Windows 8

Windows 8 is the next version of Microsoft Windows, a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, Microsoft Tablet PCs, and home theater PCs. The release to manufacturing (RTM) is expected around July 2012,[2] three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows 7. Windows 8's server counterpart, Windows Server 2012, is in development concurrently with Windows 8. The most recent official pre-release version of Windows 8 is the Release Preview, which was released on May 31, 2012.

Unlike Windows 7, which was intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line,[3] Windows 8 has been "reimagined from the chipset to the user experience" to connect more with the user. It features a new user interface based on Microsoft's Metro design language, similar to that in Windows Phone. The new interface is designed to better suit touchscreen input, along with traditional mouse and keyboard input. A version of Windows 8, called Windows RT, also adds support for the ARM processor architecture in addition to the previously supported x86 microprocessors from Intel, AMD, and VIA.