This Wednesday Microsoft revealed plans to unveil a test version of its latest Windows computer operating software later this month.
Members of the press recently received an invitation from Microsoft to a special Windows 8 Customer Preview event in Barcelona as part of the Mobile World Congress trade show. The event is on the 29th February, and it is assumed that the Customer Preview will be made available to the public in conjunction with it.
The introduction of a test, or beta, version of Windows 8 to the public is expected to be accompanied by the opening of an "app store" stocked with mini-programs tailored for the next-generation operating system. Windows 8 will also support multiple monitors with the new ability to natively display different background images on each display and customized taskbar(s) on each of the connected displays.
Windows in particular has added support for ARM microprocessors in addition to the previously supported x86 microprocessors from Intel and AMD. Microsoft had announced this on January 2011, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Windows 8 will feature a new user interface based on Microsoft's design language which it calls as "Metro". With the new change, the Start Menu was replaced in favor of the new Start Screen, where there are tiles that contain shortcuts to applications, Metro style applications, and updating tiles, similar to Windows Phone. Metro may be turned off in the Windows settings.
System requirements for Windows 8 will be as follows.
Windows 8 will work on the same hardware that powers Windows Vista and Windows 7:
1 gigahertz or faster 32-bit or processor
1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
To take advantage of touch input user will require a screen that supports multi-touch.
1 gigahertz or faster 32-bit or processor
1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
To take advantage of touch input user will require a screen that supports multi-touch.
Microsoft has promised to release more information closer to the end of the month
