Windows 8 will focus on start-up times, slate computing, connectivity and face recognition, according to a set of slides leaked by Microsoft and posted on an Italian Windows-watching blog.
The focus on tablet computing would be an attempt to stave off the threat posed by Apple’s iPad, while the documents also mention a Microsoft App store.
If the documents are genuine, and many analysts believe they are, the company appears to be striving to match Apple’s simplicity of use as a selling point.
“Apple brand is known for high quality, uncomplicated, ‘It just works’,” one of the slides reads. “This is something people will pay for.”
The slides suggest Windows 8 tablets will be touchscreen enabled and use face recognition as a log-in tool to bring up user preferences, and the faster boot times are seen as an attempt to get Windows on to more consumer devices.
Another interesting potential new feature suggested in the documents is a “Reset” button, that would roll back the computer’s settings and retain data in a bid to minimise performance decline that can slow Windows machines over time.
However, the documents may only represent points of discussion within the company rather than a blueprint for the next generation of the operating system.
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