adminThe New York event will be followed by another launch of the Windows Phone 8 in San Francisco on Monday next week and the Microsoft’s giant developer conference in Redmond on Tuesday.
The new operating system is completely different from all the other Windows versions released in the past.
The transition is huge and the success or failure of this operating is largely based on the user experience, marketing structure and the package itself.
To date Windows XP had proved to be Microsoft’s most popular trademark, even after the launch Windows Vista and Windows 7 more than 12 years later.
Some Zimbabwean users are still comfortable with and prefer working with the XP than any other platform.
Ironically, October is not only the biggest month for Microsoft, all the technological giants seem determined to launch their own products before Microsoft in order to get a head start.
When Microsoft announced its Surface RT pricing, availability, and pre-orders on October 16 Apple sent out an invitation to an iPad mini event on October 23, just days before Microsoft’s big show in New York.
Google has also announced its own Android event on October 29, which will take place just three hours before Microsoft’s launch in San Francisco.
From tomorrow, expect so much online noise, the launch will be live on most technology and news websites.
So far there has been fair and balanced reviews but more worrying are sponsored articles which have already gone all out to convince their readers that this is the panacea to completely embrace with a shut mind.
Whenever Microsoft launches a product of such magnitude, debates will flare across the social networks and blogs, and believe me this will be one launch that will be quite interesting to follow.
This is because Microsoft has traditionally had its own diehard fans and serious critics but it would be fair to give the ordinary users out there an unbiased assessment to help them make the next most critical decision.
Reviewing a Microsoft product always feels like treading on high tides. In this instalment I will try my level best to focus on the product launch than review and save the energy for the inevitable debates more space later on.
Well, the honest truth is no matter how we feel about Windows every new PC that you are going to import or buy from authorised dealers will sooner or later come pre-installed with Windows 8.
Of course, in Zimbabwe this will take off at a much slower pace before we start seeing these new machines.
Just to give a snippet on Windows 8, it is much more different on a metro style and has scrapped the traditional start menu.
Depending on how you understand technology, this might seem to be an astounding innovation yet this will mean exactly the opposite especially to Microsoft critics and, yes, even this writer still finds some new metro features cumbersome than inventive.
If you really want to find out more on your own there are millions of free downloads preview online and, yes, Microsoft too is officially hosting such downloads with many other technology websites.
Certainly, we do expect some few changes from these builds when Microsoft finally launches tomorrow.
While Windows has been failing dismally to make an impact in the mobile market it has managed to take a clean sweep market when it comes to desktops and laptops.
It is leading even against the fiery Apple. While exactly the opposite can also be true on the mobile market, Apple has been dominant in the tablet market, but this time Microsoft is trying to turn the tables with Windows 8.
Windows 8 comes with both mobile and desktop version. Users will get the same feel on smartphones and tablets across their laptops too.
This honestly sounds cool on paper yet in real life I personally struggled to even believe that one day I will be asked to poke my desktop screen to get the computer to work every day.
This feature only feels cool while watching the science and fiction iRobot movie.
There is some confusion on Windows 8 and Windows RT with the official websites still mum on the difference.
To simplify things Windows RT is just good as Apple’s iOS which is an operating system for their mobile version but with Windows RT it still runs the desktop application.
Windows 8 is a perfect fit for touch screens and mobile devices. For starters, Microsoft is not a hardware but a software making firm except that this time its making its own Surface tablet.
Traditionally, it would obviously face stiff market competition in the mobile market with the Samsung and HTC which, ironically, are hardware companies who used to sell their devices only Android-based software.
Behind this move there are obvious giants like Google making Android operating systems while Microsoft has been heavily leaning on its faithful partner for years Nokia to sell its Windows-based phones.
Personally, I had thought such an arrangement would permanently separate Nokia from Samsung. Alas these giants have figured new ways to work together with big brother Microsoft hinting that the HTCs and Samsung will be running Windows.
Microsoft and Nokia may have vowed years back to support each other unconditionally, but Redmond’s newfound vocal support of HTC’s Windows Phone 8X device means Microsoft has just acquired new space to roll out its windows while HTC is poised to be the most pre-eminent Windows phone brand.
Windows 8 will still perfectly support keyboard and mouse with touch screen enabled giving the user navigational options.
The impact of Windows 8 will still be felt heavily in the corporate environments where Windows still reigns supreme.
On the mobile world, not much is expected as Windows is likely to remain a third distant after Apple on the tablet market and Google`s Android on smartphones.
The writer is a computing specialist with TechnoMag. More on our Facebook page http://facebook.com/technomagzw. Website http://tech.co.zw. Twitter @technomagzw. Email: [email protected]/ ictarticles@ tech.co.zw
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