Is Windows 8 too Bold for the Business Market?

Today at the D9 conference, Microsoft unveiled a sneak peak look in the early stage of development of the code-named Windows 8. The initial design looks very clean, minimal, sharp and crisp a world away from Microsofts OS's of old. Will business customers be deterred?

The new look OS has generally received mixed reviews, its shows Microsoft is willing to take bold steps remain at the forefront of the market. The mosaic tiled menu screens seem to be very intuitive and a lot clearer, with Mac style drag navigation across the platform.  The tiles are favoured over the traditional icons as they are able to show an "apps personality" says Jensen Harris, Director of Windows User Experience.

Windows still dominate over 90 percent of the PC market, though how fast businesses will be willing to embrace Windows 8 will be another issue. The bold design of Windows 8 may deter businesses due to the extra spent time it could take to adjust to the new features. Typically businesses operate to rules and conventions and are not motivated towards change. Businesses may see this as a 'change for the sake of change' with the downtime outweighing the updates, it remains to be seen.

I personally feel off the bat that Windows 8 is a step in the right direction, but will businesses see this as a step or a leap?

 

Video: Jensen Harris demonstrates the new Windows 8 features.

Microsoft Surface, SUR40 Expected to Arrive in September

Microsoft today unveiled the new second-generation Samsung SUR40 surface computer in Singapore. Stating that the device will become available to Singapore in September of this year for a fee of $8,600.

Microsoft have initially being playing with the idea since 2001, unveiled MS Surface 1.0 in 2008 and in early 2011, showcased the first preview of the SUR40 2.0 at CES. The Surface 2.0 itself is a multi-touch operating system, allowing for a user to manipulate on screen content through the usage of gesture recognition.

The principle idea for the design of the Microsoft Surface has always been to allow businesses and companies a way of offering information in a more engaging way. With features including a fully integrated Windows 7 PC, a 40 inch wide, 4 inch thick HD screen to be attractive for the retail, hospitality, financial and automotive sectors.

Head of Microsoft Surface Marketing, Somanna Palacanda, pointed out that initial feedback gained from the release of version 1.0 was important as many users had issues with the large 21 inch thick screen as well as the high price. Palacanda went on to say that $8,600 "offers a lot of value" as investing in such as system will enhance brand awareness, stating that Barclay's saw a 50% increase in sales when they launched the MS Surface 1.0.

Video: Brief demonstration of the Samsung SUR40.

Windows 7 Phone App Store in Development with Mango

Microsoft have announced that they are in the process of developing a web-based Windows 7 Phone app store, following on from the success of similar Apple and Google stores. The release of the store is expected to be this Autumn, in time for the release of Microsoft's new smartphone operating system, Mango.

The look and feel of the store should be similar Apple and Google's stores, allowing users to browse a catalog of apps, read reviews, see screenshots and view the details. Furthermore Microsoft plan to incorporate a new discovery feature, which will allow users to show off their favourite apps to friends, family as well as social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Currently Google's Android store holds 200,000 apps, Apple's iPhone at 500,000, Microsoft are estimated to include a mere 16,000 apps. Microsoft has reassured that the small selection will emphasise quality not quantity.