Microsoft is about to release a groundbreaking version of its popular Windows operating system, although with the usual frenzy surrounding the iPhone 5, you certainly wouldn't know it. As well as releasing for desktop as per usual, Windows 8 will be available for tablets such as the Surface, and as well as Windows Phone 8 for - you've guessed it - smartphones, a special, tablet-friendly iteration will be released for Windows 8 RT.
Although Microsoft's latest Windows 8 operating system initially had everybody talking and was generating some serious excitement during the beta stages, the current hype surrounding the new OS seems to have calmed off a little as we approach the official release date. Public opinion on the OS seems mixed, but it will be extremely interesting to see what the adoption rates are like when it is eventually made available to the masses.
It's been a pretty big day in mobile space, with two of the big guns both showcasing new products and innovations to be released in the near future. Motorola's "On Display" event saw a glut of new devices slide into the fold, including the DROID RAZR HD, RAZR MAXX HD and RAZR M Android smartphones, while the Nokia and Microsoft partnership saw the birth of a couple significant new Lumia devices, as well as more details regarding Windows Phone 8.
Windows Phone 8 was announced by Microsoft some time ago, and the recent special event gave us even further insight into the features on offer with the exciting, metro-laden user-interface. In order to retain interest in and anticipation for Windows Phone 8, the Redmond company held several features back since its original announcement, and at today's keynote with Nokia, it has been revealed the upgraded ecosystem will indeed include a screenshot feature.
After weeks and weeks of almost blind speculation, Nokia has finally taken the wraps off its Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 device, which will no doubt serve as the company's flagship smartphone. With Microsoft allowing vendors to really push the hardware boundaries with Windows Phone 8, the Finnish outfit certainly hasn't disappointed with the 920.
Server administrators rejoice; Microsoft has just, as promised, launched the new Windows Server 2012. The Redmond company initially confirmed at TechEd in New Zealand that the RTM build of the said OS would be released to developers on 4th, and the software maker certainly hasn't disappointed, as the new Windows Server 2012 RTM bits are available as of today for both MSDN and TechNet subscribers.
It seems that every company in the smartphone and tablet industry is making some kind of announcement or holding an event to present a new product or service to the media at the minute. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Apple is widely speculated to be introducing the next-generation iPhone in the next nine days, but putting cynicism aside, Nokia and Microsoft is the latest companies to make their own exciting announcement in the next few days.
If you've been sitting back looking at Windows XP or the Windows Vista boot screen on your PC when it is loading and trying to convince yourself that upgrading to Windows 8 would be the most reasonable thing to do, then the fact that Microsoft's new operating system comes bundled with a little bit of the Xbox experience may just do the trick and convince you. Microsoft have some pretty fantastic products and services, with Windows, the Xbox gaming console and their Windows Phone platform, they have a pretty solid product line up.
While Nokia's own Symbian mobile OS has crumbled into relative obscurity, the Finnish company's decision to hop aboard the Windows Phone bandwagon has proved relatively successful so far. The Lumia devices proved to be a big hit with consumers opting for WP7, and naturally, the onus is now on Nokia to deliver again with Windows Phone 8, which will release alongside the main star of the show, Windows 8, on October 26th.
The holiday shopping season is always a time of year that those involved in the gaming industry look forward to. The season of giving generally notches up a rather large spike in the sales of gaming consoles, new titles and accessories as family and friends look for that gift to give the person who already has everything. It's always the same for people who I am close to, if they can't think of a gift to get me then they generally fall back onto a new PlayStation 3 game or the latest Xbox 360 release.
