Windows 8 Release Expected in 2012 article says that Windows 8 will be with us in 2012. Windows 8 Features And Release Date article expect Windows 8 to be launched sometime in mid-late 2012. For details how Windows 8 looks take a look at Building “Windows 8″ – Video #1. For latest details check also Microsoft Newsroom on Windows 8 and Windows-ARM.Com.
The biggest changes in underlying technology is that Windows 8 is supposed to run on either the x86 or ARM architectures. Microsoft is in the process of rebuilding Windows for the post-PC era, by stepping back from its core roots (Intel processors) and embracing ARM. Windows-on-ARM Spells End of Wintel article tells that Brokerage house Nomura Equity Research forecasts that the emerging partnership between Microsoft and ARM will likely end the Windows-Intel duopoly. ARM-based chip vendors that Microsoft is working with (TI, Nvidia, Qualcomm) are now focused on mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.).
Making the Windows to run other platforms than x86 seems to be a big change, but this is not the first time Microsoft has tried that (there has been once Windows NT for DEC Alpha and still Windows Server 2008 for Itanium). ARM is now hot and Microsoft is active pushing Windows 8 to use it. Sinofsky shows off Windows 8 on ARM and Office15 article tells that Windows boss Stephen Sinofsky has ended months of speculation with the first (fairly) detailed drilldown into Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) platform, and says it should be ready for a simultaneous launch with its x86/64 counterpart. WOA includes desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. WOA is, as Sinofsky said, “a new member of the Windows family,” but it’s not Windows 8. It’s entirely new, and because it works only on ARM devices. Windows on ARM software will not be sold or distributed independent of a new WOA PC. In other words, WOA is to Windows as iOS is to Mac OS X.
Devices running WOA will come with both a Metro touch-based interface and the more traditional desktop, and will run Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote applications with full document compatibility with x86/64 systems. One thing was made crystal clear by Microsoft: Windows 8 on ARM will not be the same experience as Windows 8 on Intel-AMD.
How the two flavors of Windows 8 will be different article gives some details how Windows 8 on ARM is different from Windows 8 on X86. Windows 8 on ARM will not be the same experience as Windows 8 on Intel-AMD.
Building Windows for the ARM processor architecture article from Building Windows 8 blog is a goldmine to all you who are interested in more details on Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) platform. This post is about the technical foundation of what we call, for the purposes of this post, Windows on ARM, or WOA. WOA is a new member of the Windows family, much like Windows Server, Windows Embedded, or Windows Phone.
WOA builds on the foundation of Windows, has a very high degree of commonality and very significant shared code with Windows 8. Many low level details needed to be rewritten, but there is a significant portion of Windows that is generally built with code that can be made to work on ARM in a technically straightforward manner. These subsystems include the Windows desktop and applets and supporting APIs, though those needed to modified for better resource and power utilization. Enabling Windows to run well on the ARM architecture was a significant engineering task.
Here are my collection of the most important points I found from How the two flavors of Windows 8 will be different and Building Windows for the ARM processor architecture articles.
Windows 8 ARM devices will run on ARM processors from Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Nvidia, all running the same Windows OS binaries. WOA PCs use hardware support for offloading specific work from the main processor to integrated hardware subsystems to improve performance and battery life. ARM SoCs for WOA have DirectX capable GPUs (DX) for accelerated graphics in Internet Explorer 10, in the user interface of Windows, and in Metro style apps. WOA PCs are still under development, and thee goal is for PC makers to ship them the same time as PCs designed for Windows 8 on x86/64.
Windows 8 on ARM will not run traditional Windows 7 stuff (WIN32 x86 applications) because the processor is completely different and WOA will not support any type of virtualization or emulation. WOA does not support running, emulating, or porting existing x86/64 desktop apps.
Labeling to “avoid confusion”: When a consumer buys a Windows on ARM PC, it will be “clearly labeled and branded” so as to avoid potential confusion with Windows 8 on x86/64. Device makers work with ARM partners to create a device that is “strictly paired with a specific set of software (and sometimes vice versa), and consumers purchase this complete package, which is then serviced and updated through a single pipeline.”
Windows on ARM devices don’t turn off: You don’t turn off a WOA PC, according to Sinofsky. WOA PCs will not have the traditional hibernate and sleep options. Instead, WOA PCs always operate in the Connected Standby power mode, similar to the way you use a mobile phone today. Read Engineering Windows 8 for mobile networks for more details.
WOA supports the Windows desktop experience including File Explorer, Internet Explorer 10 for the desktop. Out of the box Windows on should ARM will feel like Windows 8 on x86/64. Sign in, app launching, Internet Explorer 10, peripherals, the Windows desktop and Windows Store access are the same. You will have access to the intrinsic capabilities of Windows desktop with tools like Windows File Explorer and desktop Internet Explorer if you want to use your mobile device in this way. Or you can use the Metro style desktop and Metro style apps (like what you see on Windows phone smartphones) if you like that more.
Metro style apps in the Windows Store can support both WOA and Windows 8 on x86/64. Developers wishing to target WOA do so by writing applications for the WinRT (Windows APIs for building Metro style apps) using the new Visual Studio 11 tools in a variety of languages, including C#/VB/XAML and Jscript/ HTML5.
Together talking on launching Windows 8 Microsoft also talks about new Windows Mobile Phone 8 and it’s integration with Windows 8. Windows Phone 8 Detailed article gives some details what integration with Windows 8 means. Windows Phone 8 won’t just share a UI with the next-generation desktop and tablet OS, apparently: it will use many of the same components as Windows 8, allowing developers to “reuse most of their code” when porting an app from desktop to phone. The kernel, networking stacks, security, and multimedia support as areas of heavy overlap.
