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.

Despite Apple’s major announcement only being an hour away it hasn’t stopped Microsoft also announcing lots today at their tech ed North America conference and on the internet.

I doubt many of you are particularly interested in the business side of the announcements, I know I don’t understand most of it and I couldn’t even hope to explain them to you so I don’t think it wise of me to talk to you about them. However there has been quite a few new things for us consumers from Microsoft.

• Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta will be released in July
• Windows Phone 7 will support multi Exchange accounts
• Bing Maps is now running on Silverlight 4 with a host of new features I have found the new Bing Maps to be a lot smoother than before
• Bing Map Apps can now be rated
• Right click functionality and menu
• Full screen mode
• Breadcrumb structure for quickly navigating in and out on a map
• Bing Maps SDK is available
• Microsoft Expression Studio 4 is launched
• .Net 4 is now part of Windows Azure

At the tech ed keynote there were some good short demos of new tools from Microsoft for IT Pros and Developers and there was a real emphasis on how focussed Microsoft is on the cloud. I thought the demo of Windows Phone 7 was great and showed just how good the device should be for businesses and Office users. I also found the video featuring James Cameron to be interesting and showed how Microsoft were very useful in the production of Avatar.

Computex is really quite interesting this with 3 Windows 7 slate PCs being unveiled and now news that Nvidia have teamed up with all the major players in the PC manufacturing industry to create a brand new category of PC; the 3D PC is upon us.

A 3D Pc will need a special monitor, graphics card and glasses to make it fit the specification so the OEMs will be packaging some of their new PCs up with these specs and labelling them 3D PCs so that consumers can easily identify the new type of PC. These PCs will allow consumers to watch 3D films such as Avatar and play over 425 games in 3D on their PC.

Currently there isn’t much information about this new category but considering how technology is rapidly approaching a 3D world this news of 3D PCs is great. My only concern is that its fine for there to be this new type of PC but it would be much easier for consumers if there was some kind of logo to more easily identify the 3D PCs and that what they were buying did indeed belong in the category. There are certainly enough hardware and software companies that seem to be involved in getting great 3D PCs in the market that they could easily set up some kind of initiative to aid consumers. I am looking forward to hearing more about these machines over the coming months, I expect them to be quite popular come Christmas what with 3D TVs too.

What do you think about this news? Do you think there should be some identifiable logo for these PCs?

You can read more information about this from Microsoft and Nvidia.

Engadget have just posted images, a video and their thoughts on the ExoPC Slate after being able to play with it at Computex and they seem to have come away quite impressed with the slate device.

The device is slightly larger than the iPad but weighs about the same, has two USB ports, an SD card slot, HDMI out and had a front facing camera. Inside it features 1.6GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB SSD, 2 cell batter lasting for 5 hours on a single charge and can playback back 1080p videos because of a Broadcom Crystal HD chip. This all makes for encouraging reading, although perhaps slightly more storage wouldn’t go amiss Engadget are actually more impressed with the responsiveness of the unit and the custom UI of the unit.

The ExoPC Slate is expected to be released in September for around $599 ~ £450. If you want to see some more pictures of the device Engadget have quite a few just waiting for your viewing but you can see the video below.

I think it very encouraging that Engadget seem so impressed with the device, they certainly know what they are on about and its not unknown of them to belittle Microsoft’s attempts to compete with Apple’s offerings; its not always wrong of them to belittle though.

Edit: Things are suddenly looking better and better as Engadget have another two Windows 7 slates to show off. First up is the Asus Eee Pad with Intel’s Core 2 Duo CULV processors, Windows 7, and a reputed 10-hour battery life and from the image it looks to have at least 1 USB slot and headphone/microphone sockets and front facing camera. There will also be dock/keyboard accessory available for those who need to do some proper document creation.

New: Engadget have posted a video of the EeePad.

The second Windows 7 slate comes from MSI, the WindPad, and will be packing Intel Atom Z530 processor and Windows 7 Ultimate with two USB ports, an HDMI, it should output 720p, a webcam and a screen resolution of 1024×600. The device should be out later this year for about $499.

New: Engadget have this video of the MSI WindPad.

Engadget have only had a few minutes time with the WindPad and none with the EeePad. They found the WindPad’s build quality to not be all that great, possibly due to it being made entirely of plastic. They were also concerned with the speed of device reporting that it takes a few seconds for an application to open.

I really like the look of the EeePad I just hope its quick enough to compete with the iPad, if it feels sluggish then this wont do well.

Edit: I think the hybrid functionality of the EeePad with its notebook like appearance when connected to the dock will be a killer feature, rather than creating a new market sector for a product they are making the notebook more functional, I am now really looking forward to this device.

This news is great but I think it should have been there since day one, anyway aside from my opinions Microsoft have today made available an easy way to browse the UK only MSN Video Player in Windows Media Center. However I am unable to install it, which is very annoying.

