Windows 8 is Launched

Microsoft Thursday launched Windows 8, the latest version of its operating system, a version it hopes will be modern enough to keep existing users and draw new ones to it.

Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows revealed that Windows 7, the prior version of Microsoft's desktop operating system, has sold more than 670 million licenses. Yes, over 670,000,000 copies of Windows 7 are out there in the world, on people's computers. This is amazing to me because so many people are still using Windows XP, perhaps the most successful operating system ever created by Microsoft. However we really do have to move on from XP and so this just may be the perfect time.

Windows 8 uses Windows 7 as its foundation, so naturally there are high expectations. That is because that although many people have not upgraded from XP those of us who have been using Windows 7  have been very happy with it. The new Windows 8 operating system has undergone more than 1,240,000,000 hours of testing, according to Sinofsky. That's a lot of work!

I was able to watch the stream of Windows 8 and was very interested in what would be said by Sinofsky. You must also realize I am an early adopter in almost everything I do and I have been using Windows 8 on several of my computers for months now.

Sinofsky referenced the days when we were basically "living in caves," the time of Windows 95. At least he did not go way back to our Windows 3.1 days! He used memories of the Windows 95 era to emphasize just how far Microsoft's operating system has come. Now, more than 1,000 PCs have been certified for Windows 8, bringing on what the folks at Microsoft describe as a new era of computing (and of Windows).

Sinofsky did at one point acknowledge that some folks might call out Microsoft's newly launched app store for having a small selection of apps, in comparison to what is available on other platforms, such as Apple and Google. This is true. There are not many apps in the store but hey it is only a few days old and only now is it "live". The app inventory will no doubt grow quickly. I have already seen evidence to this.

You can see by my screen shot Windows 8 is a very different animal then anything Microsoft has done before. Although there are 3 variants of Windows 8, (smartphones, tablets & computers) they are each basically the same, with the same interface. However Microsoft is taking some heat due to the fact that apps for example you may install on your smartphone or tablet will not work on your PC.

Working in the Windows 8 new environment is not nearly as cumbersome as some have suggested. However if you have patience that will help, at least in the beginning. Working with Windows 8 on your tablet or smartphone is reportedly really cool, although this I have not experience yet. On a touch screen you manipulate the work area by touch and just as you do on tables and smart phones.

I am preparing a complete review of Windows 8 so stay tuned.