This is the Windows 8 Tablet & PC Interface
by Anand Lal Shimpi on June 1, 2011 10:26 PM EST- Posted in
- Trade Shows
- Microsoft
- Computex 2011
- Windows 8
Here's a quick look at the new start screen for Windows 8 running on a Dell XPS Development Tablet. The tablet supports both touch and external keyboard interfaces. The UI is ridiculously smooth, it seems even quicker than Windows Phone 7.
On tablets Windows 8 will support PlayBook like bezel gestures (the gestures actually take place on the first pixel next to the bezel, apparently not in the bezel itself). Gestures for the OS take place on the left/right edges of the screen, while app gestures happen on the top/bottom bezel.
Swipe in from the right to reveal the start button, and swipe in from the left to multitask. You just swipe between active apps like you would on a PlayBook.
The interface doesn't require a touchscreen, Microsoft showed how you can multitask or switch between screens using a keyboard on a standard PC as well. This will be a common interface across all Windows 8 devices, tablet or standard PC.
Tapping the start button switches between the standard Windows desktop and the new tile interface. You can even display multiple applications on the screen at the same time using Windows 8's snap feature.
With a widescreen display (apparently snap isn't supported yet on 4:3s) you can display two apps side by side in the new tablet style UI:
You can even have a standard Windows 8 desktop on one side and a new Windows 8 app on the other.
Microsoft also mentioned that Windows 8 will have the same system requirements or lower vs Windows 7.
Gallery: Windows 8 Tablet & PC Interface
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Spivonious - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
Tinfoil hat? Check.mino - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
Umm, no.Any sane person understands that the infrastructure running these "free" services has to be paid by something. It is the same as with Facebook - you pay with your data in one way or another.
Not that I see anything wrong with that. But saying it is "free" is a false claim. Nothing is free, never was.
TEAMSWITCHER - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
Who is ever gonna buy this crap. Look at that awful UI, it's the failed WP7. Come on Microsoft, can you please design something that is a little more compelling. Apple's iOs isn't perfect, but it's four years and is due for a major update on Monday. I see nothing in these images that makes me think Microsoft has even the faintest idea of what is better. I fully expect next week Apple will launch iOS 5 and send the competition (I'm being generous here) back three more years. Plus, Apple already has 100 millions plus devices in the field ready for an update. Microsoft, is showing an unfinished product. Do you really think that these are ever gonna match the iPod/iPhone/Pad onslaught? It's never gonna happen...EPIC FAIL!Shadowmaster625 - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
yeah but apple products are like cars with gold trim but no doors. wtf good is gold trim when u cant get the @#% in the car?TEAMSWITCHER - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
There are no doors because it's like a freak'n Race Car. I think your too accustomed to the PC world, where everything looks like a station wagon or an El Camino.Spivonious - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
100 million devices...you do realize that they sell almost that many PCs every month, right?TEAMSWITCHER - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
Yes, but how many of them are tablets or smart phones? This OS is nothing but a quick and dirty port of Windows 7 with a touch UI veneer. Battery life will be pathetic, and mobile devices must have great battery life, that's non-negotiable. Legacy Windows Applications were never designed for touch screens, they will all be worthless on a tablet. Finally, the business model doesn't make any sense anymore. With Microsoft specifying the components and charging for the OS, the device makers will have ridiculously small profit margins. Google's Android is far more appealing to a device maker.B3an - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
You're such a moron i'm not even going to bother with you.PubFiction - Monday, June 6, 2011 - link
You have not read any reviews apparently you are a mac tard, WP7 is doing fine battery wise and getting better with every update. On top of that android already out sells apple. M$ is not even looking at apple as competition they know the real battle for the future is going to be against google. Apples poor closed software and hardware business model is already failing just as it failed in the past. Google is ahead in this OS war and M$ is stepping up to try to fight them. Honestly I think google will win but not so much because google is better just that M$ made the dire mistake of not starting WP7 earlier.araczynski - Thursday, June 2, 2011 - link
that interface has been a turn off since i first saw it demoed on whatever windows phone it came out on ages ago.big blocky waste of space, i thought ios was bad in that regard, at least they let me look at partly obstructed wallpapers, here i have eye searing kindergarten blocks of color...