Windows Phone 7.x was never considered to be a slow operating system. In fact, considering it only supported single-core SoCs, it was very smooth indeed, but one nagging problem was always the speed of app launching. That issue is never more evident than when compared with the much newer Windows Phone 8, and a video test complied by Winsource shows just how much of an improvement Microsoft has made to its smartphone OS.
When Microsoft first inducted itself into the tablet market by announcing the Surface earlier this year, many were torn about which configuration they'd be going for. The Redmond company revealed the Surface RT - powered by an ARM processor - would be releasing first along with the big Windows 8 launch, and so has been the case, and while many have already snapped up their Microsoft tablet and are already familiarizing themselves with Windows RT, others have held their ground, waiting for the fully-powered Surface Pro running Windows 8 and powered by Intel's Ivy Bridge chips.
Now we know what you're thinking! You can't compare a desktop operating system to that of smartphones and the odd tablet! You just can't, it's utter madness and you should be mocked for even suggesting such a thing! Well, read on!
It has been a long time coming, but a version of Microsoft Office for iOS and Android is real, and while currently in the works, will be arriving early next year. As is frequently the case, the iOS version for iPhone and iPad will drop first, with an Android edition landing over at the Google Play Store at some point thereafter.
What's better than Windows 8 running on a touch-enabled computer? Well, Windows 8 running on a touch-enabled computer that's big enough to sleep on, of course!
In the mobile market, it's fair to say Microsoft has a little catching up to do, but having already released a very promising mobile platform and, lest we forget, the Surface, the Redmond company is now setting its sights on the increasingly-popular 7-inch tablet market. Taking a slightly different angle to the manner in which the Nexus 7 and iPad mini have been marketed, rumor has it the software maker's effort will be pushed as a "gaming tablet," and work on the purported "Xbox Surface" is already said to be underway.
With Windows 8 now out and selling in volume, Microsoft has somewhat turned its attentions to other important software implementations. As well as beginning to sell prepaid Skype credit in outlets across Mexico and the United Kingdom, it looks as though Skype will become the Redmond outfit's primary instant messaging service, retiring the long-standing Windows Live Messenger.
We’ve heard it multiple times over the past few months and we’re hearing it again today: Microsoft is working on their own smartphone.
The software development kit for Windows Phone 8 has been a fairly closely-guarded secret up until this point, but in an announcement at BUILD 2012, Steve Ballmer has confirmed it is now ready to download.
Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system may only have launched on Friday, but the Redmond company is already reporting sales in excess of four million. Speaking at his company's BUILD 2012 conference, CEO Steve Ballmer noted enthusiasm among consumers for Windows 8 was “very high," and the the four million head count takes into consideration individual purchases, units sold to stores, and those expected to be sold.

