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Windows 8 Imminent Release

Today, Microsoft is aiming to take on the force of Apple’s iPad with its new software, Windows 8, and, at the same time, reinforce its PC dominance by keeping the PC upgrade cycle going.

At 5pm UK time today, Microsoft is to unveil Windows 8 at a conference in California, following a June screening of the design. The company is hopeful that their new product will propel them into the flourishing market currently controlled by Apple and Google. The pressure has been on Microsoft to provide Windows software that it is capable of running on small, thin tablet computers with a battery life to challenge that of the iPad. To date they have not been able to compete with what is out there currently. But it could be argued that, by being late to the game, and witnessing the spectacle of failures of iPad rivals, the pent up demand for an Office integrated tablet can be provided if Microsoft can deliver with its new Software which aims to bridge the gap between the tablet and the PC.

The design of Windows 8 is similar to that of mobile phone software where it uses digital tiles rather than icons to allow users to move between programs. This will be similar to the tile interface on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7. As a result Windows 8’s tiles can be automatically updated to display info from applications on the computer’s start screen, e.g. a weather app will tell its user that the forecast is sunny, without requiring them to open up the app.

The software also will also run on desktop and laptops via a touch screen, mouse or keyboard, again bridging the gap between the PC and the Tablet. According the company, Windows 8 will run existing Windows apps although details about how the likes of Word, Excel and Powerpoint will run on Windows 8 remain a mystery.

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