Windows Phone 8 is the version of the platform currently being referred to by codename “Apollo” (the one scheduled for deployment after the upcoming Tango update). Microsoft insider Paul Thurrott has published a post confirming many of the details.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft: Windows 8 on ARM to be ‘no-compromise’ experience
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4236123/Microsoft-discusses-Windows-8-on-ARM-?Ecosystem=communications-design
Using Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) devices “out of the box” will feel the same as on x86/64 PCs, and both versions will be released at the same time, Microsoft has said.
Whether Office on Windows 8 ARM devices will be bundled in and whether or not it will be free, however, is still unknown.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows Store App Submission Process Detailed
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5540/windows-store-app-submission
Microsoft’s Jonathan Garrigues has detailed some aspects of the submissions process for the upcoming Windows Store on the company’s Windows Store for Developers blog. The post describes in detail the various steps involved in the app submission process, and Microsoft’s efforts to address developer complaints about its competitors’ storefronts.
Submitting your Windows 8 apps
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsstore/archive/2012/02/13/submitting-your-windows-8-apps.aspx
In order to create a consistent consumer experience, we needed to establish some constraints around certain app package details. For example, we decided that in order for consumers to reliably find, acquire and provide feedback on an app in the Store, we needed to ensure that all apps had a unique name as seen by consumers
To streamline the experience and prevent you from having to enter the same data multiple times, we pull as much as we can directly from your app packages. Visual Studio provides tools to help developers declare certain details in the package, such as the languages that your app supports and the logos that you want your customers to see.
Our goal on this page was transparency—here’s your app, here’s what stage it’s in, here’s how long that usually takes. You can watch your app progress through the certification process
Tomi Engdahl says:
Read this cartoon that talks on Windows development blog
http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20120217
Peliculas says:
Peliculas…
[...]Windows 8 on ARM « Tomi Engdahl’s ePanorama blog[...]…
Tomi Engdahl says:
Redesigning the Windows Logo
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/02/17/redesigning-the-windows-logo.aspx
Tomi Engdahl says:
Did Microsoft Butcher the Windows 8 Logo? Critics Weigh In
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400465,00.asp
Criticisms of the latest incarnation of Microsoft’s Windows operating system seem never-ending – so much so, that Microsoft itself has taken to the airwaves to ensure future Windows users that, no, the company has not gone crazy with some of its design decisions.
Even the Windows logo itself hasn’t escaped Microsoft’s need for change.
“It’s hard for me to see how this is a great leap forward in design from the Windows 1.0 logo,” writes Forbes’ E.D. Kain. “I realize that this is all very much a matter of taste, but to me the blue window panel in the original is more eye-catching than the tilted blue panel in the Windows 8 version.”
“I think it’s very appropriate to have 4 Blue Screens of Death coming right toward you. Pretty much captures my Windows experience, anyway,” a commenter later added to Kain’s observations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top 10 Microsoft Windows 8 features to be excited about
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2153019/microsoft-windows-features-excited
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connecting your apps, files, PCs and devices to the cloud with SkyDrive and Windows 8
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/20/connecting-your-apps_2c00_-files_2c00_-pcs-and-devices-to-the-cloud-with-skydrive-and-windows-8.aspx
A few months ago we published our vision for designing personal cloud storage. While SkyDrive can store all types of files, the category of personal cloud storage is focused on the content that people create or capture themselves. Today we’re going to provide an update on how we expect to deliver our vision for Windows 8 and simultaneously scale to meet the needs of billions of customers who will store hundreds of petabytes of data in our service.
Today we provide personal cloud storage for 17 million SkyDrive customers.
This post will cover the ways that SkyDrive will evolve with Windows 8 from a website today into a true device cloud for Windows customers. We’ve organized the post around the three biggest things we’re doing:
SkyDrive Metro style app on Windows 8
SkyDrive files integrated into Windows Explorer on the desktop, and
The ability to fetch remote files through SkyDrive.com
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft quietly extends consumer support for Windows 7, VistaMicrosoft quietly extends consumer support for Windows 7, Vista
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/microsoft-quietly-extends-consumer-support-for-windows-7-vista/4529
The two most recent releases, Vista and Windows 7, now qualify for a full 10 years of support.
Support end date for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 are as follows:
Windows XP 4/8/2014
Windows Vista 4/11/2017
Windows 7 1/14/2020
OEM sales stop two years after the release of the next version of Windows. (Sales of boxed retail copies stop one year earlier.) If you assume that Sinofsky’s team will deliver another on-time release, then Windows 8 will hit retail shelves exactly three years after Windows 7, in October 2012. And that’s when the clock starts ticking. Two years later, at the end of 2014, Microsoft will no longer permit OEMs to sell Windows 7.
Customers can buy Windows 8, which will include downgrade rights to the previous two versions—Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It will not include downgrade rights to XP.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HP x86 Windows 8 PCs will be available by the holidays, says Meg Whitman
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/22/2817558/hp-x86-windows-8-pcs-holidays-2012-meg-whitman
On HP’s earnings call today CEO Meg Whitman told reporters that the company “will be well positioned on Windows 8 x86 by the holidays” — confirming that the world’s largest PC maker will release a product that runs the new operating system by years’ end.
While Windows 8 availability isn’t yet known, it’s expected to be released around October of this year. Meg Whitman hopes Microsoft sticks to that schedule
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 logo hacked to Chinese Web site
Designer laments leak without full explanation of the design principles she followed
http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/windows_8_logo_hacked_to_chinese_web_site
An image of the Windows 8 logo leaked last week was hacked from the design studio’s network and posted to a Chinese Web site, according to a published report.
The new logo, in the same Metro style that permeates the operating system user interface, was supposed to be released Feb. 26, just three days before the beta version of the operating system becomes available, according to a story on co.design.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hardware Specification for Windows 8 Declared!
http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/hardware_specification_for_windows_8_declared
Convertible PCs and Tablet PCs must have a screen resolution of 1366 x 768. Apart from that the machines should have the property of 5 point multi-touch.
