It's official: a new Microsoft Tablet has arrived!

Sooner than expected! A few minutes ago, at around 7:20 pm PT, Steve Ballmer made official the launch of new devices to go with the upcoming iteration of the Windows 8 operating system frenzy. A new tablet, called the Surface, and with Microsoft hardware, which is 9.3 mm thin, 675 grams in weight, has been announced in Los Angeles, city of entertainment and celebrities, during a secretive gathering of selected media representatives who never knew exactly what they were going to cover up until the last minute. There are two products that were introduced: The Surface for Windows RT, with an nVidia processor, and the second one, called Surface for Windows 8 Pro with an Intel x86 microprocessor, full HD display, and both have specs that rival the finest ultrabooks.

Windows 8 Release Preview up and running

Composed screenshot: the opening screen plus an insert of the setup.

My first most notable impression about this latest release of Windows 8 in its path to its final launch, is that I like it even more after having installed, reviewed, played and enjoyed the Developer Preview and the Consumer Preview versions. I assume that it will do a great iPad competitor and that even without using touch, it'll do a great laptop computer operating system as well. In this iteration the use and functionality of the Metro UI and its applications is more evident. It's nimble, it's practical, it's beautiful. While you are at it, don't forget to go around the world with the Travel tile, one of the many cool and vibrant apps already in the operating system.

Windows 8 Release Preview is here!

Not in "early June" as previously announced, but today, the last day of May, everybody can get hold of the newest version of the evolving Windows 8 operating system. You can go directly to the Windows 8 Release Preview, which "is Windows reimagined and reinvented from a solid core of Windows 7 speed and reliability. It's an all-new touch interface. It's a new Windows for new devices." We have experienced the Developer Preview back in late summer 2011, then Consumer Preview in February 2012 and now this version which gets closer to the the release to manufacturing within the software release lifecycle. Windows 7 was and continues to be a success because people from all over the world had the opportunity to preview it before buying it or getting a new computer and, no doubt, this marketing strategy has and will continue to work for Windows 8. These are auspicious times not only for Microsoft but for the PC and mobile world at large. Let's make a toast to that!

Use the Windows Key and switch between Metro and Desktop

...and it is very likely you will enjoy the adventure of discovering what's underneath the Metro UI! The Windows Key or WinKey (to the left of the space key, and then to the left of the ALT key) as pictured here, is a wonderful key that has been there since the times of Windows 95. Once you get to the Metro Interface in Windows 8, press WinKey and E (E, for Explorer, i.e. Windows Explorer) and bingo! you are in "Desktop Mode", almost identical to the Windows 7 desktop, except, most notably, for the use of the Ribbon (as in Office) on each Explorer windows. Type also WinKey and F (F, for Find) and, attention! this is more or less the equivalent of the "Start button" (a bunch of shortcuts, nothing else!) that "a lot" of people are missing out (some of them even to the point of throwing tantrums...as I read in blog after blog). Are you there yet? OK, you will be positioned in the right hand side of the screen and will have three choices for making a search: Apps, Settings and Files. Use this feature to your heart's content. That is your Start button and the search box you had in Win 7 and in Vista. What's not to like?

New boot experience, touch included

The new boot screen in Windows 8 is a touchable UI unlike the 30-year old usual text-based interface. This screen is intended to work in an integrated fashion with the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) that will replace the traditional BIOS interface, including other major changes beyond the surface closely related to the firmware. The idea is that your new computer will power up, already in graphics mode, to the manufacturer's logo which will stay on screen up until the Windows logo shows up just before the welcome screen. In a setting as shown here, whenever you choose Windows 7, for instance, then the PC will go to the full booting cycle again and it is likely that you get the legacy screen with white text on black background. The "Choose and operating system" screen appears only if the last operating system loaded was Windows 8. You will be switching back and forth between different boot interfaces depending on the OS you are starting. This new boot screen allows you change options and default operating systems and other settings in general. Read more about reengineering the Windows boot experience.

Tools for the creators: Visual Studio 11 (Beta)

Unlike Windows 8 Developer Preview, Windows 8 Consumer Preview does not come with the tools pre-installed, so in order to start making something with this newest Microsoft's OS, other than  browsing and going back and forth between Metro and Desktop and the Web, download and install any of theVisual Studio 11 Beta development tools. I am running the Express version that (obviously) requires  Windows 8 Consumer Preview (x86 and x64) and supports both the 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) architectures. In addition to the user-friendliness and the high level of usability usually found in Visual Studio, you will get an amazing tablet simulator to test your Metro, Web and Desktop apps. One more powerful reason to explore HTML5 and JavaScript and newer technologies under Windows 8.

Setting the record straight: watch this Windows 8 demo



Windows 8 CP nimble interface in action. Click to watch.

This Windows 8 Consumer Preview demo is definitely the most eloquent way to show what this OS can do and in the process counteract ungranted criticism, spread, as usual, by bloggers who either don't have taken the time to objectively review the product or are just jumping to conclusions based on the endless anecdotal information that circulates in the Web. This demo is presented by Jensen Harris, Director of Program Management for Windows User Experience. Whether you have already installed the CP or not, watch this show-and-tell video which will put a lot of misinformation to rest without even trying.