During the week I was unable to blog but as you might have seen there was a fairly large leak of what Microsoft has planned for Windows 8. There are some very interesting possible new features for Windows 8 but at the same time this leak could have some negative implications for Microsoft. I shall just focus on a few key points from the leaked documents and expand upon what we know, obviously though what we do know could all change.

One of the most interesting features planned for Windows 8 is the Windows Store which, as you can guess, is similar to Apple App Store for iOS devices but this one will have many applications for Windows. Its an interesting idea as Microsoft wont be forcing developers to use the store to distribute software but will use it to showcase some of the best applications and allow consumers to have a single, reliable and trustworthy location to buy their software. I am expecting Microsoft to use the Zune PC Software and the way that distributes applications for the Zune HD and soon to be Windows Phone 7 devices as a test for how the Windows Store will operate. This should mean that there shouldn’t be any issues at the launch of the Windows Store, it should also be heavily tested during the Windows 8 beta, not that there is too much to go wrong.

If, as indeed they should, Microsoft uses the Zune PC Software to model the Windows Store around then its like the store will use the Metro UI for its design, which should be good; the concept image also points to this UI being used.

The potential benefits of the Windows Store are quite large but I am intrigued to know if Microsoft plan to incorporate some of its other stores into this one too. Microsoft could quite easily decide to offer mobile applications and music for its mobile devices through the same store however I hope they don’t. I think it best to keep all its various stores separate even if it isn’t as easy for consumers to download something, there of course could be deep linking between the stores. By keeping the stores separate it should allow for a much more efficient way to browse applications, having too many types in one store would quickly become cluttered.

I can also see Microsoft improving the online Microsoft Store to feature details and downloads (through the necessary store) for more than just its products but also everything that can be brought through the Zune Marketplace and Windows Store.

Another very interesting aspect of Windows 8 is thought to be the Kinect technology being used in the operating system, this is something I have been hoping for since I first heard about Project Natal. It sounds like Microsoft plan to turn the PC on when someone walks into a room using motion detection and then log the user in using facial and maybe voice recognition. This sounds excellent but I don’t see why it should stop there.

I am hoping Microsoft will take this technology further and allow interactions with more the OS and applications. Some applications would already be well suited to Kinect such as Media Center and it would take a huge amount to alter other programs to work very well with Kinect, Internet Explorer for example already has good touch controls and coupled with voice recognition its not too difficult to imagine browsing the web with no physical input.

However, despite there being lots to be interested about in Windows 8 there was one thing missing which I was hoping to hear about and that is Windows Live ID integration with the OS. This could and should allow users to log into any internet connected PC and have a few set up automatically and allow quick access to files stored online, most likely through SkyDrive. I have mentioned this idea before and if Google Chrome OS starts to take off in the next few years then Microsoft would have been very foolish not to make Windows 8 more connected with the cloud.

Obviously any of the features Microsoft had mentioned in the leaked documents could change but its likely we will see some of these additions when Windows 8 is released. The problem here though is that its at least another 2 years before Microsoft ship Windows 8, that gives the likes of Apple and Google plenty of time to implement their own versions of some of these features before Microsoft which could make Windows 8 appear outdated before it even ships. Another concerning aspect of the leak is where they appear to have come from, Microsoft’s own partners. If partners are starting to leak very classified documents that Microsoft have shared with them then there could be implications for the whole partner ecosystem.

I look forward to hearing more about Windows 8 but I hope it wont be for a good time yet so Microsoft have at least had a chance to start implementing some of the new additions before everyone gets to hear about them.