Those x86 machines should have a resume in less than 2 sec. It is interesting that this resume time perimeter is not built in to ARM-based Win8 PCs.
All these machines should have a fair collection of sensors plus a digital compass, gyroscope, ambient light and 3-axis accelerometer.
Win8 Pc should have some kind of warning printed on the manufactured item to show where the NFC contact point is built.
CTRL+ALT+DEL is converted into pressing WIN key and power button concurrently
Webcams must be of 720 p and Direct 3D 10 devices graphics are compulsory
The initial Win8 Tablets are expectedly coming in second half of year 2012.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Woos Joe Developer with New Visual Studio
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/02/microsoft-visual-studio/
Microsoft has unveiled a new version of Visual Studio, its venerable programming kit.
“Software has to innovate a lot quicker than it has in the past,” Visual Studio general manager Jason Zander tells Wired.
Due out in beta next Wednesday, February 29, the new release — codenamed Visual Studio 11 — offers a new set of tools for building applications on Windows 8, the next incarnation of Microsoft’s flagship operating system.
The release will also include a new version of .NET — .NET 4.5 — the programming framework for Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
The new release will also offer myriad tools for building “Metro-style” applications — applications that use Windows 8′s new WinRT runtime — using languages such as JavaScript, Visual Basic, C#, and C++.
Microsoft is also aiming the new suite at Joe Developer — as opposed to Joe Big Business Developer
Tomi says:
HP caught with SIX Windows 8 PC packages up its sleeve
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/24/windows_8_skus/
Windows 8 is being re-packaged into six versions in a move that looks like it might kill off four editions of the desktop client currently sold.
Documents posted on PC-partner Hewlett-Packard’s website here and picked up here say Windows 8 will come as a Windows 8 32- and 64-bit Edition, and an Enterprise and Professional Edition – both in 32-and 64-bit flavors.
It’s not clear, based on these documents, whether these are all the SKUs Microsoft has planned for the forthcoming Windows 8 or whether these are just the versions of Windows 8 that will be available on machines sold by HP.
It’ll mean consumers and those not on an enterprise agreement will have four versions of Windows to pick from: 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 8 Edition and Professional Edition.
Tomi says:
Leap-day Visual Studio beta provokes ‘passionate’ response
Version 11 beta and new .NET to arrive Wednesday
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/25/visual_studio_beta_response/
Visual Studio 11, widely expected to be released in a 2012 edition later this year, will come in four builds.
Within the .NET Foundation, beta C# and Visual Basic get improved support for writing asynchronous code, and the Common Language Runtime has been tweaked for better performance across a range of tasks. There will also be a free five-person edition of Team Foundation Server Express to try out.
Microsoft has been making promises about Visual Studio since the last BUILD conference in September 2011, and it’s going to be key to getting developers behind Windows 8 – be it the x86/64 build or Windows on ARM.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HP working on Windows 8 tablets using Intel, ARM chips
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57385063-64/hp-working-on-windows-8-tablets-using-intel-arm-chips-sources/
Hewlett-Packard is working on both Intel- and ARM-based tablets and hybrids, a source told CNET.
And the next day at a tech conference, Whitman said HP would release a Windows 8 tablets using both Intel and ARM chips, though no more details were provided.
Hewlett-Packard’s Whitman Sees Windows 8 Tablet by Year-End
http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LZUW9J6S972C01-1T0UI6O7F0LGBVR5QEU2P0AO1K
Hewlett-Packard Co. Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman said the company will release a tablet computer based on Microsoft Corp.’s new version of its Windows software before the end of the year.
Whitman said the initial tablet will be based on Intel Corp.’s technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Windows 8 is Microsoft’s most vital launch in years
http://gigaom.com/2012/02/28/why-windows-8-is-microsofts-most-vital-launch-in-years/
Microsoft Windows was a fact of life for an entire generation raised on the PC.
It has been 17 years since the general public was genuinely excited by a new version of Windows: people actually lined up to buy Windows 95 like it was the iPhone or something.
Windows XP was an updated but essentially similar experience to Windows 95, Windows Vista was an attempt to correct XP’s security issues but turned into a joke of its own, and Windows 7 was what Vista should have been yet failed to inspire
The traditional PC isn’t going anywhere just yet, but just ask HP and Dell: nor is it in good shape. Wednesday could be the first day when we realize whether or not Windows 8 can be a product that allows the traditional PC industry to refocus itself around both traditional PCs in lighter forms as well as iPad competitors.
The stakes for Microsoft are enormous. The company largely subsists on two cash cows: Windows and Office, and Windows sales are under pressure with the slow decline of the PC market.
Windows 8 Consumer Preview: What should testers expect?
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/windows-8-consumer-preview-what-should-testers-expect/12052
Microsoft is launching the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 on February 29. By going with the “Consumer Preview” name rather than the traditional “beta,” the Softies are emphasizing that the coming bits are ready for everyday users to try on their x86/x64 PCs and tablets.
So what are those who download the Windows 8 CP likely to encounter?
The x86/x64 version of Windows 8 allows legacy apps (with any associated browser plug-ins) to run on the Desktop. The ARM version of Windows 8 will allow only a few Microsoft apps to run on the Desktop and no plug-ins. But Microsoft isn’t making the ARM bits available to testers to download; instead it will provide them some time, starting in the coming weeks, to select partners and developers preloaded on ARM-based testing devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MEET THE NEXT CEO OF MICROSOFT: Steven Sinofsky Is The Heir Apparent
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-the-next-ceo-of-microsoft-steven-sinofsky-is-the-heir-apparent-2012-2?op=1#ixzz1nlbo8hWC
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available to download now for anyone interested in trying it out.
