David Emery OnlineMicrosoft unveils Windows 8
2 June 2011
There'll be two kinds of applications for Windows 8, one that runs in a traditional desktop, and the other pseudo-mobile apps based on HTML5 and Javascript, but both environments -- rather, the entire OS -- have been designed from the ground up for touchscreen use. Keyboard and mouse will still be options for both sets of programs.
Well this looks pretty nice – which for Microsoft is generally no mean feat – but I wonder if it would actually work that well in practice? The information density is pretty low so I can see a lot of sliding and tapping to get to the content you’re after at any given time. Also, the look would fall down pretty quickly if 3rd party devs don’t stick to it carefully so either it’s going to be hemmed in tightly or it won’t ever look that nice in practice (imagine all the garbage that normally gets pre-loaded on a PC integrated into that demo and you get what I mean).
Also, don’t get me started about how traditional apps are integrated in – i.e, they’re not, you just use them exactly like you always have. So, in essence Microsoft have welded a tablet optimised version of Windows Phone 7 onto the top of Windows 7 in the hope it will all work out nicely…
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