Remember when Windows 95 debuted and it was the COOLEST software on the market? And then remember how after Windows 95, Windows just kept receding into the backwoods, with Apple trumping them in just about, well, everything? That may all be about to change, as Microsoft prepares to reveal its new Windows 8 software to developers from around the world who are convened at Build, a four-day conference taking place in Anaheim, California.
It should come as no surprise that Windows needs something big to revive its cool points. Despite the fact that PCs and Windows Office suites remain the dominate form of computers and software being used in the home and workplace, Microsoft is suffering. The release of technology like smartphones and tablets has changed the way we’re doing things, and thus far Microsoft has remained the weak link in that department.
“The post-PC world is about smartphones and tablets and their blazingly fast rates of innovation. Microsoft needs to prove it can be more than a slow follower,”Scott Ellison, a mobile industry analyst at IDC, speculates.
So what’s going to differentiate Windows 8 from all the other disappointing Windows software? What is probably the biggest factor is that the software is going to be ARM chip-compatible. Don’t know what an ARM chip is? That is the chip for smartphones and tablets. And it’s no secret that using touch-technology is where it’s at right now.
But that’s not all. In a stark contrast to competitor Apple, Windows 8 will allow for something game changing – software development, something Apple has shied away from throughout the years, forcing developers to write software specifically geared to their products.
“Windows 8 will provide a unique industry opportunity across hardware architectures for developers,” explained Steven Sinofsky, who is the president of Microsoft’s Windows division. This alone may act as the driving force to return people to Windows.
The question lies in if Microsoft will be able to get enough momentum rolling for the new software to have it enter the marketplace with a bang. Technical issues with old and new software integration can be expected, but will Microsoft be able to sell consumers on the new Windows? If so, Windows may reclaim its faltering foothold in the technology world.
Author: Kate Croston is a freelance writer, holds a bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes guest posts for different sites and loves contributing internet service related topics. Questions or comments can be sent to: katecroston.croston09 @ gmail.com.