Windows 8 article links related to this:
Introducing Windows 8 Consumer Preview
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2012/02/29/introducing-windows-8-consumer-preview.aspx
Microsoft Windows 8 Consumer Preview detailed impressions
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/microsoft-windows-8-consumer-preview-detailed-impressions/
Windows 8: system requirements for the Consumer Preview
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/29/2832936/windows-8-system-requirements-for-the-consumer-preview
Hands-on with the Windows Store: meet your source for Metro apps
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2012/02/hands-on-with-the-windows-store-meet-your-source-for-metro-apps.ars?clicked=related_right
Windows 8 Consumer Preview Available for Download
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5611/windows-8-consumer-preview-available-for-download
Windows 8 Consumer Preview: The Four Corners
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5612/windows-8-consumer-preview-the-four-corners
The Windows 8 Copy Dialog Box
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5613/the-windows-8-copy-dialog-box
Windows 8 Consumer Preview: A Quick Look at Battery Life
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5619/windows-8-consumer-preview-a-quick-look-at-battery-life
Windows 8 lähti kuluttajien koeajoon
http://www.itviikko.fi/uutiset/2012/02/29/windows-8-lahti-kuluttajien-koeajoon/201224290/7?rss=8
Windows 8:n kokeilukausi alkoi
http://www.digitoday.fi/data/2012/02/29/windows-8n-kokeilukausi-alkoi/201224291/66?rss=6
Windows 8 Consumer Preview
http://windows.microsoft.com/fi-FI/windows-8/consumer-preview
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 on ARM: Microsoft bets on Office 15 and IE10
WOA: hardware saviour to software challenges?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/13/woa_office_15_ie10_clearer/
Steve Ballmer wasn’t kidding when he said Windows 8 could be Microsoft’s “riskiest product bet.”
Windows on ARM (WOA) – unveiled just over a year ago – is the big break point.
It seems Office 15 will run on the desktop of WOA PCs, and won’t be rewritten for the Metro-UI side of Windows 8.
Further, it seems while IE 10 will run on the desktop and Metro editions of Windows 8, plug-ins for Microsoft’s browser aren’t being allowed on ARM full-stop. That means no Adobe Flash or Microsoft Silverlight, ruling out many line-of-business apps, web media and ads.
Microsoft last year released an IE10 platform preview that saw plug-ins banned from Metro UI but allowed on the desktop.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft testing Windows Phone 8 with dual-core Snapdragon S4 for Sprint?
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/29/2830246/windows-phone-8-dual-core-qualcomm-sprint
Microsoft’s Windows Phone engineering team is currently testing the Qualcomm MSM8960 chipset, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. The dual-core 1.5GHz system-on-chip is undergoing tests to make it ready for at least one Windows Phone 8 handset due later this year. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 has been making waves recently thanks to its impressive performance in recent Vellamo benchmark results
We are told that Sprint is interested in a potential Windows Phone 8 device running the MSM8960 and that it has shared its LTE specifications with Nokia. One source has suggested that the carrier may not introduce any further Windows Phones on its network until Windows Phone 8 is ready later this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft’s Windows 8 Preview event videos now available
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/microsofts-windows-8-preview-event-videos-now-available/
Video of the entire presentation, along with a few demo trailers are available on the company’s press site
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 Consumer Preview downloaded a million times on day one
http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/1/2836245/windows-8-consumer-preview-million-downloads
Microsoft has just tweeted out the news that its Consumer Preview build of Windows 8 has been downloaded one million times within the first day of availability. Although still in its beta form, Windows 8 has attracted attention and sparked imaginations in a very big way
the day one downloads tally up to over three and a half petabytes of data, or about 41GB per second.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can my PC run the Windows 8 beta test build?
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57387933-75/can-my-pc-run-the-windows-8-beta-test-build/#ixzz1nwVe3JP6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft previews Windows Embedded 8
http://www.edn.com/article/521146-Microsoft_previews_Windows_Embedded_8.php?cid=EDNToday_20120308
Microsoft has posted the community technology preview for its forthcoming Windows Embedded Standard 8 operating system.
Windows Embedded Standard 8, as the embedded version of Windows 8 is formally known, is designed to allow businesses to seamlessly add commercial devices to their security and management networks rather than operate them as standalone devices.
Applications for Windows Embedded Standard 8 can be developed through Visual Studio, and custom OS images can be configured with the Image Builder Wizard and Windows Embedded Modular Designer.
The Windows Embedded Standard 8 CTP can be downloaded from Microsoft’s Web site.
A formal ship date for Windows Embedded Standard 8 has not been announced but it could be available later this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft reps claiming Windows Phone 8 definitely coming to second gen handsets, probably to first gen
http://wmpoweruser.com/microsoft-reps-claiming-windows-phone-8-definitely-coming-to-second-gen-handsets-probably-to-first-gen/
While we of course hope the Windows Phone 8 update will come to all handsets, we have been worried about signals from senior Microsoft officials which suggest older handsets will be left behind. Thomas from WP7app.de claims to have spoken to Microsoft employees at CeBIT in Hannover and to have received some interesting news.
The rep also revealed that Microsoft is targeting “late 2012” for the update.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mozilla struggles with Firefox for Windows 8 Metro development
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Mozilla has started work on building a Windows 8 Metro version of Firefox.
Microsoft’s Windows 8 will ship with the alternative Metro user interface that requires applications to use specific application programming interfaces (APIs). Of course Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser will have a Metro version, but Mozilla said it has started work on writing a Metro version of its Firefox web browser.
Mozilla’s Brian Bondy said the outfit did some preliminary work on getting a basic application working in Metro. However Bondy complained of poor documentation on Microsoft’s part and a general lack of public knowledge
Trials and tribulations aside, Bondy confirmed that Mozilla will be using the Windows Runtime C++ Template Library, adding that Mozilla might also use the C++/CX language, a version of C++ with specific extensions for WinRT, Microsoft’s Metro style programming model.
