Microsoft officially announced the release of the all new Windows 8 operating system for October 26th this year. From that date, users will be able to download it to PC and Laptop, or purchase new devices that run with Windows 8.
Steven Sinofsky, President of Windows, gave the announcement after several months of speculation as to when the first upgrade in three years will finally be available.
Windows 8 will bring a completely revised user experience, as there will be two separate interfaces: A traditional desktop version with start bar and icons, but also a radically new 'Metro' interface similar to the Windows Phone operating system. Several key applications like Internet Explorer were adjusted and redesigned to fit Metro. Others however like Microsoft Office suite will continue to function as desktop.
Whether the broad audience of Windows will like the radically new design and functionality will have to be shown in the coming months. While Windows Vista did not fulfill the expectations, it took more than two years for Windows 7 to surpass Windows XP that was released 8 years earlier.
The price for an upgrade was announced to be $40 for a digital-only download from Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7.
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