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Microsoft has taken the wraps off the next generation of its Windows operating system.
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| Microsoft plans to offer Windows 8 Apps through its Windows Store |
Windows 8
is designed to run on tablet computers, as well as desktop and laptop PCs.
The
software, which is due to be released in 2012 will work on the popular
ARM-designed low power processors for the first time.
Microsoft
has been under pressure to come up with an answer to Apple's iOS and Google's
Android platforms.
Unveiling
Windows 8 at the Build developers' conference in California, Windows division
president Steven Sinofsky declared: "We re-imagined Windows. From the
chipset to the user experience."
The system
will function through one of two interfaces; a traditional desktop, similar to
that seen in previous editions of Windows, and a tablet version, known as
Metro.
Metro
features larger, chunky controls of the sort that best suit touchscreen use.
The current lack of such an input method is widely seen as the reason why few
Windows 7 tablets exist.
Microsoft
said that it would also be launching its own online marketplace - the Windows
Store - to sell downloadable applications.
Chip
changes
One of the
biggest innovations for Windows 8 will be its compatibility with processors
designed by ARM holdings.
 |
| Windows 8 has been designed to be used on touchscreen devices |
Chips based
around the ARM architecture typically use very little power, and as a result
are found in the vast majority of smartphones and tablets currently available.
To date,
Windows devices have required Intel or Intel-compatible processors, with the
exception of Microsoft's Windows Phone range.
ARM chips
are likely to be predominantly used on Windows 8 Metro devices, and will
require ARM-specific versions of applications.
The company
has not given details on the chips that will be integrated into desktop and
laptop machines.
Tapping
into any section of the Windows market will be seen as a huge boost for
Cambridge-based ARM Holdings.
The company
faces growing competition in the mobile device sector since Intel launched its
tablet and smartphone-focused Oak Trail chipset in April 2011.
Tapping
into that particular market is seen as vital for hardware manufacturers, and
software-makers, such as Microsoft, as the market for traditional computers
continues to be eroded.
Industry
analysts Gartner predicted in April that the global market for tablets would
reach 70 million this year, and grow to 300 million in 2015.
Sales of
desktops and laptops are expected to continue growing, but at a much slower
rate than in the past.
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