Microsoft Unveiling Windows 8 on Tablet Next Week
Microsoft will reportedly showcase Windows 8 running on a Samsung tablet next week during Microsoft's BUILD developers conference.
Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky will reportedly show Windows 8 running on a Samsung tablet next week during Microsoft's BUILD developers' conference in California from September 13-16.
As one unnamed source specifies, this will be the South Korea-based company's first collaboration with the Windows/Xbox giant in its hardware device division. Analysts believe this collaboration is part of Samsung's strategy to pull away from relying solely on Google's Android operating system which currently saturates its portfolio of smartphones and tablets.
"It's a big deal," said Todd Lowenstein, portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management, which holds Microsoft shares. "Investors are hungry to see how [Microsoft is] going to join where the market's going. They've been lagging and they need to catch up and surpass what's going on, to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company."
This won't be the first time Microsoft has officially unveiled a tablet. Bill Gates introduced the first model during the Comdex tech show back in November 2001, but it was much too large for consumers to catch on. The company didn't reveal another tablet design again until Ballmer's CES presentation of the HP model back in 2010, but that never landed on the market.
That said, new Windows 8 tablets aren't expected to land on store shelves for another 12 months. By then, an army of new Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" tablets will have invaded the market, and Apple will likely have released its third-generation iPad. Given the industry's quick shift in focus to mobile computing (and its subsequent rapid growth), there's quite a lot riding on Microsft's development of its modular Windows 8 platform and how it will perform on tablets twelve months down the road.
"Windows 8 might actually matter if they can do the touch-screen innovation," said Michael Yoshikami, Chief Executive of fund manager YCMNET Advisors. "Otherwise Windows 8 is just Windows 7 with one more number."
But Microsoft will need more than just a cool OS running on the portable hardware. Like Apple, Microsoft will need a strong mobile ecosystem. The company is hard at work creating the supporting environment, bridging together its PC, console and smartphones platforms. Xbox LIVE is already a part of Windows Phone 7, and will be integrated into Windows 8. The company is also working on an integrated Windows App Store that is expected to reel in developers currently creating apps for iOS and Android over to a Windows environment spanning all four hardware environments.
"Five years ago I would have said 80 percent of the startups or ventures who came to pitch us pulled out their laptop and started showing us their PowerPoint presentation," said Matt McIlwain, managing director at Seattle-based venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group. "Now 80 percent pull out their Mac. If I were Steve Ballmer, that would be concerning to me."
There's no question that a lot of hype surrounds Windows 8, especially after Microsoft showed the upcoming OS and Office components running on ARM SoCs at CES 2011 back in January.
- AMD Starts Shipping "Bulldozer" CPUs
- Sood: Voodoo PC Could Have Changed HP for the Better
- New Line of HP AIOs Has "Something for Everyone"
- Hands-On: Antec Bias LED Lighting Kit
- Deals for September 7: 15.6" Dell Inspiron i7 $724.99
- Asus Releases E45M1-M PRO with an AMD E-450 APU
- New MSI Gaming Laptops Feature GTX 570M GPUs
- Seagate Launching "Industry's First" 4TB HDD
- 167 Million HDDs Shipped In Q2, WD Leads
- MSI Calls Out Gigabyte for "Not True PCIe 3.0"
- Deals Sept 8: 27" Planar 1080p 2ms LCD Monitor $229
- OCZ joins the mSATA SSD Battlefield
- EA Studies WoW While Prepping SW: TOR Launch
- AMD Shipping Desktop A4-3300, A4-3400 APUs
- HP Pavilion DM1 Now Just $399, Sports AMD E-series
- How to Hack Together a TV Celebrity Silencer
- Sandy Bridge-E Coming November to a Store Near You
- Opinion: What Does AMD's New CEO Need to Fix?
A tablet that can run full versions of Word, Excel, Quickbooks and other full versions of major desktop programs would be great. Plus being able to run expensive and impossible to replace software that target specific industries say party equipment rental, vending machine tracking, &c. If this thing also has a high res display, a highly accurate touch interface and the ability to use a pen input for actually writing this could give the iPad a run for the money.