Bondy said the user interface will be generated using Microsoft’s DirectX renderer. Although that sounds compatibility alarms, Bondy said that Microsoft’s system requirements for Windows 8 include DirectX 9 support.
Source: The Inquirer (http://s.tt/17b61)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can Microsoft Afford To Lose With Windows 8?
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/03/13/0335237/can-microsoft-afford-to-lose-with-windows-8
snydeq writes with the opinion that Microsoft can afford Windows 8 failing on the desktop. From the article:
“Windows 8 is an experiment that may well fail, but Microsoft will cull invaluable feedback for Windows 9 in the process, long before Windows 7 runs out of gas, writes InfoWorld’s Serdar Yegulalp. ‘Can Microsoft really afford to alienate one of its biggest market segments for a whole product cycle? In a word: Yes. In fact, doing something this risky might well be vital to Microsoft’s survival
Microsoft has managed to weather several OS flops
Why Microsoft can afford to lose with Windows 8
The Windows 8 experiment may well fail, but Microsoft will cull valuable feedback for Windows 9 in the process, long before Windows 7 runs out of gas
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/why-microsoft-can-afford-lose-windows-8-188477
The word on the street about Windows 8 is mixed at best. It’s Microsoft’s tablet PC play — so much so that the desktop is getting short shrift. This doesn’t seem wise, even if desktop sales are being displaced by tablets.
Can Microsoft really afford to alienate one of its biggest market segments for a whole product cycle?
In a word: Yes. In fact, doing something this risky might well be vital to Microsoft’s survival. Here’s why.
1. Windows 7 isn’t going anywhere
Windows 7 was and is Microsoft’s biggest desktop success story to date
2. Microsoft can afford to lose a product cycle
Even if Windows 8 stiffs horribly, the company is so diversified now, the effect will not be huge.
3. Better for Microsoft to fail when it has the luxury — and learn from it
If Microsoft has safety nets in place, with both Windows 7 as a fallback and the diversity of the company generally, it can afford to use Windows 8 as an experiment.
Microsoft’s game to lose?
The Windows 8 experiment may not give Microsoft a success anywhere near the scale of Windows 7, but I honestly don’t think that’s what the company is shooting for
In short, Microsoft needs to gamble, and right now might well be the best time for the company to do it. The company needs to learn from its mistakes as quickly and nimbly as they can — and then turn around and make Windows 9 exceed all of our expectations.
The Windows 8 Power Struggle: Metro Vs Desktop
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/03/09/2234214/the-windows-8-power-struggle-metro-vs-desktop
“Metro, Microsoft’s new UI, is bold; a dramatic departure from anything the company has previously done in the desktop/laptop space, and absolutely great. It’s tangible proof that Redmond really can design and build its own unique products and experiences. However, the transition to Metro’s Start menu is jarring for some desktop users, and worse yet, Desktop mode and Metro don’t mesh well at all
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia likely to launch Windows 8 tablet PCs in 4Q12, say sources
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120312PD207.html
Nokia’s joining of the WoA (Windows on ARM) camp is expected to give Microsoft additional strength to compete with Google’s Android platform as well as Apple’s iOS, the sources noted.
Nokia will team up with Microsoft to venture into the tablet PC market by releasing a 10-inch Windows 8-based tablet PC set on Qualcomm’s dual-core platform in the fourth quarter of 2012 at the earliest, according to sources at upstream component suppliers.
Nokia is expected to outsource production of the 10-inch tablets to Compal Electronics
Turkey Invites Nokia to Bid in Tablet PC Project, Haberturk Says
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-13/turkey-invites-nokia-to-bid-in-tablet-pc-project-haberturk-says
Turkey invited Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) to bid for a contract to provide 15 million tablet computers to schoolchildren over four years, Haberturk newspaper reported.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Confirms It’s Working on Chrome for Windows 8
http://mashable.com/2012/03/12/chrome-windows-8/
Google says it’s working on a version of Chrome that will run in the Metro environment of Windows 8. The news follows the revelation that Mozilla is building Firefox for Metro as well.
“Our goal is to be able to offer our users a speedy, simple, secure Chrome experience across all platforms, which includes both the desktop and Metro versions of Windows 8,” the rep said. “To that end we’re in the process of building a Metro version of Chrome along with improving desktop Chrome in Windows 8 such as adding enhanced touch support.”
That means when Windows 8 tablets start to appear later this year, customers will be able to use the same browsers they use in Windows 7, but re-imagined for the Metro interface. Also, the desktop versions will be tailored for touch as well.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Internet Explorer 10 memory protection features not just for Internet Explorer
http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/new_internet_explorer_10_memory_protection_features_not_just_for_internet_explorer
The existence of flaws in browsers is nowadays taken for granted: what security researchers are most interested in is the mitigation techniques browsers use to try to render those flaws harmless. Microsoft published a recent blog post discussing some of the new mitigation techniques that will be used in Internet Explorer 10.
What’s new in Internet Explorer 10? Technically, nothing. New to Windows 8, however, is a much improved version of ASLR, Address Space Layout Randomization, and Internet Explorer 10 takes full advantage of the new capabilities. ASLR is another mitigation technique, designed to make it harder to take advantage of software flaws.
ASLR in turn is created to combat these techniques; both of them depend on the DLLs being in predictable locations in memory; the attacker includes the addresses of the different pieces of executable code it wants as part of their attack. By shuffling DLLs around in memory, this predictability no longer exists.
Windows Vista was the first Microsoft operating system to include ASLR, and it was essentially unchanged in Windows 7. ASLR is useful, but it has limitations.
For the third issue, Windows 8 will randomize more kinds of memory allocation.
