Microsoft has confirmed that PCs running Windows 7 will be able to cope with the next iteration of its operating system, Windows 8, which is expected to be made available in 2012. Tami Reller, corporate vicepresident and CF0 of Windows and Windows Live, said the firm will continue the trend started with Windows 7 of "keeping system requirements either flat or reducing them over time". "Windows 8 will be able to run on a wide range of machines because it will have the same or lower requirements," she added. The system requirements for the 32bit edition of Windows 7 Home Premium list a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of hard-disk space and DirectX 9 graphics.
The 64bit version ups these requirements to 2GB of RAM and 20GB of disk space. Windows Vista lists the same system requirements, which could mean that PCs running the older OS will also be able to handle Windows 8. Microsoft has yet to confirm this. Microsoft will be hoping to avoid a debacle similar to the 'Vista Capable' lawsuit, in which a number of customers began legal action against the tech giant with claims that it had misled them. Microsoft was charged with deceptive practices in allowing PC makers to label their machines as 'Vista Capable' when a large number were able to run only the Basic edition of the OS.
Furthermore, consumers argued that Vista Home Basic wasn't the 'real' Vista, largely because it lacked the Aero graphical interface. Microsoft denied that it duped consumers, and countered that Home Basic was a legitimate version of Vista. Windows 8 will feature a primarily touch-based interface, and Microsoft will also introduce a tiled interface that looks like a direct import from its Windows Phone 7 mobile platform. The tiles offer a clear indication that Microsoft is shifting from traditional keyboard and mouse input to fingers and touchscreens. "We've built intelligence into Windows 8 so that it can adapt to the user experience based on the hardware of the user. Whether you're upgrading an existing PC, or buying a new one, Windows will adapt to make the most of that hardware," said Reller.
0 comments:
Post a Comment