On October 26 Microsoft released its latest operating system, Windows 8. This time Microsoft has focused more on mobile and tablet integration, building the operating system around it.
Windows 8 is a solid upgrade from 7 but can be a bit frustrating on a desktop machine.
Application icons popup on the window like a tablet, and the user must use a mouse to drag the page over from one side to the other. It doesn’t seem like much, but after a while it can become tedious.
Windows 8 doesn’t feature a start menu, making it even harder to find applications you need to run. To make a long story short, the operating system works great on tablets and mobile devices and poorly on desktop machines. But the good news is, it’s not Windows Vista.
Microsoft also announced the Microsoft Surface tablet. The Surface features a 10-inch multi-touch screen with a resolution of 1,366 x 768, which isn’t great in the year of 2012.
But the Surface does have a nice look and features, including the “smart cover-like” cover, which features a virtual keyboard, by far my favorite feature. Kudos to Microsoft for doing that.
The Surface will feature Windows 8 and will implement its features to its full potential. If you can get past the poor pixel density, the Surface will be a great tablet for anyone.
So how much will this cost? The basic model (32GB with Black Touch cover) will cost you about $499, and a 64GB model will run about $699.
The Surface will feature one USB port, a back stand and the touch cover. For more information visit http://www.microsoft.com.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025