What You Need To Know About Windows 8

News of the next generation Windows operating system from Microsoft, after Windows 7, started coming out last year, but it's just recently that the software giant's executives demonstrated for the first time the upcoming OS at the D9 Conference in Redmond, WA last June 1, 2011, internally code-named "Windows 8" which they say is "... a reimagining of Windows, from the chip to the interface."

Here are a few aspects of the new Windows 8 interface according to Microsoft:

• Fast launching of apps from a tile-based Start screen, which replaces the Windows Start menu with a customizable, scalable full-screen view of apps.
• Live tiles with notifications, showing always up-to-date information from your apps.
• Fluid, natural switching between running apps.
• Convenient ability to snap and resize an app to the side of the screen, so you can really multitask using the capabilities of Windows.
• Web-connected and Web-powered apps built using HTML5 and JavaScript that have access to the full power of the PC.
• Fully touch-optimized browsing, with all the power of hardware-accelerated Internet Explorer 10.

Now let's take a look at Windows 8's UI

Windows 8 Start Screen that is "touch friendly"

WIndows Explorer's Ribbon interface just like in MS Office 2010

Windows 8 desktop that looks like Windows 7

Upcoming Internet Explorer version that will come with Windows 8

What's next?

This is just a preview of the upcoming Windows 8 OS  so don't expect much details but I'll continue to give updates later on. Windows 8 is scheduled to be release sometime next year though Microsoft has no official words yet when exactly in 2012, and until then all we can do is just wait and see.