Windows 8 is a whole new take on computing, but is the world ready?
Windows 8 is a whole new take on computing, but is the world ready?
Software Operating Systems f the legal battles between Apple and Samsung have shown anything to the tech world, it is that innovation always pays in the long run. And this is where Microsoft hopes its latest operating system (OS), Windows 8, will stand apart. The OS and its 'Metro UI' design lay more emphasis on the content of applications and less on an app's graphics. For instance, in contrast to the Apple iOS and Google Android, where apps are displayed as a grid of tiles on multiple homescreens, the Windows 8 user interface (UI) is more of a mosaic of live tiles, showing updates instantly. And it will be the first time people will use the same OS across all their devices.
Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for Windows Antoine Leblond says the OS was created by incorporating the best of Windows 7 but with an eye on the future. "We ensured that the new OS also works well on existing devices. Plus, Windows 8 works equally well on the tablet as well as the PC."
It is a giant leap of faith for Microsoft, as Windows 8 has been optimised for a touch interface. While the software giant has tried its best to keep usability the same with touch as well as type, it remains to be seen how the average customer will react to this. Having burnt its fingers with Windows Vista in 2007, the company is trying its best to ensure the end-customer is also on the same page with its latest venture. Previews of the OS have been available for free download for a few months now.
Also, it will be hard for the company to stop shipping the hugely successful Windows 7 all of a sudden - over 600 million licences have been sold in under three years.
"There will be an overlap of Windows 7 and Windows 8 for some time," accepts Alok Sharma, Country Manager, Workplace Systems, Fujitsu India, an information and communication technology company. To make the transition easier after the official launch on October 26, Windows 7 users in India will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of just Rs 699.
But while people with older devices have the option of a cheap upgrade, they will be unable to use the touch features of the OS. A new breed of hybrid devices, which will work as both tablets and laptops, exploiting the touch interface of the OS, are expected to hit the market soon after the official launch on October 26. These include Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga and Sony's Vaio Duo 11.
If things go as planned, within a couple of years every computer would have some degree of touch functionality. "The success of Windows 8 is interconnected with the success of the devices as well as the Metro UI. Microsoft will have to ensure that consumer expectations are met and they will need a combination of apps, touch, hardware and software to pull this through," explains Vishal Tripathi, Principal Research Analyst at research firm Gartner.
The cloud-integrated features of the OS could end up driving adoption. Nabeel Youakim, VP, Asia Pacific Products & Microsoft Alliance, Citrix, explains: "The USBbased Windows-To-Go is intended for users who cannot have a laptop, but who have unique mobility or security needs." He expects users to bring their own full Windows 8 tablets for use with corporate resources.
Citrix, a cloud computing and desktop virtualisation major, has announced an easy-to-install client software that lets users access docs, apps and desktops from any device. Windows 8 could also trigger a deluge of touch devices in the enterprise segment. Shishir Singh, Director, Product Marketing, Dell India, said his company plans to offer a Windowsbased 10-inch tablet targeted at enterprise customers as soon as Windows 8 becomes available. "We plan on offering Windows 8 on many of our current products, and will also introduce a suite of new products for consumers and businesses at that time."
Vinay Awasthi, Senior Director for Products & Marketing (PPS) at HP India, thinks the new Microsoft OS would be the biggest game changer after ultrabooks. "The Metro UI is designed to suit the evolved computing needs of the user, which is all about faster, smoother, easier access to content." But he underlines the fact that moving to a new technology always comes with certain teething issues. Incidentally, Microsoft has stopped using the term Metro after being sued by German firm Metro AG. It now calls the design language Modern UI instead.
But Girish Nuli, Managing Director and CEO of Antara Software, a Bangalore-based startup that specialises in developing healthcare applications for web and mobile platforms, says the learning curve for Windows 8 users is minimal.
"Since the process is faster it is also more cost effective," says Nuli, whose company is building healthcare, fitness and education apps for Windows 8.
