be loaded while another is running. It is then possible to switch between the two partitions once they are fully loaded. An interesting option would be to load into a fast booting email client or messenger before switching to the fully loaded general purpose operating system. (via)

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We have already revealed some of the features that users can expect from Windows 8 including My PC My Way, that improves user interaction aond comfort with sensors, and My PC Knows Me, that makes use of facial recognition to identify users. Those features are on the other hand just the tip of the iceberg.

A leaked document reveals additional features including better wireless connectivity and stereoscopic 3D support.

Windows 8 aims to make it as easy as possible to make use of wireless and USB displays. It is for instance possible to duplicate the computer screen on a remote display. Microsoft exemplifies this with a situation where a user uses a simple keyboard shortcut to send a TV show found in the web browser to a flat screen display to view it on the larger screen.

Windows 8 will support stereoscopic 3D  in both games and movies. Hardware support includes lots of 3D capable devices including TVs and monitors, laptops and photo cameras as well as wireless TVs, wireless docking stations and USB monitors.

Hardware acceleration aims to provide a better experience not only when browsing the Internet but also in other applications like Windows Live Photo Gallery.

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Everybody’s got a wish list for what they want Windows to be.  As a technical beta-tester for Microsoft and the author of the Windows 7 Power Users Guide, I’ve had a great insight over the last few years into what Windows could have been, having tested features that were later dropped from betas, and I’ve read a great deal of private feedback from other technical testers over the years.

In this series I hope to cover everything I believe Windows 8 will need to be, and what features it should have to truly compete against Google Chrome OS on the netbook and PC, and with iPhone OS and Android on the tablet.

One click install

Microsoft have gone to great lengths over the last few years to make all operations in Windows simpler and quicker to use.  Cutting down the amount and volume of mouse clicks necessary to perform tasks.

This approach has been moderately successful so far and connecting to a wi-fi network in Windows 7 is a great example of how the one-click approach can work.

One single-click solution that Windows is lacking though has been highlighted by Apple to great effect with their app store.  For one reason or another the Windows installer still takes users through too many steps to install software.

This simple solution, that Apple and Google have used now to great effect has been around on Linux for years, and is widely regarded as one of that OSes finest features.

Obviously with some packages there are options, Microsoft Office for example is a large package and Google Earth will optionally install the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer.  Having an installer package that will enable a quick single-click install is what Windows needs if it’s to compete in the same consumer market as Android and Apple-powered devices in the home.

Only by making installing programs as easy in Windows as it is with other operating systems can Microsoft be seen by their millions of users to be offering an experience that’s as good and easy to use.

Finger Friendly

The tablet is reborn.  Apple have now launched their much anticipated iPad and this can only mean that another ageing way to interact with technology will be invigorated and soon, everybody will be jumping on the bandwagon.

The introduction of multi-touch computing with Windows 7 was a good start, but sadly Windows 7 is still not at OS you can use simply in that manner.  The ageing interface of drop-down menus and the window control buttons will either have to be redeveloped, redesigned or dropped completely.

Some people would say that this could pose problems for running legacy software on the PC, but the introduction of XP Mode in Windows 7 went some way towards rectifying this.  Microsoft need to announce that all new PCs from the end of 2012 need to have hardware support for virtual machines, and this gives the hardware manufacturers plenty of time to make sure their processor and motherboard ranges support it.

iPhone OS and Android, while nowhere near as advanced or as flexible and pioneering completely touchable interfaces.  If Microsoft are serious about pushing multi-touch forwards, they need to address the main interface structure of Windows urgently.

Cheap

One of the biggest barriers to owning Windows is the price.  Fortunately with Office 2010 Microsoft are trying out a new click-to-install format, where you can start with a free version of the Office suite with limited functionality that you can expand by making micro-payments for the extra features you need.

Should this work, and there’s no reason why it won’t, this model could be ported to Windows and by the time Windows 8 launches in 2012 we could be looking at the first free version of Windows.

I’ll deal with additional features in the next part of this series.

What Windows 8 needs to be… Part 1 is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

The reinvention of the tablet PC by Apple this week could have significant ramifications for Microsoft during the development of Windows 8, and impact the look and feel of their next OS considerably.

I think it’s brilliant that we’re now looking at a very near future where I can lounge around on the sofa with the dog, checking my email and browsing the web without have to sit upright in front of a keyboard and track pad in order to get things done.  However can you imagine trying to use Windows that way?

While multi-touch support in Windows 7 has made the OS suitable for that type of device, the general operation of Windows (especially with regards to menus and the minimise, maximise and close buttons) would make prodding buttons and other features within Windows problematic at best and infuriating at its worst.

Microsoft are going to have to look at the whole look and feel of Windows for Windows 8 and either a) accept that they can’t do anything about it b) change the OS so it’s all finger-friendly throughout or c) create a switchable interface for tablet devices.

Whatever they do in this regard is guaranteed to change Windows considerably, possibly also creating a learning curve that will annoy a great many people, and bring the way we interact with our programs and operating systems kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Personally I would prefer Microsoft to find a new way to work with Windows that will work equally well with mouse and gesture controls.  I think such a change will be refreshing and can only help to push the convenience of the web into more areas and more people’s homes.  Not to mention the potential benefits to accessibility that will be greeted by an ageing population.

With Windows 8 due around the autumn of 2012, Nostradamus’ predictions not withstanding, we can probably expect to see the first signs of this about a year from now.  I’m really looking forward to seeing what Microsoft do.

What does the iPad mean for the Windows 8 interface? is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

In tandem with our sister site Windows 7 News, we’ve been giving away over $9000 worth of software and hardware this month.  So far we’ve had some amazing prizes, and on Day 9 of our $9k Christmas Giveaway we are giving away one of our best prizes.  Today the lucky winner of our main reverse auction over will win $300 of free computer memory of their choice from Crucial Technology!  If you’re looking to give your Windows 7 PC a performance boost then adding good quality fast memory will do the trick.  To play all you have to do is visit our Christmas Giveaway auction site and start bidding in our reverse auction- all bids are free!

To read more and how to play click here.

If that wasn’t enough we are also giving away today:

• Uniblue PowerSute Worth $100
• WinX DVD Ripper Worth $29.99

Over on sister site ghacks we are also giving away hundreds of dollars of software away everyday – click here to visit their Christmas Giveway.

Win $300 Of Free Crucial Memory

Win $300 of high quality PC memory courtesy of Crucial Memory. Winner gets to choose their own memory up to a value of $300. Get bidding now! The lowest bid wins!

Crucial is a key brand in the Lexar Media family of products. As Memory Experts Crucial are the only DRAM supplier that’s part of a major memory manufacturer.

Crucial are one of the leading suppliers of high-quality memory that has been qualified and approved by most major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). On their website you can find innovative tools that will make it easy to choose compatible memory and recommended upgrades.

Visit Crucial Memory now for your next memory upgrade.

Win $300 Of Crucial Memory For Your PC! is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

In tandem with our sister site Windows 7 News & Tips we are giving away over $9000 this December.  Yes, everyday between Dec 1st and Dec 24th we are giving away prizes worth over $300!!

Entry is free and you can enter as many times as you want.  All you have to do is visit our Christmas Giveaway and start bidding for free on the prizes you want to win.  It’s a reverse auction so the lowest unique bid wins.

Auctions will run from 24 hours each day starting at 8PM PST – keep checking the site for details of the new prizes added daily that you can win!

Start bidding now!!

Also visit ghacks where Martin is also giving away thousands of dollars in prizes!!

We’re Giving Away $9K This December!! is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

The dust hasn’t yet settled on the launch of Windows 7 and I’m fairly certain that in the new year, Microsoft will not only release Windows 7 SP1 but also (finally) some details of Windows 8.  Windows 7 is a brilliant OS, but there is still room for improvement.  What features would you add to your Windows 8 Wishlist?  My wishlist would include the following items:

1. Better dual monitor support: I want wallpapers that stretch across multiple wallpapers
2. Fewer versions: I think Microsoft are confusing too many users with the various versions.  Windows 7 was a step in the right direction with fewer versions; hopefully Windows 8 will no more than 3 versions
3. Customisable boot screens: (although hopefully windows 8 will boot so fast you won’t see it!)
4. Better multimedia network support: I run a number of media centers and it’s near on impossible to share playcounts, playlists etc across machines.  I want features like knowing what films on my server haven’t been watched
5. Ditch the taskbar: Integrate an improved flip or something better i.e just make a virtual taskbar appear anywhere on the screen on demand
6. An updated Windows Explorer: come on Microsoft, it’s getting a bit long in the tooth now and needs to be retired
7. A complete rewrite of the Windows code: with backwards compatability via an emulator
8. User account synchronisation: Why should I have to setup my bookmarks, folders, settings, preferences, files etc on each and every machine?  I want to login to any machine in my Homegroup and pickup where I left off
9. Better Updating & Maintenance: I would love it if Windows 8 ‘healed’ and ‘fixed’ itself in the background
10. Storage Array: My Windows Home Server just tells me how much storage I have available, rather than looking at each disk individually.  I hope Windows 8 treats storage this way, allowing users to allocate storage to users or to create ‘virtual drives’

Ten Items On My Windows 8 Wishlist is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

Who could have imagined over even the last ten years that the PC, a business device, would be welcomed with such open arms into the home.  That huge sections of our living rooms and spare bedrooms would be devoted to huge beige, then black, boxes.

Windows 8 is due in beta 2011 for release in 2012.  This will mark 30 years of the home computer revolution of the ZX81, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and BBC Micro.  Three whole decades since Sir Clive Sinclair launched the ZX81 to such huge acclaim.  His previous home computer, the ZX80, had failed to make inroads in the home, but the £99 ZX81 was remarkable for its time.  It was the first home computer to be widely available on the high street, and the first computer that households could actually afford, with an Apple II or IBM PC costing around £2,500.

I remember fondly getting my first ZX81 and I consider myself very privileged to have been born when I was, and to have been growing up through the most exciting part of the home computer revolution.

I had initially wanted a colouring book but my parents had seen the ‘educational value’ of the Sinclair machine and were determined I was getting one.  I remember vividly the trip to WH Smith that resulted in a very bemused few days for me while I tried to come to terms with what this thing was.  Once I had it though I was hooked!

Back then you joined a camp and developed a loyalty that seemed to take on a life of its own.  If you were serious about computing you were in one of three.  Either Sinclair, Commodore or Acorn (BBC).  The Sinclair fans were the the fun people who enjoyed life on a shoestring and, at least publicly, considered the machine’s foibles endearing, even if we were all privately fuming that it took 45 minutes to load a game of Horace Goes Skiing.

The Commodore people had more money and, thus, a proper keyboard.  They clearly had the better machine but the Sinclair crowd would never let them win that argument.  The BBC crowd were the ones you knew would end up doing advanced degrees at University.  That was the way it was back then.

I was firmly in the Sinclair camp.  After my ZX81 I owned a Speccy, a Speccy+2 and a Sinclair QL.  I am one of a great many people who consider the ZX Spectrum to be one of the finest computers ever created.  It brought about the home computer revolution pretty much on its own and, consequently, was copied right around the globe.

It wasn’t until Amstrad came in with more of a business focus did things begin to change.  The Spectrum and Commodore 64 had given birth to the first generation of dedicated games consoles and that left the market open for something more serious.  Back then everybody was still talking about the paperless office, a concept we’d never really trust these days, and Amstrad brought to market products to help small businesses and individuals become more productive at home and at work.  They lit the way and showed the likes of Dell and Compaq how to produce mass-market PCs for under £500.  It was at this time that Compaq created a compatible clone BIOS for the IBM PC.  From that moment on the home computer revolution was over!

It had lasted only five short years but they were a truly exciting time.

So just how the hell does my personal nostalgia trip fit in with Windows 8 I hear you ask?  It’s actually Windows XP that started the ball rolling with this but Windows Vista and Windows 7 have both grasped the bull by both horns and Windows 8 will, I think, complete the picture.

This is the excitement we feel about how it works and operates and how we interact with the next version of Windows.  After the first PC clones began to appear we became bogged down with performance.  The important thing was the next development in technology and not the operating system itself.  Windows 95 got tongues wagging, but all too quickly the excitement died down to be replaced again by talk of the next big hardware revolution.  Finally we have OS interfaces that excite and engage people on a daily basis and that can actually maintain that level of enthusiasm.  The fact that modern hardware has for a few years now provided all that we need has obviously helped this conversation to flourish.

