Microsoft Corp yesterday unveiled its next-generation Windows operating system (OS) at the Computex trade show in Taipei, showcasing a brand new tile-based interface designed to help its expansion into the world of tablet computers.
“With Windows 8, there is no need to give up the Windows experience just because it is a tablet [computer] or it is on ARM,” said Michael Angiulo, corporate vice president of the Windows planning, hardware and PC ecosystem team, who demonstrated the new software.
Microsoft called the new OS a “reimagining” of Windows for tablets, saying it was also applicable to other devices, ranging from desktops and notebooks to all-in-one PCs, and works with or without a keyboard or mouse.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Windows 8 will be able to run on ARM-based processors from the likes of Qualcomm Inc and Texas Instruments Inc, as well as on the x86 platform from Intel Corp and Advanced Micro Devices, it said.
ARM chips are mostly used in today’s smartphones and tablets.
Taiwanese contract PC makers that Microsoft will engage for ARM-based processors development include Quanta Computer Inc (廣達), Wistron Inc (緯創) and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海), Angiulo said.
Windows 8 allows users to tap an icon with a finger, launching the application and allowing it to take up the entire screen — minus the usual Windows menus, system tray and scroll bars around the edges of the screen.
The interface can be controlled using swipe gestures on devices that have touch screens. For example, with one swipe, users can make menu items appear or switch between open applications.
Microsoft didn’t release the launch date, but Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶) — the world’s second-largest contract notebook maker whose clients include Acer Inc (宏碁) and Hewlett-Packard Co — said on Tuesday it should start shipping Windows 8 hardware in the fourth quarter of next year.
Windows 8 is intended to make Microsoft a contender in the emerging tablet PC market, where its current Windows 7 OS has struggled to compete effectively against those from Google Inc and Apple Inc.
One of the setbacks for tablets running on “Wintel” is their bulkiness, as Windows 7 and Intel chips are not designed for tablet use and they consume more space and power.
At Computex, First International Computer Inc (大眾電腦) unveiled a 10.1-inch tablet running Windows 7 that weighs 850g, while Gigabyte Technology Co (技嘉科技) showed a same-sized slate that weighs 895g.
“A tablet isn’t user-friendly when its thickness is over 1cm and it weighs more than 700g,” Andy Wang (王崑萬), marketing manager for Insyde Software Corp (系微), said on the sidelines of the trade show.
Insyde, one of Taiwan’s top three software makers, provides Android-based application store solutions for tablets, netbooks and smartphones.
“Think if you’re holding the tablet with one hand and using the other for swiping across the touch screen. Anything more than 700g is not easy to use,” Wang said.
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