Windows 8

Windows 8 to officially kick off at 12:01 a.m. Friday

NEW YORK -- Windows 8 finally makes its grand and official entrance tomorrow.

The new OS and an array of supported devices go on sale starting 12:01 a.m. on Friday in all time zones.

At today's Windows 8 event here in New York, CEO Steve Ballmer touted the new OS and the variety of devices that it supports, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and hybrids. Some of the new Windows 8 devices flip, some dock, some convert, and some attach, Ballmer said.

Of course, Microsoft is muscling its way into the tablet market with its own Surface, slated … Read more

Windows 8 is hard! So say 14 'typical users'

A U.K. design firm put Windows 8 under the microscope recently, and users reported some issues with handling the operating system.

The firm in question, Foolproof, had 14 "typical users" try out Windows 8 for the first time to see how they fared using the new-look operating system. This tiny group reportedly consisted of regular Windows users, so they supposedly weren't coming to the Microsoft universe cold.

But Microsoft's new user interface, which largely consists of a series of tiles, ditching the traditional look and feel of Windows, "comes with a huge learning overhead." Foolproof's relatively small number of testers made several observations, including:… Read more

Join CNET's Windows 8 launch coverage on Thursday (live blog)

Live coverage of Microsoft's Windows 8 event

After months of anticipation, preview builds, and hype, Microsoft will formally launch its next-generation operating system, Windows 8, at an event in New York on Thursday.

Windows 8 represents a wholesale change in the user experience, relying on live tiles and a more touch-friendly interface than previous iterations. It's unclear whether consumers will embrace the dramatic changes or shun the software, relying instead on Apple's OS X or the older Windows 7.

What's more clear is that Microsoft has a lot riding on the success of this operating system, … Read more

Microsoft boss confirms more hardware on the way

Microsoft's top brass confirmed that the software giant turned tablet maker plans to develop and build more devices.

Speaking to the BBC News' technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said that the company, which will later today debut the Windows 8-powered Surface tablet, will build more devices under its name. (CNET will be live-blogging Microsoft's New York event later this morning.)

Is it fair to say we're going to do more hardware? Obviously we are. We did our first piece of non-Xbox hardware when we launch the Surface. Where we see important opportunities to … Read more

Qualcomm CEO says Windows legacy apps have to go touch

Older Windows programs will have to be updated to incorporate touch capabilities, Qualcomm's chief executive said. And that's something that should help adoption of the newest version of the operating system.

Paul Jacobs, speaking today during a small press roundtable in New York before tomorrow's Windows 8 launch, said there will be "FUD" -- fear, uncertainty, and doubt -- around legacy applications when Windows RT first launches, but the capabilities offered by the new system will ultimately win over consumers.

He noted that older applications will have to be updated to take advantage of the … Read more

7 reasons why Windows RT works

Face it, true Microsoft believers: it's just not that easy to explain Microsoft's "sort-of" version of Windows 8 known as Windows RT.

We took a couple of healthy stabs at it in our Surface RT review and our Windows RT FAQ, and as an operating system it ships with some serious problems.

But fear not: Just because Redmond doesn't want you calling it Windows 8 Lite doesn't mean it doesn't have redeemable qualities. Windows RT and the devices that run it offer some excellent, interesting innovations. Here are our top six:

Windows RT … Read more

EU charges Microsoft over breach of 'browser ballot' commitments

European antitrust regulators have sent Microsoft a list of objections, charging the software giant with breaching its previous commitment to offer Windows users a choice of Internet browsers.

The formal statement of objections sent to Microsoft today outlines how the company failed to offer a "browser choice" screen to millions of Windows users, which it had agreed to do under a legally binding 2009 settlement with the European Commission.

The Commission said in a statement that it "takes the preliminary view that Microsoft has failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service … Read more

Top 10 biggest drawbacks of Windows RT

While Microsoft is spending a small fortune promoting its next-generation Windows 8 operating system, it also has another new operating system called Windows RT, which actually powers the company's Surface tablet and a few other devices.

Superficially, the operating systems look and feel the same. But Windows RT is designed for devices running on ARM chips, which are used to power smartphones and tablets and are considered more power-efficient.

Windows RT is more like "Windows Lite" than a full-blown update to the operating system. It's Microsoft's attempt to make a controlled environment similar to Apple'… Read more

Google releases search app for Windows 8

On Windows today, people reach Google's search service with a browser. But when Windows 8 arrives this week, the company evidently hopes people will use a dedicated search app, too.

Just as it has done with iOS and BlackBerry OS before, Google has released a dedicated search app for Windows 8. It's available in the Windows 8 store now, Microsoft programmer Mohamed Mansour noticed.

The search app is interesting for a few reasons. First, it indicates Google wants people to use its services directly, which is important since in that circumstance it doesn't have to share search-ad … Read more