This revolution really started, nay exploded, in 1982 with the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro and Commodore 64 changing the face of childhood forever.  The clones came flooding in, everyone with their own ideas.  Innovation and excitement were the order of the day and you couldn’t go anywhere or speak to anyone without the home computing revolution coming into the conversation.

It makes me remember spending Saturday mornings in my local high street electronics shops.  There were always large crowds of kids gathered around the computers.  We’d compare the different interfaces and the way the machines operated.  Each one brought something exciting to the mix but it was never the hardware that excited us.  Okay so the keyboard had a thing or two to contribute.  You either loved or hated the squidgy keys of the Speccy and most people hated the blister’inducing keyboard of the Oric 1, even though the machine itself really impressed.  Generally though it was how we interacted with the machines that made them successful or reduced their developers to tears when the receivers were called in.

Back then this was essential because, in order to own one of these machines, you had to program it yourself.  The user interface as everything.  This is where the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and BBC Micro excelled.  All three had interfaces that people could actually use.

You have to have been born during a few short years in the late 1960s and early 1970s to appreciate the magic of that time.  It was truly, the most exciting period of my childhood, and something that no child born before or since will ever be able to share.

This is something we take for granted now on modern PCs.  But it’s still not always that way.  Windows 7 may offer great leaps forward in how we interact with our PCs, but any trained eye will be able to point out all the places it fails.

I can only hope, and look forward, to the way we interact with Windows 8, whatever it is, causing enough excitement to commemorate this 30th anniversary appropriately.

Windows 8 will mark 30 years since the home computer revolution is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

Recently there have been rumours that the next version of Windows will move the whole platform completely over to 128-bit architecture, dumping 32 and 64-bit compatibility completely.

This first came about because of a news story broken by Microsoft Kitchen a few days ago in which Robert Morgan, a senior research and development officer at Microsoft posted the following on his LinkedIn profile.

Experience
Senior Research & Development
Microsoft
Public Company; MSFT; Computer Software industry

January 2002 – Present (7 years 10 months)

Working in high security department for research and development involving strategic planning for medium and long-term projects. Research & Development projects including 128bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and Windows 9 project plan. Forming relationships with major partners: Intel, AMD, HP and IBM.

Since then the sweaty masses have, frankly let their imaginations run away with themselves so I thought we needed to look at the situation more objectively, fact by fact.

It’s true that AMD and Intel are working on 128-bit chips, this is something that’s been out there for a while now.  But Windows 8 can’t possibly be 128-bit only.  The reasons for this are as follows.

Windows 7 is still, sadly, saddled with 32-bit compatibility.  This is despite the fact that almost every modern processor supports true 64-bit computing.  This is purely to maintain compatibility with older software (primarily in Microsoft’s most important market, business).  XP Mode, the virtualisation plug-in that allows you to run older software in a licensed copy of XP, goes some way towards addressing this and many people are hoping that 32-bit support will be dropped from Windows 8 completely.  Sadly though, it can’t happen.

This is because in order for XP Mode to work you need hardware virtualisation support on the motherboard and nowhere near enough motherboards yet support this.  By the time Windows 8 comes out it’s possible that all motherboards will, but Microsoft have to get started on Windows 8 code now, and they can’t guarantee this will happen.

It is for exactly the same reasons why Windows 8 can never be 128-bit only.  By the time the technology is mature enough Windows 8 will be ready to launch but the cost of the chips will still be extremely expensive.  They will, I predict, only be used in server farms for hard-core virtualisation tasks on servers.

It’s much more likely that Windows 8 Server will offer full support for 128-bit architecture and that the feature will then be ported to the business and consumer editions of Windows for Windows 9.

The move to 128-bit in itself isn’t such a big job, but it becomes a nightmare when you consider that you also have to maintain compatibility with 32-bit applications.  I can’t foresee a situation where we can have an operating system that supports 32, 64 and 128-bit code simultaneously while still remaining stable.  The only reason that Windows 8 Server could support it is because the 32-bit legacy support has already been dropped from Windows 7 Server.

