Microsoft has kicked off a Windows 8 dialog with developers and hardware manufacturers as it prepares to divulge additional OS details at the upcoming BUILD conference in September.
According to Redmond exec Steven Sinofsky, Windows 8 effectively “re-imagines” Microsoft’s flagship operating system for a new generation of computing devices.
Indeed, the long-awaited update is slated to support RISC-powered ARM chips, allowing the OS to smoothly run on multiple form factors, including tablets.
“So much has changed since Windows 95 – the last time Windows was significantly overhauled – when the ‘desktop’ metaphor was established. Today more than two out of three PCs are mobile and nearly every PC is capable of wireless connectivity,” Sinofsky wrote in an official blog post.
“These changes in the landscape motivate the most significant changes to Windows, from the chips to the experience. [Still], we are 100% committed to running the software and supporting the hardware that is compatible with over 400 million Windows 7 licenses already sold and all the Windows 7 yet to be sold.”
Sinofsky also noted that the next major event for Redmond would be its Windows BUILD conference in September, where devs will be offered additional details about the full spectrum of tools and capabilities to make the most of Windows 8.
In the meantime, said Sinofsky, Microsoft wants to kick off a comprehensive dialog with individuals and companies about the latest iteration of Windows.
“We know people want to know about performance and fundamentals. We know developers, IT pros, and gamers all want to know what’s new for them,” he acknowledged.
“From fundamentals, to user interface, to hardware support, and more, if something is important to you, we promise we’ll get to it in some form or another.”
As such, Sinofsky pledged to maintain and regularly update a pre-release blog to enable a two-way dialog about the “complexities and tradeoffs” of product development.
“We’re all going to participate – many of us will author posts, and all of us will read and take note of your comments on this blog. We’ll participate in a constructive dialog with you. We’ll also make mistakes and admit it when we do.
“It is almost certain that something will hit a nerve, with the team or with the community, or both, in the blog posts or in the product, or both. In any case, we’ll work hard to have constructive conversations with you, share the data, and, when the situation calls for it, make thoughtful changes,” he added.
Microsoft’s Windows 8 pre-release blog can be read here.
