Windows 8 has been on everyone’s minds and lips ever since news of it first surfaced. Many lauded it as the first really threat to Apple’s reign in the tablet market, could it really be THAT good?
Recently news came to light that Valve, known for iconic titles such as Half Life, would focus more and more on Linux as Microsoft closes Windows off more and more to developers. That may point to Microsoft shooting themselves in the foot, as they have been trying to attract more and more developers to the Windows platforms.
Microsoft does, however, have a serious contender this time around. Windows 8 is set to change the Windows ecosystem forever. The desktop era is slowly disappearing, touch is becoming more and more favourable among many and up to this point none of the Windows operating systems could pull that off.
Widgets, integrated applications, instant notifications; all among the many features Windows 8 is set to bring, then there’s also the ARM-friendly version known as RT. Microsoft seems to have pulled out all the stops this time around, even creating its own line of tablet devices known as the Surface tablets.
The biggest question though is whether or not Windows 8 could compete this time around? The short answer comes down to a definite yes, but whether on a large scale is yet to be seen. Windows 8 is completely different to the generic Windows UI seen in most of the previous versions and some users may struggle getting used to it at first.
There will also be a concern regarding the number of applications that RT would have at first considering x86 and 64 bit apps will not run on it. Microsoft does have something up their sleeves and they may just pull it off with all the developers they are attracting, but they are putting a lot off as well.
The iPad has been a success for a lot of reasons; it has a lot of applications available, it is simple, it’s hardware is perfectly rounded, and it’s got that Apple attraction that no one seems to understand. Windows 8 will not have to be an iPad killer, but rather a completely new product as a whole, it needs to attract developers and users alike.