For all the people who want to see 128-bit support in Windows 8, forget it.  Frankly you wouldn’t get any benefit from it at all anyway.  No software will be written to support it for years to come, full 64-bit support in software is only beginning to appear now, and it will offer the average user or gamer no additional benefits over the 64-bit architecture you already have.

Unless and until the whole computing experience we use in our daily lives demands a move to such technology, it will remain in the server farms of the future.

Windows 8 to support 32, 64 or 128-bit? is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

Windows 8′s name was chosen because it will be the 8th version of Windows. Double-checking this isn’t as easy as you may think and trips up many people. Here are the Windows versions that preceded Windows 8:

1. Windows 1.0
2. Windows 2.0
3. Windows 3.0
4. Windows 95 (Windows 4.0)
5. Windows 2000 (Windows 5.0)
6. Windows Vista (Windows 6.0)
7. Windows 7 – Launching October 22nd 2009
8. Windows 8!

Now, some of you who are paying attention will notice that Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE and Windows Millennium. This is because:

• Windows NT was actually treated asw Windows 3.1
• Windows 98, 98SE and Windows Millennium shipped as 4.0.1998, 4.10.2222, and 4.90.3000

Now, to make matters even more confusing Microsoft have versioned Windows 7 as Windows 6.1. However, they are still treating it as ‘Windows 7′ because of the significance of the release.

There you go – hope that makes sense now!

Why Windows 8? is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

You only have 2 days left to enter the $200 competition to design a new logo for Windows 7 News and Windows 8 News.  There’s 2 days left to go and we need to pick a winner from the 190 entries so far.

Because there have been so many entries we need your help selecting a winner.  Some of the entries are pretty awful, but some have potential.  I’ve added some of my favourites below, but all of the entries can be seen at logomyway.  If you’re a budding designer there’s still time to enter.

[Start slideshow]

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$200 Logo Competition Ends In 2 Days is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

The following video was not created by Microsoft, but by a UI team in Copenhagen.  It nevertheless still shows some amazing new user experience features that would really make Windows 8 an amazing advance in the Windows series.

Check it out below!

Copenhagen User Experience from Copenhagen Concept.

Unofficial Windows 8 Concept Video is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

To celebrate the launch of Windows 8 News we’ve decided to run another competition! We need two logos, one for Windows 7 News and one for Windows 8 News, that will look amazing in the header and also as a thumbnail image. The competition offers any budding designers not only an opportunity to win $200, but to also display their talents to a large base of users, as all entries will be displayed on the site because readers will choose the best logo and the winner.

Rules:

1. No limit to the number of entries
2. Entries to be submitted via logomyway
3. Thumbnail logo must be 120×120
4. Main logo must be no bigger than 250 x105
5. Must work on white background
6. Decision of the editors will be final

If you’re not a designer, then don’t forget you’ve still got a week to enter our competition to win a funky $200 beanbag.

Design A New Logo For Windows 8 News And Win $200 is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.

Although Microsoft don’t intend to make a big splash when launching Windows 7, it will probably be Microsoft’s finest release yet if the feedback from testers and readers on our sister site Windows 7 News is anything to go by.

There’s still plenty of room for improvement in Windows 8.  Mike from the Windows 7 News editorial team has published a series of posts detailing what he’d like to see in Windows 8:

• Looking Forward To Windows 8 Part I
• Looking Forward To Windows 8 Part II
• Looking Forward To Windows 8 Part III
• Looking Forward To Windows 8 Part IV

Features Mike would like to see improved in Windows 8 include a better explorer, improved libraries and game support.  Personally I would like to see more options for organising multiple windows.  Aero Peek helps, but I don’t want to go over to the sidebar everytime I want to locate one of the many windows I have open.  There has to be a better solution that ALT+TAB and Aero Peek.

What features would you like to see in Windows 8?

Windows 8 Feature Wishlist is a post from Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips - The Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumours & Screenshots. Visit Windows 8 News, Rumors & Tips for the Latest Microsoft Windows 8 News, Rumors, Tips, Themes, Wallpapers & Guides.