Taken together, these features will make Windows 8 programs (or at least, Windows 8 programs that opt in to using ForceASLR and HEASLR) harder to exploit, which means that they’ll make Internet Explorer 10 harder to exploit. It’s very likely that the Chrome and Firefox Metro browsers will opt in to these systems too, giving them equal access to the new capabilities.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia design chief ayes tablet plan
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/03/15/nokia_confirms_tablet_development/
Nokia has revealed it has started work on a tablet, adding weight to rumours that the firm is set to launch an iPad challenger when Microsoft’s Windows 8 software is released later this year.
“We are working on it,” confirmed Nokia design chief Marko Ahtisaari in an interview with Finnish magazine Kauppalehti Optio.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lenovo will be ‘first to market’ with a Windows 8 tablet, says source
http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/15/2875592/lenovo-first-to-market-windows-8-tablet
Michael Dell said that he would offer an enterprise tablet “on the exact day” that Windows 8 ships to customers, but his company may have some competition right out of the gate: We’ve learned that Lenovo is internally planning to be the very first manufacturer to release a Windows 8 tablet, and that the company believes that October is when the operating system will ship.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia’s design chief is focusing on a Windows 8 tablet
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2159754/nokia-design-chief-focusing-windows-tablet
RUMOURS that Nokia is in the late stages of developing a Windows 8 tablet are intensifying after the company’s chief designer let slip that he is spending about a third of his time on the device.
Nokia’s chief designer Marko Ahtisaari made the revealing comment in an interview with the Finnish magazine Kauppalehti Optio. He is quoted by Reuters as saying that a third of his work time is being spent on the design of a tablet that will be able to differentiate itself from the ever-growing pack of Android and Apple devices.
“As we have said many times previously, we are investigating the tablet space. But we haven’t made any specific product announcements,” the company said.
Tomi says:
Windows 8 Features And Release Date
http://www.thetechlabs.com/tech-news/windows-8-features/#9125
Windows 8 offers a number of new Windows 8 features from its all new UI to Windows App Store and improvised security features. Here’s a list of new features and improvements which will arrive with Windows 8
It is reported that Windows 8 is expected to have the same system requirements as Windows 7, and will run on existing machines that run Windows 7. Here are the following minimum system requirements to run Windows 8:
Processor: 1GHz or faster 32-bit or 64-bit processor
RAM: 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit)
HD Space: 16GB for 32-bit (or 20GB for 64-bit)
Microsoft is also planning to build Kinect sensors into laptops. Prototypes have already been released, and were confirmed to be official. The sensors would be placed where the webcam is currently placed, and there could be an IR LED at the bottom of the screen.
Tomi says:
Installing Windows 8 Developer Preview in VMware
http://tseonet.blogspot.com/2011/09/installing-windows-8-developer-preview.html
f you don’t have a spare computer where you can install Windows 8 Developer Preview on, you can install it on your own machine using VMware. First you’ll need VMware Workstation 8 or VMware Player 4.
Tomi says:
Windows Phone 8: what is it?
http://wmpoweruser.com/windows-phone-8-what-is-it/
There has been a lot of talk about Windows Phone 8 and “Apollo”, but what is it?
Microsoft’s Windows Phone team has been keeping the details under tight wrap. In fact, most of the information we know about Windows Phone 8 came from Pocketnow’s leak in February.
I am sure that many of us were disappointed that Microsoft didn’t announce “Apollo” at Mobile World Congress 2012. Windows Phone 7 was announced at Mobile World Congress 2010 and “Mango” was announced at Mobile World Congress 2011, so why should “Apollo” be any different?
With what we know about Windows Phone 8, the switch from Windows CE kernel to Windows NT kernel is perhaps one of the worst kept secret. Why is Microsoft making the switch in the first place?
To share the most components with Windows 8 is the most common answer, but this is not half of the story. In fact, it’s not even the most important reason. Windows CE was originally designed for low power processor and small memory footprint. With newer phones shipping with multi-core processors and gigabytes of memory, Windows CE no longer provide the advantage it once had.
Microsoft has been struggling to add hardware support to the aging Windows CE kernel and this is the reason Windows Phone lag behind other mobile operating systems in term of hardware support. This is something Microsoft has long anticipated and why Microsoft developed Windows 8 for ARM. Windows 8 for ARM supports a wide range of ARM processors and is optimized for multi-core, something Windows Phone 8 will directly inherit.
Although Windows 8 for ARM supports an array of ARM processors, the initial release of Windows Phone 8 will be heavily optimized for the Snapdragon processor (specifically the MSM8960)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Worst design error in Windows 8 (article in Finnish):
Windows 8:n pahimmat suunnittelumokat
https://kfalck.net/2012/03/18/windows-8n-pahimmat-suunnittelumokat
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Said to Finish Windows 8 in Summer, With October Debut
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-19/microsoft-said-to-finish-windows-8-in-summer-with-october-debut.html
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) will finish work on Windows 8 this summer, setting the stage for personal computers and tablets with the operating system to go on sale around October, according to people with knowledge of the schedule.
The initial rollout will include devices running Intel Corp. (INTC) and ARM Holdings Plc (ARM) chips
The timing would let Microsoft target Christmas shoppers with the new software, which works with touch-screen devices as well as laptops and desktop PCs.
“If they miss the September-October time frame, they’re going to be stuck without being able to ship anything in 2012,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Stamford, Connecticut- based Gartner Inc. “The last thing Microsoft wants to have is a situation where there are no compelling Windows tablets at a time when the new iPad looks like it’s going to be a good seller for the holidays.”
Microsoft plans to have both ARM and Intel- based systems available when Windows 8 is released.
There will be fewer ARM-based devices in the rollout because Microsoft has tightly controlled the number and set rigorous quality-control standards, said one of the people.
Microsoft will host an event for its industry partners in early April, the people said. The company will spell out its release strategy for Windows 8, giving more details on timing and marketing, they said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Windows 8 e-reader: If someone builds it, will they come?