"The apps have to be optimised for mouse-keyboard input on desktop/laptop as well as for touch input on tablets and that is the only challenge," adds Nirmit G. Kavaiya, a 21-year-old developer from Rajkot. Ludo, the first of his four apps, will be available for download from the Windows Store soon.
But apps are also a numbers game. Windows 8 and the devices are just half the story. For Microsoft, how the narrative will go from here will depend solely on whether people like the app plot.
Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for Windows Antoine Leblond says the OS was created by incorporating the best of Windows 7 but with an eye on the future. "We ensured that the new OS also works well on existing devices. Plus, Windows 8 works equally well on the tablet as well as the PC."
It is a giant leap of faith for Microsoft, as Windows 8 has been optimised for a touch interface. While the software giant has tried its best to keep usability the same with touch as well as type, it remains to be seen how the average customer will react to this. Having burnt its fingers with Windows Vista in 2007, the company is trying its best to ensure the end-customer is also on the same page with its latest venture. Previews of the OS have been available for free download for a few months now.
"There will be an overlap of Windows 7 and Windows 8 for some time," accepts Alok Sharma, Country Manager, Workplace Systems, Fujitsu India, an information and communication technology company. To make the transition easier after the official launch on October 26, Windows 7 users in India will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of just Rs 699.
But while people with older devices have the option of a cheap upgrade, they will be unable to use the touch features of the OS. A new breed of hybrid devices, which will work as both tablets and laptops, exploiting the touch interface of the OS, are expected to hit the market soon after the official launch on October 26. These include Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga and Sony's Vaio Duo 11.
If things go as planned, within a couple of years every computer would have some degree of touch functionality. "The success of Windows 8 is interconnected with the success of the devices as well as the Metro UI. Microsoft will have to ensure that consumer expectations are met and they will need a combination of apps, touch, hardware and software to pull this through," explains Vishal Tripathi, Principal Research Analyst at research firm Gartner.
The cloud-integrated features of the OS could end up driving adoption. Nabeel Youakim, VP, Asia Pacific Products & Microsoft Alliance, Citrix, explains: "The USBbased Windows-To-Go is intended for users who cannot have a laptop, but who have unique mobility or security needs." He expects users to bring their own full Windows 8 tablets for use with corporate resources.
Citrix, a cloud computing and desktop virtualisation major, has announced an easy-to-install client software that lets users access docs, apps and desktops from any device. Windows 8 could also trigger a deluge of touch devices in the enterprise segment. Shishir Singh, Director, Product Marketing, Dell India, said his company plans to offer a Windowsbased 10-inch tablet targeted at enterprise customers as soon as Windows 8 becomes available. "We plan on offering Windows 8 on many of our current products, and will also introduce a suite of new products for consumers and businesses at that time."
Vinay Awasthi, Senior Director for Products & Marketing (PPS) at HP India, thinks the new Microsoft OS would be the biggest game changer after ultrabooks. "The Metro UI is designed to suit the evolved computing needs of the user, which is all about faster, smoother, easier access to content." But he underlines the fact that moving to a new technology always comes with certain teething issues. Incidentally, Microsoft has stopped using the term Metro after being sued by German firm Metro AG. It now calls the design language Modern UI instead.
But Girish Nuli, Managing Director and CEO of Antara Software, a Bangalore-based startup that specialises in developing healthcare applications for web and mobile platforms, says the learning curve for Windows 8 users is minimal.
"Since the process is faster it is also more cost effective," says Nuli, whose company is building healthcare, fitness and education apps for Windows 8.
"The apps have to be optimised for mouse-keyboard input on desktop/laptop as well as for touch input on tablets and that is the only challenge," adds Nirmit G. Kavaiya, a 21-year-old developer from Rajkot. Ludo, the first of his four apps, will be available for download from the Windows Store soon.
But apps are also a numbers game. Windows 8 and the devices are just half the story. For Microsoft, how the narrative will go from here will depend solely on whether people like the app plot.
