Windows 8 set for Oct launch, offers completely new take at computing

We are on the threshold of a big change in the way we use our computers. We are just months away from Windows 8 . This will be the first OS that has the same interface on a full computer as well as a tablet. From what we have seen, Microsoft seems to have nailed this with users hardly having to change they way the work whatever input method they are using. This means Windows 8 will be good not just for content consumption but also creation, an area where the other tablets are struggling now. It will be able to take touch, type, mouse and handwriting inputs with equal ease.


We used the release preview of Windows 8 on a tablet, using the touchscreen, a Bluetooth keypad and a mouse. That was enough to dispel our scepticism if this will work, especially since we had no reference points. The Metro style UI has no home screen to swipe through. The Metro tiles here, each an app that updates live, flow on like a big mosaic. You can swipe to get to the other end, or just pinch the screen to initiate a semantic zoom which will fit all you tiles in the screen. Simple. The design is minimalist everywhere; the stress on Helvetica and white is hard to miss right from the first set up.

On the start screen, the basic apps like Mail, Calendar, People and Photos come preloaded. Interestingly, even the old desktop is an app. It looks and feels just like before, but it has been relegated to an app. You can download programmes to the desktop like before, but they will also appear as metro tiles. You can save folders there too, just like old times. After using the OS for a few days, we got the feeling that this was actually Windows 7 with a new interface, the familiarity factor is strong though this is a completely new take at computing.

There is no chrome - or virtual keys - anywhere. They pop up only when called upon using different finger moments -- the natural two-hand holding position has been used for the menu access. On the PC, the corners hold the key to Windows 8. They give you access to the menus, which otherwise have been hidden from view. Mouse scrolls let you flip through the screen, while the new 'modern trackpad' - which will be standard in new devices meant for the OS - incorporates touch motions and gestures.

Read detailed review of Windows 8 consumer preview in latest issue of Gadgets & Gizmos