We all know that Windows 7 is not the ideal platform for tablets, so Microsoft was bound to make a right move in that direction. This right move could be the next Windows platform, that was demoed during the D9 conference taking place hours ago.
Windows President Steven Sinofsky took us for a spin through Windows 8 and the video demo below is pretty all we’ve got on the OS right now. No idea if the name Windows 8 will be kept, or if the launch will really take place in 2012, as scheduled, but what’s sure is that Win 8 borrows quite a lot from Windows Phone 7.
The traditional desktop look that reminds us of Windows 7 will still be kept and traditional Windows apps will still run, but there’s also a browser interface with apps based on HTML5 and JavaScript technologies. Internet Explorer 10 will now run in full screen mode with apps of its own, like the weather app. Speaking of which, there’s also a “Store” in there, maybe an indication of Microsoft’s future plans.
The Start screen is filled with live tiles, like those in Windows Phone 7 and these are also updated in real time with relevant info, like the mobile counterpart. Touch interaction is the main focus of the OS and we learn that switching between apps can be done by swiping from the left corner, while swiping from the right brings up a menu bar.
More info in the video demo below:
