Windows 8 Possible Features: Ribbon, Metro, Apps, Cloud Integration

Microsoft may still be plugging away at selling Windows 7 to consumers and the enterprise, but rumors have already started about the next version of the popular operating systemâ€”dubbed "Windows 8" by many in the media. Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, two bloggers with a track record of delving into Microsoft's proprietary code base, recently sparked a fresh round of chatter with a dissection of a supposed Windows 8 early build, adding their voices to a discussion that extends back to 2010. Other Websites and bloggers have suggested Windows 8 will feature everything from increased cloud-services integration to enhanced biometric security, sometimes backing their assertions with slide decks supposedly leaked from inside Microsoft. While the exact form of Windows 8 software remains uncertain, Microsoft has made it clear for months that the next version of the operating system will support SoC (system-on-a-chip) architecture, in particular ARM-based systems from partners such as Qualcomm, Nvidia and Texas Instruments. That would give Microsoft increased leverage for porting Windows onto tablets. Could Microsoft be prepping one version of Windows 8 for mobile form factors, and one for desktops and laptops? Or will the company try to walk a tightrope by offering the same version of Windows across multiple devices, albeit with a user interface equally suited for touch screens and traditional keyboard-and-mouse input? Although Microsoft has stayed tight-lipped about a possible release date for the next version of Windows, the online chatter suggests it could make an appearance sometime in late 2012. As such, any OS elements picked apart by the blogosphere could undergo radical changes in the interim. However, the following slides could offer a window (pun intended) into Microsoft's early thinking about its upcoming operating system.

Metro

Indications are that Microsoft's "Metro" design scheme, which found its way into Windows Phone 7 and the Zune HD, will play a part in the design for Windows 8. Metro embraces a "less is more" aesthetic, with a distinctive typeface.

Tablets

Microsoft has announced that the next version of Windows will support SoC (system-on-a-chip) architecture, in particular the ARM-based systems that dominate the mobile landscape. In theory, that will allow a version of Windows 8 to appear on smaller form factors such as tablets.

Microsoft Store

In the summer of 2010, a Website called Microsoft Journal posted what it described as a slide deck leaked from within Microsoft that outlined possible Windows 8 features. Among them: a "Microsoft Store" for downloading apps.

Fuller Cloud Integration

Given Microsoft's "all in" focus on the cloud, the next version of Windows will likely include fuller integration with cloud features, including the ability to individually carry settings or preferences between devices.

Ultra-Fast Boot Times

Microsoft Journal's leaked slide deck also included references to the next version of Windows possibly including ultra-fast boot times.

Ribbon

Bloggers Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott recently posted on Rivera's Within Windows blog that early builds of Windows 8 integrate an Office-style ribbon interface into Windows Explorer, complete with tools for viewing libraries, manipulating images and managing drive assets.

New Lock Screen

Rivera and Thurrott also uncovered an early design for a lock screen reminiscent of the one for Windows Phone 7, with elements such as time and date and icons for power management (for mobile devices).

Integrated PDF Reader

According to the Within Windows blog, Microsoft could be including a built-in PDF reader with Windows 8.

Internet Explorer 'Immersive'

Rivera and Thurrott also uncovered an "immersive" version of Internet Explorer that uses the desktop Internet Explorer 9 renderer, but works more like a mobile browserâ€”something that could possibly find its way into Windows 8 for mobile devices.

Biometrics

Manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard have been integrating more biometric hardware and software into their consumer and business offerings (including fingerprint-reading and facial recognition). Microsoft could try to leverage this trend with more robust biometric log-ins for Windows 8.