Microsoft lets slip Windows 8 plans

[gizmo2005]

Microsoft has let slip details about Windows 8, the next incarnation of its operating system. New features include an app store, tablet support, cloud-based user accounts, faster start-up times and, as a bonus, some concept hardware.

Microsoft Kitchen got hold of a slideshow outlining the thinking behind Windows 8. Amusingly, the presentation includes a slide entitled 'How Apple does it'. In another slide, Microsoft distinguishes between Windows fanboys and mainstream consumers, or rather 'enthusiasts' and 'humans'.

One slide shows an all-in-one concept computer, to highlight Windows 8's hardware capabilities. The specs include a 17- to 30-inch display, DirectX graphics, high-definition video, and five-point multi-touch capability. Other features include voice control, a proximity sensor to wake the computer or put it to sleep, and face-recognition log-in. To wake your computer, you walk up to it, and, to log in, you simply look at the webcam and it will recognise your mug. Your account settings could be saved to the cloud, so a different Windows 8 machine could allow you to keep your settings.

Microsoft wants to halve the time it takes to fire up your computer too, using standby states and pre-fetching cache information.

Microsoft also identifies some trends shaping the development of Windows 8 (including an 'explosion of form factors'), as part of an ecosystem of hardware and software. It sounds like Windows 8 may link together your phone, tablet, netbook, laptop and desktop computer.

Windows 8 is still in the planning stages, so it will be a while before it replaces Windows 7. Hit us up in the comments section with the improvements you'd like to see in Windows 8.


just thought it would help

[zag]

Microsoft wants to halve the time it takes to fire up your computer too, using standby states and pre-fetching cache information.

So they are not going to improve actual boot then

[gizmo2005]

doesnt look like it, thats one of the 1st things i thought they would have changed but saying that, these are only plans that have been let slip maybe there are other things they are keeping behind,

[zag]

Also I'm pretty sure an appstore, speech recognition, tablet support are all in Windows 7 (and vista, and xp)

[gizmo2005]

yer but dont you think face recognition would be a great step in the rite direction?????

[localzuk]

Also I'm pretty sure an appstore, speech recognition, tablet support are all in Windows 7 (and vista, and xp)

App store in Win 7? Where? There's no simple icon on the default desktop install with 'App Store'. There may be a website, but that's not the same thing.

On another note, I've always wanted proximity detection and login. I've tried with bluetooth, but it is 'dodgy' to say the least.

[torledo]

riveting.

[nephilim]

Why oh why would we want it to recognise our ugly mugs! haha

[gizmo2005]

why would you want it to do that more to the point, for a start it will just recognise the face but then at some point it will recognise a specific feature on your face ie the eyes, no more passwords just retinal scanning, thats my opinion, just means were moving in the rite direction

[nephilim]

Why not thumb scanning which is a proven technology? Nobody has the same print as you, and the only way around it is to chop off the thumb of your intended victim!

[localzuk]

Why not thumb scanning which is a proven technology? Nobody has the same print as you, and the only way around it is to chop off the thumb of your intended victim!

Yeah, fingerprints/thumb prints have a small issue - some people don't have them.

[gizmo2005]

so you think we should have hand recognition then nephillim lol

[srochford]

If you buy HP laptops with webcams then you can use the face recognition bit of Protect Tools to log on etc. (with XP, Vista and Windows 7)

Not actually tried it yet (and not sure that I trust it; HP make good hardware but their software is pretty much uniformly dire ...)

[JJonas]

Other features include voice control, a proximity sensor to wake the computer or put it to sleep, and face-recognition log-in. To wake your computer, you walk up to it, and, to log in, you simply look at the webcam and it will recognise your mug.

This reads a lot like Xbox 360 Kinect Technology is coming to Windows.

[Galway]

I hope they make it so that the system files are not accessable on another partition.