I think an accurate pen input is critical. That way you can hold the tablet with one hand and write with the other. When taking notes you can actually draw diagrams with the notes. Then you can actually walk around with the thing and write easily. When in class you can replace paper for note taking something that the laptop fails at when you have a professor that jumps about in their ramblings or starts drawing diagrams, formulas, &c.
When I read this "to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company." I had to laugh. MS has copied almost everything they have ever done, including this tablet OS. Face it, Apple paved the way. Google copied and followed suit with Android.
It sure would be cool to see something from Samsung with 3/4G/LTE like the "Samsung Galaxy S II Smartphone" (or the "Samsung Galaxy 3D" or the Samsung Note") running Win8 - heck ANY 4-5" AMOLED Screen CellPhone running Win8 !
With Win8 running on ARM it should not be too big a stretch to pull off and think how well your Phone would integrate with your Desktop or Laptop.
When you think they say "Buy Buy Apple" your wrong, it's "bye-bye Apple" !
When I read this "to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company." I had to laugh. MS has copied almost everything they have ever done, including this tablet OS. Face it, Apple paved the way. Google copied and followed suit with Android.
I need a laugh and found one. Copied? hahahahah.. LOL.
Windows 8 should stay on tablets alone.
Windows 8 should stay on tablets alone.
why? its not like you will be forced to use the tablet interface when using it on a computer
Can't wait, anyone want to buy my ipad2?
A tablet that can run full versions of Word, Excel, Quickbooks and other full versions of major desktop programs would be great. Plus being able to run expensive and impossible to replace software that target specific industries say party equipment rental, vending machine tracking, &c. If this thing also has a high res display, a highly accurate touch interface and the ability to use a pen input for actually writing this could give the iPad a run for the money.I think an accurate pen input is critical. That way you can hold the tablet with one hand and write with the other. When taking notes you can actually draw diagrams with the notes. Then you can actually walk around with the thing and write easily. When in class you can replace paper for note taking something that the laptop fails at when you have a professor that jumps about in their ramblings or starts drawing diagrams, formulas, &c.
Everything you just described was suppose to be what the Tablet PC was. However, it never really got off the ground. Now that there are more powerful SOC platforms out there it might actually happen. In terms of getting existing expensive and complex apps out on tablets in the mobile space, that is a much more difficult prospect. If Microsoft could come up with a application virtualization platform that had a tablet friendly input layer that could work. Similar to remote apps, but with a layer to help with the lack of a keyboard and mouse in using the applications.
Windows 8 should stay on tablets alone.
Ok, let's try this again for people that can't do remedial research, Windows 8 gives the user the option of having the metro UI or the classic windows 7 UI. It doesn't force you to use either one, it's up to the user. For the tablet and phones the metro UI is the default, for the desktop there is no default the user decides.
Everything you just described was suppose to be what the Tablet PC was. However, it never really got off the ground. Now that there are more powerful SOC platforms out there it might actually happen. In terms of getting existing expensive and complex apps out on tablets in the mobile space, that is a much more difficult prospect. If Microsoft could come up with a application virtualization platform that had a tablet friendly input layer that could work. Similar to remote apps, but with a layer to help with the lack of a keyboard and mouse in using the applications.
This is exactly what windows 8 is supposed to be, that's why it's so exciting. I don't think the Metro UI can change though the way existing windows app work, it only allows for the rewrite to metro ui/windows 8 app, but an existing app would still function with the additional flexibility of touch ability, added on screen keyboard, etc ... but I don't think it changes the fundamental interface to that APP. Like pull down menus, etc ... all that would still be there.
@velocityg4
it's called the EEE Slate and it's not cheap.... but still when compared to an i5 laptop it's not so bad
When I read this "to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company." I had to laugh. MS has copied almost everything they have ever done, including this tablet OS. Face it, Apple paved the way. Google copied and followed suit with Android.
Like Apple didn't also copied every single product they have.
I notice that Samsung's teaming up with Apples biggest rival here. They want their revenge for the lawsuits...lol...
Anyway i think microsoft won't have too much of an issue creating an ecosystem for the tablet Win 8, because since it's apparently going to be the same/similar OS that'll run on desktops, which we all know has a HUGE ecosystem, porting it should not be too much of a prob.
