Computex 2011 | Windows 8 specs detailed, supports multiple form factors

Microsoft showed off the Windows 8 during Computex 2011, and promised quite a lot that, if successful, can pose serious threat to Android and iOS based devices.

The first thing they have done is make this release touch optimized, knowing that Windows 7 is not the best touch-optimized platform in the world. As part of this technical preview, Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president of Windows Planning, Hardware and PC Ecosystem at Microsoft, demonstrated Win 8 on a tablet to show how the touch interface work. He promises that this version will work across both x86 and ARM based platforms, making it a possible option for today’s tablets that most run on the ARM-based RISC processors. Also the same version will run on a variety of form factors, ranging from smartphones to notebooks running Core i processors. “This represents a fundamental shift in Windows design that we haven’t attempted since the days of Windows 95, presenting huge opportunities for our hardware partners to innovate with new PC designs.”, says Angiulo.

There are specific features keeping in mind the tablet performance. With this new operating system, the tablet should be able to support hardware-accelerated HTML5 rendering like the x86 systems. It should also enable an always-on feature especially keeping tablets in mind that would keep them in a sleep mode and wake instantly so that you don’t have to wait to resume your work. But how quick is that? Electronista reports that incorporating a Universal EFI firmware could wake up the system in as little as 6 sec!

A deeper integration with hardware was promised. This is important for giving the system a smoother experience, which has always been a competitive edge for companies like Apple.

For those who would like to develop apps for the new OS, Microsoft formally opened registration for its new developer conference, BUILD. The conference will take place Sept. 13–16, 2011, in Anaheim, Calif.

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