First I made sure Windows Media Center had downloaded everything recently, then the MSN Video Player option appeared, I then followed the on screen instructions and the update was downloaded. It was at this point the problem occurred, WMC downloads the update then does nothing with it, returning me to the install screen of the video player.

Its annoying I can’t get it to work, if you can download and install it then please let me know. Anyway here are some pictures of the little bit of the MSN Video Player I was able to see.

You know a few weeks back I told you how to make your PC look like it had a Windows Phone 7 look to the desktop, well today FediaFedia has announced that same theme for Rainmeter has been updated to version 2.

The features for this theme now include:

• Over 40 interactive panels
• Customisable colour skins
• Perfect for every resolution
• Easily create your own layout
• Multilanguage Support
• Super easy configuration
• Enhanced snapping
• Downloadable add-ons

If you, like me, can’t get enough of the Metro and can’t wait for Windows Phone 7 then this might be right for you so go try it out.

I was browsing DeviantArt this morning and stumbled across these images of an interface for Rainmeter, suffice to say I have found a reason to use rainmeter. The theme has been deigned and made by fediaFedia and although not yet ready it should soon be available. I will obviously share with you the link to the download as soon as its ready.

Its brilliant!

Update: You can now download the theme for Rainmeter here, I am off out now so haven’t yet had a chance to test it out.

As the Games Developer Conference is currently going on and news of the potentially of gaming on its products I thought I would make another wallpaper inspired by this image posted yesterday by @Ozymandias in this blog post from Microsoft’s booth at GDC10.

Update: Added a second wallpaper with blue background

Back in January I wrote post analysing how far Microsoft has taken its 3 screens and the cloud strategy and gave “values” to how far Microsoft had gone in 4 different categories. Since the MWC announcement of 7 Series there has been quite a bit of news about what Microsoft has planned over the next year so I thought I should update the scores to incorporate what will be the values later this year.

Windows

2.5 Screens and the Cloud – Total Score 3.5 (previous 3.5)

• PC Screen – Windows 7 + Windows Live – 1
• Mobile Screen – Windows Mobile + Limited Windows Live – 1 (just)
• TV Screen – By using a PC connected to a TV, definitely not mainstream. Perhaps if Windows Live does come to the TV it can increase the score – 0.5
• The Cloud – Windows Azure – 1

Office

2 Screens and the Cloud – Total Score 3 (previous 3)

• PC Screen – Office 2007 (2010) – 1
• Mobile Screen – Office for mobile – 1
• TV Screen – Nothing – 0
• The Cloud – Soon Microsoft will release the Office Web Apps – 1

Zune

2.5 Screens and the Cloud – Total Score 3.5 (previous 3)

• PC Screen – Zune PC Software – 1
• Mobile Screen – 7 Series will feature all Zune functionality – 1
• TV Screen – Access to movies through Zune for the Xbox, would be better if Music was added to the service too – 0.5
• The Cloud – With a Zune Pass users can listen to any music online – 1

Xbox & Xbox Live

1.5 Screens and part of the cloud – Total Score 3.5 (previous 2)

• PC Screen – Games for Windows Live, will connect fully with Xbox Live and 7 Series– 1
• Mobile Screen – 7 Series will connect fully with Xbox Live ad Games for Windows Live – 1
• TV Screen – Xbox 360 and Xbox Live – 1
• The Cloud – Multiplayer and social network integration is good but no way to play games within a browser – 0.5

Now out of a possible 16 points Microsoft have 13.5 when back in January I made it to be only 10.5, that’s a rather substantial increase. Office now appears to be the weakest product and service from Microsoft at achieving its strategy.

When thinking about writing this post it dawned on my just how important the 7 Series OS is in fulfilling the 3 Screens and Cloud strategy as it integrates so many of Microsoft’s current services and products into a single system. I think it best if you look at the image below to see where 7 Series seems to be able to patch the gaps missing from the current integration between services and software across all Microsoft’s main consumer offerings; its quite impressive.

With Windows 7 making strides forward in its usage and popularity I thought it about time to have a look forward to what I hope Windows 8 will be like.

Its probably best to first look forward to what we know is coming in the future and see how those trends might affect what Microsoft do with Windows 8.

• Mobile devices including phones, netbooks and tablets are going to become an increasingly important part of our lives and perhaps we’ll become more dependant on them than desktops and large notebook PCs. Part of this trend includes “location aware” technology that is often used in mobile phones and increasingly online services like Twitter are using more with features like Local Trends.
• Natural User Interface (NUI) is becoming an increasing trend of Microsoft to include in its products with full touch support in Windows 7 and Project Natal on its way for Xbox.
• Google plan to release their Chrome OS before the end of the year which will bring a brand new kind of operating system to computers, a cloud OS. This will mean that PCs will no longer need to have powerful hardware within them or large amount of storage as nearly all services will be accessed from the Cloud.