Awesome. He seems to think that macbooks aren't laptops. Interesting how marketing works. Can't blame Intel for using the word "ultrabooks" when I read stuff like this...
Still I will skip windows 8 same way I skipped "vista" and "windows me".
I predict that 8 will be a game changer in the market and spank apple back down to where it belongs. That was very subjective but Microsoft does have a captive following and android is still an infant. There are only two "relevent" consumer OS's!
If they release it on a tablet priced at $150 to $200(OMG MS take a loss!??) it would really get it spread around quickly. Then, if its any good,be migrated to other devices and more readily accepted.
Funny thing is, much of the stuff coming to win8 wasn't possible before, because of Microsofts "monopoly" on the desktops, from app store to virtual dvd drives, and many other kinds of add-ons just weren't allowed until someone else did it first.
While I agree that monopolies are bad and can kill innovation, Microsoft was actually prevented from innovating due to the dominating market share. And now people say, like it means something: "someone else did this first"
When I read this "to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company." I had to laugh. MS has copied almost everything they have ever done, including this tablet OS. Face it, Apple paved the way. Google copied and followed suit with Android.
We have a strong contender for the stupid post of the year award.
OMFG I CAN HARDLY WAIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I read this "to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company." I had to laugh. MS has copied almost everything they have ever done, including this tablet OS. Face it, Apple paved the way. Google copied and followed suit with Android.
microsoft had the tablet pc years before the iMaxiPad.
Go back to engadget/gizmodo macf**
Considering the significant improvements seen with Windows Mobile 6 -> Windows Phone 7 in terms of touch screen feel, I have high hopes that Microsoft can make touchscreen experience a pleasant one with Windows 8.
Imagine, a device that can really merge the desktop and mobile sector.
anybody who discounts Microsoft is a fool, i think even apple may have to change tactics if win8 pad comes out, and it works well with desktop pcs and bits and bobs
Awesome. He seems to think that macbooks aren't laptops.
He knows they are laptops, the point is they are not running Windows. Technology today is all about the Internet. The explosion of non-Microsoft devices on the Internet is what the Post-PC era is all about.
The Windows App store sound good, but as far as creating an ecosystem you only need to be compatible with existing Windows software.
How many times bigger than the crApp Store would that be?
Last time I checked download.com there were 60,000 free Windows software entries.
dude, if there was a good pilot chart tool for it, I'd buy it. Actually, I'm learning to develop for WP7, so maybe in a year I will have written my own, then I could buy the tablet and get rid of the iPad! (great programs, hate iOS)
dude, if there was a good pilot chart tool for it, I'd buy it. Actually, I'm learning to develop for WP7, so maybe in a year I will have written my own, then I could buy the tablet and get rid of the iPad! (great programs, hate iOS)
Is there a great pilot chart tool for ordinary Windows?
Then this will run it.
The hardware it is on seems pretty much irrelevant, if you have a tablet it can have a touch interface, then snap your fngers and VOILA!!! It runs desktop Windows as well.
If only Apple had done this with OSX it would have been so much better, but that would have meant allowing people freedom and choice, and Steve just can't let you get away with that...
When I read this "to demonstrate they truly are an innovative company." I had to laugh. MS has copied almost everything they have ever done, including this tablet OS. Face it, Apple paved the way. Google copied and followed suit with Android.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows [...] indows-966
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple [...] l_property
The sun does not shine from Steve Jobs ass, Apple has done enough intellectual theft to make even the most hardcore Mac fan blush.
Before you open your mouth, know your facts.
Enough said.
Lots of MS fanboys at Tom's, tools.
It'll be good to see,but I'm not a great fan of bringing in new operating systems regularly. I'd rather them fix the old ones up first. Also keep XP for a whole lot longer to.
Yeah! I'd have to agree with "Wish I Was Wealthy". He's just so right!
http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows [...] indows-966http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple [...] l_propertyThe sun does not shine from Steve Jobs ass, Apple has done enough intellectual theft to make even the most hardcore Mac fan blush.Before you open your mouth, know your facts.Enough said.
I never said I worshipped Jobes and his god complex, because I don't
Long live Linux