Turn off the Lights

Is Windows 8 the First Step to PC Death?

About a month ago, one of the original creators of the PC at IBM declared the PC is doomed.  Yesterday, Microsoft showed off its latest child,  which is still in development: Windows 8.  Windows 8 is the new tablet OS that is taking dead aim at the Apple  iPad 2, which is pretty much slaying all of the Android competition.   Where Apple's success has been based mainly on the very large collection of apps, Windows 8 looks to incorporate the best things of iOS and make it better.

The demonstration, which took place at Microsoft's own BUILD conference, featured brand new Samsung Series 700 tablets running Windows 8.  Microsoft was eager to show off the new mobile OS and greatly emphasized how Windows 8 takes what works in iOS and adds its own spin.  Where many mobile operating systems are focused on apps, multi-tasking and transitioning between, Windows 8 is designed to bring apps together.  For instance, while working in one app, you can call upon another to share pictures through social media like Facebook or Twitter.  This is possible because the capability is built into the operating system.

Does this look familiar?

Like all great tech ideas though, developers are going to be the ones that will have to embrace these features and implement them into their projects.  If that happens on large scale tablets, running Windows 8 could make a huge splash in the mobile market, and as consumers begin to migrate to tablet and other mobile gadgets, the PC is feeling the squeeze.  More and more people are doing more and more on their mobile devices and that is leaving the traditional desktop in a precarious place, especially as tablets are gaining desktop-type peripherals like keyboards and mice.  The Samsung tab featured above with its stand and Bluetooth keyboard shows off just how versatile the multicore CPU tablets are becoming.  Of course, hardcore gamers in need of a bleeding edge of GPU technology are still there supporting the PC, but will the mainstream market continue to support the PC or will PC gamers be the remaining hangers-on, holding onto it as if it were the last remaining dinosaur?

For more info on how Windows 8 works check out this link.

Comments

Meet the Author

User not found.

Follow Us