The next Windows, as I mentioned in a previous post, will be coming out later this year. On February 29th a “Consumer Preview” (or Beta) was released. I really wanted to get this loaded onto one of my machines, but I didn’t want to risk using my main PC with what is basically a “not ready for prime time” version and the only spare computer I had was my old Windows XP machine from about 8 years ago. I loaded the beta of Windows 7 on that machine a few years ago and had issues with video card not being compatible, but I really didn’t have anything to lose so I decided to try Windows 8 on that. I was extremely surprised with the results – not only did it load without any issues, but it’s running surprisingly well. It’s a little sluggish and video is choppy, but everything else runs great on such a low end machine. This is a testament to how well Windows 8 is put together.

It used to be that you had to get major upgrades or even a new computer if you wanted to move up to a new version of Windows (or Mac). Windows stopped this trend with Windows 7 and obviously they are continuing with Windows 8. Thumbs up!! If you are currently running Windows 7 and plan on getting Windows 8, don’t let anyone talk you into getting a whole new system.

I’m not going to do an in-depth analysis of Windows 8. There are many other people doing this a lot better than I could. If you want a lot of detail then I highly recommend visiting Paul Thurrott’s website www.winsupersite.com. I have followed Paul for years and have always found his reviews bang-on.

What I will say is that people will be shocked by the new layout, but if you have a Windows Phone or have seen one is use then you will be instantly familiar with the layout. What I really liked was that during the setup process I was asked for my Windows Live ID (my hotmail address). What this did was link my computer to everything I had tied to my Live ID – Skydrive Pictures, email, Xbox, etc. The Pictures folder has a nice feature that not only links your Skydrive pictures, but also your Facebook and Flickr photos (once you give Windows your permission to do so). All this made Windows personalized even before you manually loaded a single document or pictures. Microsoft hinted that this version of Windows would blur the lines between online and offline activity, and you can already see it in the Beta.

When this is finally released (Q4 of this year) I know I’ll be hearing people complain about how much they hate it and they want their old version back. I know this because it happens every single time a new version of Windows comes out. But I’m also hoping to hear people praise this newer, simpler interface. Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, there are only really a few apps people use on a regular basis and Windows 8 puts it all within easy reach. I also think this new OS will make a great interface for a tablet (or laptop) with a touch screen, just like it currently does on Windows Phone.

The big thing Microsoft has done with Windows 8, which no other OS maker (Apple, Linux, Google) has done, is make all their platforms the same and still be functional on all different devices. In a few months your Windows PC, Laptop, Tablet, Xbox, and Phone will all look the same and there will be no learning curve when moving from one device to the next. I’m really hoping that this will push Windows Phone (and future Tablets) into the forefront for consumers. I can imagine someone looking at the current line-up of smartphones/tablets and actually wanting the Windows Phone or Tablet because it looks just like what’s on their PC and they already know how to use it.

I’ve only had a few hours to play around with Windows 8, but I’m already thinking that this will be a big hit and is going to transform Windows into something people actually want instead of just need.