14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is cooking not only a new major iteration of Windows, but also an upgrade to the entire ecosystem of PCs.
This is the software giant’s perspective over Windows 8, the successor of Windows 7, according to Tami Reller, Corporate Vice President and CFO, Windows & Windows Live, who spoke at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference 2011 on July 11.
In all fairness, this is nothing short of a common sense conclusion seeing the direction in which Microsoft is taking Windows 8.
It should be clear from the details already made public on Windows 8 that this version of Windows will go beyond traditional PCs and laptops, to next generation computers, including form factors that even though qualify as PCs as in fact machines perceived as anything but PCs, such as Tablets / slates.
“Windows 8, it's an upgrade for an entire ecosystem of PCs. It's for the hundreds of millions of modern PCs that exist today and for the devices of tomorrow,” Reller said.
“Our hardware partners have a great opportunity to create the next generation of devices that together with Windows 8 will meet the needs of the modern consumer and the modern workforce. The breadth of hardware choice is unique to Windows and is central to how we see Windows evolving.”
Although there were some that expected Microsoft to release a Windows 8 Community Technology preview (CTP) at WPC 2011, this did not happen.
Furthermore, the Redmond company did not share any new details on Windows 8. The software giant did however point to the BUILD conference in September for the first insight into Windows 8, just as before.
At WPC 2011, Reller also made it very clear that Microsoft sees Windows 7 as a stepping stone to Windows 8, encouraging partners and customers to go ahead and embrace Windows Vista’s successor today.
“We see a future with a heterogeneous environment of Windows 8 devices and apps running alongside Windows 7 PCs and applications. So, customers can move forward with their Windows 7 rollouts more confidently and with more motivation than ever,” Reller added.
“And not only will Windows 7 hardware be compatible with Windows 8, so will software investment. There is no doubt that the best way to get to the future is to embrace the present.”