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/a-windows-8-e-reader-if-someone-builds-it-will-they-come/12206
Summary: There are new hints that Windows 8-based dedicated e-readers sporting the Metro UI are in the works.
Now Microsoft is touting idea that there will be e-readers that makes use of the Metro UI. I’m assuming that means they will run Windows 8, as Microsoft seems to be limiting OEMs from putting the Windows Phone OS on screens above a certain size (not exactly sure what the cut-off is these days, given the large, 4.7-inch Windows Phone Titan screen). And I’d think these coming Windows 8 Metro e-readers, if and when they materialize, could be running on ARM.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tiny pile of Windows 8 ARM slabs slated for October
This is only a test, people
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/20/window_8_october/
According to those driving it, Windows 8 is substantially done, done to the point that what is actually a beta – the Windows 8 consumer preview launched in February – has been re-branded as a “preview” by Microsoft.
As ever with Windows 8, Microsoft wants an October sales kick-off to be in position for the traditionally lucrative Christmas shopping season.
According to those driving it, Windows 8 is substantially done, done to the point that what is actually a beta – the Windows 8 consumer preview launched in February – has been re-branded as a “preview” by Microsoft.
There will be “fewer” than five ARM devices versus 40 Intel machines.
“Fewer” – more vagueness – but the underlying point is clear: for all Microsoft’s talk about Windows on ARM (WOA) as the next evolution in Windows, WOA won’t be hitting the channel like some new x86
With “fewer” than five devices coming out – somewhere between one and four – we can speculate that WOA, despite Microsoft’s bluster, is still an experimental technology and market. And not just for Microsoft, which wants to see how it works first.
WOA is an experimental technology for partners, too. They will be approaching this thing conservatively
This also means, that for all the excitement about Windows 8 tablets in time for Christmas 2012, it’ll mostly be slabs running good-old-x86 that Microsoft has to throw at the iPad rather than ARM.
Windows is a volume business, but it looks like WOA won’t have the volume needed to make a difference for Microsoft against the iPad in 2012
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Is In Trouble If It Doesn’t Release Windows 8 By October
http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-is-in-trouble-if-it-doesnt-release-windows-8-by-october-2012-3
According to Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Garter, Inc., “If they miss the September-October time frame, they’re going to be stuck without being able to ship anything in 2012. The last thing Microsoft wants to have is a situation where there are no compelling Windows tablets at a time when the new iPad looks like it’s going to be a good seller for the holidays.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 on ARM vs iPad: Has Microsoft lost already?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/21/microbite_episode_34/
Steve Ballmer’s company has released a consumer preview of Windows 8, something Microsoft’s chief executive has called his company’s riskiest bet.
it has quickly become apparent that the focus on tablets makes Microsoft’s Windows 8 difficult and frustrating to use for those running a Windows 7 or even a Window XP machine.
Judging by what Microsoft has said about WOA so far, and looking at rumours circulating about the next Office, it is looking increasingly like WOA is losing its edge over the iPad.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 tablet PCs expected to be launched in October, say Taiwan makers
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20120320PD213.html
In line with Microsoft’s release of Windows 8 in September-October, first-tier vendors including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo, Acer and Asustek Computer are developing x86-based tablets for launch in October, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.
Vendors including Samsung Electronics, Sony, Toshiba, Lenovo, Acer and Asustek are expected to launch Windows 8 on ARM (WoA) tablet PCs in early 2013, the sources indicated. However, Nokia may take the initiative to launch 10-inch WoA tablets equipped with Qualcomm processors in November 2012, the sources claimed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 Is Retina-Ready
http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/21/windows-8-is-retina-ready/
All the talk these days is of the new iPad and its magical screen. Apple isn’t the only one who can do that, you know. In fact, most display makers are looking forward to post-HD resolutions as one of the big selling points of the next generation of displays.
Fortunately, Microsoft is well aware of the trend and has plans in place for dealing with displays with pixel-dense displays (or “Retina” to the vulgar).
The specifics are laid out with no quarter given to laymen in this post at Building Windows 8. The gist is that they have analyzed the expected range of display sizes and resolutions, and have identified a sort of “Goldilocks Zone” for the three general classes of resolutions: standard, HD, and quad-XGA (2560×1440). Inside this zone, text and UI elements aren’t blown up too cartoonish proportions or shrunk down to a size that’s frustrating to touch.
Scaling to different screens
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/03/21/scaling-to-different-screens.aspx
One of the core promises of the Windows platform has been its support for diverse form factors, allowing Windows to power over a billion PCs in the market today. In Windows 8, we set out to build upon this strength by delivering a great experience regardless of the form factor or screen size. Windows 8 PCs will come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small tablet screens to laptops and large desktop monitors and multi-monitor setups.
With Windows, you can choose a PC that works for you, with a screen that best meets your needs, preferences, or style.
This graphic shows a sample of the diversity of common wide-screen aspect ratios and screen sizes that Windows 8 can run on. Windows will support just about any screen dimension so long as the graphics driver and hardware combination provide the correct information to Windows.
I’ve seen a few blog comments that ask specifically about minimum resolution, for example on Designing the Start screen in October 2011, @wolf asked:
“A better idea would force all developers to make sure all Metro app[s] [are designed for] a minimal screen size of 800×600. Limiting Metro apps to only 1024×768 will cut out all netbook users as well as hurt the Windows App Store.”
We chose a minimum screen resolution of 1024×768 in order to make it as simple as possible for developers to create great apps that work on all the different screens that are available now and in the future. A minimum resolution provides a necessary starting place for developers, who can use it as a baseline to ensure that all of the navigation, controls, and content fit on screen.
