Latest Windows 8 Leak Shows New Keyboard

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All those years of trying to avoid fingerprints on your monitor? Those are over.

After seeing the tile-based Windows 8 UI preview that Microsoft showed earlier this month, it's clear that tablets and touch-screen devices are going to be a bigger consideration than ever.

Microsoft will have to design a text input system for those running Windows 8 without a physical keyboard, and that means a virtual on-screen keyboard.

Winrumors has posted a video from the latest leaked Windows 8 build 7989 that features a new keyboard that features a split variation with emoticon support and predictive text input.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
33 Comments Comment from the forums
  • There is also supposed to be support for SMS.
    http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/20/new-windows-8-leak-hints-at-sms-support-feature-licensing-geo/
    Reply
  • So their updating the onscreen keyboard that has been around for years. Are they updating the calculator too?
    Reply
  • aoneone
    What the hell is new about this?

    Onscreen keyboard Devorak's been around since Windows 95.

    Gimmie a break this insult added to Justin Beiber theme ? Good lord, what else are we expected before our firey demise? ^^ Have a nice day. =)
    Reply
  • They already have a virtual keyboard... They redesigned it?
    Reply
  • dragonfang18
    stm1185So their updating the onscreen keyboard that has been around for years. Are they updating the calculator too?
    Ohhh man, If they could give my a scientific graphing calculator that could transfer the graphs to office I would wet myself!
    Reply
  • clonazepam
    I really hope the voice commands from Win7 gets a good overhaul in Win8. I can only say "start listening" so many damned times...lol
    Reply
  • Hothr
    Oh good! It has emoticons built in! Now I can add a 8-P face for two key presses instead of 4.

    Am I the only adult male who finds it embarrassing to use even the basic :)

    Imagine if they had a calculator that had more power than my TI-89!
    Reply
  • for God sake get something like swype, it cant be that hard, buy them out if you have to.....
    Reply
  • drwho1
    M$ just gave another reason not to care about their stupid windows8.
    Windows8 keeps looking a lot like Windows ME.
    Reply
  • christop
    I have got over being taken on vista. Now 7 is the new well kinda for me how in the hell does ms think people are going to jump on win8 when most have just switched to 7.
    Reply