The next version of Windows is still in the planning stages, but documents reportedly showing Microsoft's plans for Windows 8 are now all over the Internet.
What's worse for Microsoft, the documents -- apparently internal slides that explain Microsoft's direction with its next operating system -- talk openly about mimicking Apple, even divulging plans for an App Store that would run within Windows.
Let me say up front that the veracity of these documents seems a bit sketchy, coming from a little-known Italian Windows site that doesn't clearly explain where the information came from, and recirculated on Microsoft Kitchen. However, CNet's Microsoft reporter Ina Fried says "key points, such as the use of internal Microsoft jargon, lend weight to their legitimacy."
The most intriguing parts of these documents pertain to a fixation on Apple. One slide, "How Apple does it: A virtuous cycle," explains it all: Apple products have an "it just works" reputation, the slide says, with easy-to-use interfaces that lead to confidence in ability to use, value and satisfaction from consumers. The slide concludes: "This is something people will pay for!"
But that's just talk. More interesting is an apparent plan to open "Windows Store," a marketplace for Microsoft-approved apps. Hardware makers such as HP would be able to slap their own branding on these stores as well. Judging from the slides, there would be an approval process and user reviews, much like Apple's App Store, though I strongly doubt Microsoft would monitor all software development. My guess is the Windows Store would serve as a spotlight for preferred apps, with the added benefit of cloud storage; the slides note that an app downloaded on one computer could also be used on another.
There are also a couple of neat-sounding features that don't copy Apple. One is facial and spatial recognition to control logins -- probably using the same technology that powers Microsoft Kinect -- and the other is a sort of reset button, which would restore Windows to factory settings while leaving the user's applications, data and profile information intact. The idea would be to clean out anything that's slowing down Windows while keeping what's important.
Other areas of focus include energy efficiency and fast startups. This goes along with Microsoft's intent to target laptops and tablets in addition to all-in-one PCs (desktop towers are notably absent from the discussion in these documents).
Aside from some unofficial hype, Microsoft itself has been very quiet about the next Windows, not even calling it Windows 8, and I don't imagine that will change in light of these documents. Legitimate or not, at least the leak gives us something to talk about.