You may be wondering why there isn’t a maximum resolution. With higher resolutions there is more space, so the layout is really never broken or truncated on higher resolution screens. You can run Metro style apps on a screen as big as 30” with a resolution of 2560×1600! But although apps aren’t broken when they have more space, developers should give some consideration to these larger resolution screens, so that they make use of the space in a way that keeps their apps looking beautiful.
Windows 8 also makes it simple to develop apps that work across different pixel densities. First of all, no manual work needs to be done in order for the app to scale. Unlike previous releases, you won’t need to do any work to make your apps DPI-aware; there are frameworks in place to scale the app for you. Just by using web-standard CSS pixel units or a XAML layout, app layouts will scale proportionally. When an app is scaled up, images are stretched and could get blurry, but Windows 8 makes it easy for developers to keep these images looking crisp and beautiful.
Windows 8, the platform natively supports vector graphics. Any images exported as SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) or XAML art will scale without getting blurry. Additionally, Windows 8 introduces automatic resource loading so developers can save three versions of images with a naming convention; images that correspond to each of the current scale percentages (100%, 140%, and 180%) load automatically to keep images crisp on high DPI. Developers can also use the CSS3 resolution media query or the system events to reload images at different scales. Windows 8 scaling to pixel density allows developers to achieve a baseline level of quality with little effort, and then tailor their images to look polished and crisp on high pixel density screens.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft details how iPad app development compares to Windows 8
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-details-how-ipad-app-development-compares-to-windows-8/12232
In an apparent attempt to attract iPad developers, Microsoft has posted a case study comparing iPad app development to Windows 8 Metro-style tablet development.
Microsoft officials have posted to the Windows Dev Center a design case study that compares and contrasts iPad app development with Windows 8 Metro-style app development.
Design case study: iPad to Windows 8 Metro style app
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh868262.aspx
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Talks Screen Resolution in Windows 8, Suggests “Retina”-esque Tablets
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5702/microsoft-talks-screen-resolution-in-windows-8-suggests-retinaesque-tablets
Microsoft’s David Washington has penned another informational tome on the Building Windows 8 blog, this one about Windows 8 and its support for varying screen resolutions.
Microsoft is planning for tablets that use both the 1024×768 and 1366×768 resolutions common in earlier and lower-end tablets as well as the high-DPI screens that are being (and will be) ushered in by the new iPad. To scale Windows elements so that they’re still comfortable to look at and touch at these resolutions, Microsoft has put together some pre-defined scaling percentages: 100% when no scaling is applied, 140% for 1080p tablets, and 180% for quad-XGA tablets like the new iPad. These percentages were all chosen as “pixel density sweet spots” for 10″ and 11″ tablets with 1920×1080 or 2560×1440 displays. It should be noted that Washington’s blog post focused entirely on Metro scaling – whether the Windows desktop will automatically scale using these percentages is unclear.
Microsoft’s attention to these specific resolutions suggests that we will probably see some high-DPI Windows tablets when they launch in the fall, though we still don’t know anything about the tablets OEMs are designing for Windows 8 and Windows on ARM. It’s also telling that there are no 7″ tablets on that chart – we may not see Windows versions of smaller tablets like the Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet.
Washington went on to explain the reasoning behind the minimum resolution requirements for Metro apps that we noticed in our Windows 8 preview review – 1024×768 for Metro apps and 1366×768 for the Metro Snap feature. Both choices were largely developer and data-driven: 1024×768 is a common low-end resolution for web developers and tablet app developers
For more, including Windows 8′s support for scalable graphics and the Windows Simulator tool that will provide Visual Studio 11 users the ability to test their apps at multiple screen resolutions
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 8 Release Candidate rumored for June, retail release in October
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2012/03/windows-8-release-candidate-rumored-for-june-retail-release-in-october.ars?clicked=related_right
Windows 8 will enter the Release Candidate stage in late May or early June, according to a post made by winunleaked.tk over the weekend. This would mesh with an earlier rumor from Bloomberg that the software will be finished in the summer, with retail availability in October.
All these dates are unsubstantiated rumor at this point, but they’re not at all surprising. Microsoft has been clear that the development of Windows 8 is following the same track as Windows 7—initial preview about a year before release, public beta in the first quarter, release candidate mid-year, and a release in fall.
The timelines aren’t, however, identical.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft talks touch hardware in Windows 8
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2012/03/microsoft-talks-touch-hardware-in-windows-8.ars
Touch screens are not all the same. Even screens that use the same technology (capacitive, resistive, or optical) will show different behavior depending on the controllers used and other details. Windows 8 will have to cope with a wide range of touch implementations, and the Building Windows 8 blog has a new post describing some of the challenges.
The post includes an interesting video demonstrating some of the problems that these variations can cause, with inaccurate taps, misinterpreted gestures, and strange tracking issues where dragged objects run away from your fingers.
Hardware with a Windows 8 logo will be required to meet a certain standard for concurrent fingers, touch precision, and sensitivity.
Machines built for Windows 8 will support a minimum of five touch points. However, none of the core gestures use more than two, to ensure that basic interactivity is always possible.
Touch hardware and Windows 8
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/03/28/touch-hardware-and-windows-8.aspx
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft claims Windows 7 touchscreen devices will work with Windows 8
But it might be a touch and go experience
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2165029/microsoft-claims-windows-touchscreen-devices-windows
SOFTWARE TREADMILL VENDOR Microsoft says most Windows 7 touchscreen devices will work with its touchscreen Metro user interface that’s coming in Windows 8.
Microsoft is heavily promoting the Metro user interface in Windows 8, claiming the interface will make Windows 8 a credible alternative to Apple’s IOS and Google’s Android on tablets. Now the firm claims that its testing shows that the majority of touchscreen Windows 7 devices can work with Windows 8.
According to Microsoft, Windows 8 will understand the user’s intentions in its touchscreen behaviour. Microsoft claims this will help the operating system use ‘sloppy’ user touch-based input