Taking the above trends into consideration I’ve come up with a few ideas of what I think Microsoft could try and implement into Windows 8 and a few things I hope that they would add to Windows.

Microsoft will certainly want to combat Google’s Chrome OS that maybe ahead of its time but the idea of a Cloud OS accessed through a browser is definitely going to be the future of computing. Now Microsoft would be foolish to make Windows 8 pretty much only a browser and they wont do that. However they will look to make Windows 8 integrate better with their own and other web services; one way I see Microsoft doing this is to allow easy access to the Cloud from deep within the operating system.

One of the most commonly used services of the cloud is for storage so wouldn’t it be great if Microsoft allowed users to add virtual disk drives to sit along side local disk drives in Windows, with virtual drives treated exactly the same as local ones. I think this should already be a feature of Windows Live SkyDrive and perhaps it will be come in Wave 4. Now obviously Microsoft would need to avoid any bundling or anti trust cases from the EU so it will have to provide an API (or whatever the technical name is, I’m no developer) to allow other online storage providers to add their virtual drives to Windows.

Alternatively Microsoft could make use of their Live Mesh technologies and Libraries, found in Windows 7, to allow users to automatically have all their files synced to the Cloud and any other devices they have. If a library could be made into a Cloud Library then users could choose files and folders from across their PC to be synced, this however might attract the attention of the EU as it would most likely have to synced only to Microsoft’s services.

Obviously there is more than just online storage offered online so for those services I would hope Microsoft makes it easy to add web services easily to the desktop. In a way this can already be done with Silverlight as seen with the Facebook app and in doing this allows users to quickly access the internet content they want. The problem with these apps though is that the require Silverlight and as much as I like it I can’t see it lasting for many years longer with standard like HMTL5 bringing support for a much more immersive web experience with no addins required.

Microsoft should add a nicer way to access online content other than just URL shortcuts so that users could, for example, access the Office Web Apps quickly, straight from their desktops without needing a browser. For this concept I envisage something like Prism from Mozilla Labs.

Now with Cloud storage and online services addressed I wouldn’t want to have to set this up several time on my various PCs and I can see a future where Windows Mobile devices make use of similar functionality. To make it easier for the user it would be great if Microsoft gave users the option to sign in to their Windows user account using their Windows Live ID which would then quickly connect them up with their various online storage accounts and immediately add their online services shortcuts to Windows. Obviously local programs would vary on different PCs but that has always been the case, this idea could also allows users to log on to and internet connected PC in the world and access their online storage quickly and easily.

I know that I would appreciate it if my folder structure, shortcuts, customisation etc etc were the same on my various PCs and for businesses it would be easier for them if someone could sign in to Windows and immediately have access to their own data on any PC. This will provide the best combination of client PC usage with internet content quickly accessible on PCs, better than Google’s idea. With regards mobile devices it would be very useful to sign in with the same Windows Live ID as a user’s PC and make use of the same storage and online services.

Moving away from the internet now I expect that over the next few years tablet devices will increase in popularity (for the wrong reasons, Apple) which will require Microsoft to think about how best to cater for the form factor. Currently notebooks, desktops and netbooks all have a fairly similar interface using a keyboard and mouse but when they are removed from a tablet the screen becomes the only input. Microsoft have done an excellent job of addressing the technologies needed to be utilise a touch screen through their Windows Touch implementation and hand writing recognition however the UI of Windows doesn’t always lend itself to touching with small icons, buttons and text to click and view.

I think, like Ed Bott, that Microsoft should allow switchable interfaces for their apps for touch screen and non-touch screen PCs this way addressing the need for both sets of interfaces whilst not changing the OS. Developers should be made aware of the technologies Microsoft have built within Windows 7 to make touching a PC screen as enjoyable as possible because currently there are so few apps out there to entice people to buy a touch PC.

I also think Microsoft will be adding even more NUI elements to Windows, just looking at game demos of Project Natal I can see practical applications for the technology on Windows PCs; it could effectively turn any PC into a touch screen PC.

Looking at mobility I expect Microsoft will look to keep the requirements to run Windows 8 the same as Windows 7 so that mobile devices can be as small, energy efficient and light weight as possible. If they had to up the requirements of the OS it would probably allow the light weight Google Chrome OS to gain market share in very low powered mobile devices.

Furthermore I think Microsoft will look to make Windows PCs even more location aware building on top of their sensor platform so that PCs are not only aware of where they are but also where other devices are around them (not sure how easy that would be to do though). This could allow for easy drag and drop functionality to share and backup content on different devices, similar in some ways to placing a device on a Surface. Now to the Windows awareness if you add the Project Natal technology and touch users could swipe content to various devices across their WiFi without needing the hassle of connecting everything up in partnerships; a truly innovative experience I would say and something Microsoft wants to implement.

I think that is all I have at the moment for what I want to see in Windows 8 but no doubt over the years to come other things will come to me as new technologies are announced.