Microsoft takes on Apple, Google with Windows 8

Microsoft has made available a preview version of its latest Windows software Windows 8 upgrade marks computing giant's long-awaited move into tablets Analyst says success of Windows 7 means there won't be stampede to upgrade Barcelona, Spain (CNN) -- Microsoft unveiled Windows 8 for public testing on Wednesday in the hope that it will help the brand win back some of the ground it has been losing to Apple and Google. The new operating system works on tablets as well as PCs and laptops, connecting them via the cloud to give users a more consistent experience as they switch between devices. "It's beautiful, modern, fast and fluid -- it's a generational change in the Windows operating system," Microsoft Windows President Steven Sinofsky said as he launched the consumer preview of the new operating system at Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain. Read more: Google, the star of the show? Windows 8 scales across devices and screen sizes, Sinofsky said. "There's too many hard stops between phones and tablets and desktops. We want to make things more harmonious," he said. The new operating system uses the "Metro" style of software currently being used on phones running the Windows operating system, using tiles on the start-up screen. .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxIma
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BlackBerry showed off a device that pairs with a Porsche 911 cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} Nokia raised eyebrows with its new PureView smartphone, boasting a 41 Megapixel camera. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} Motorola shows off its combined GPS tracking device and MP3 player, which also acts as a workout coach and tracks a user's performance. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":10,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} People wander through the Android display area. With no official Apple presence at the Mobile World Congress, Android phones dominate. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":11,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} Demonstrators dressed in curious bobble hats staff a Nokia stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":12,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} Duracell showcases its Powermat WiCC which can be used to wirelessly charge specially-adapted electronic devices. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":13,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} The robot symbol of the Android operating system guards a display at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":14,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} A hostess holds a LG Optimus Vu, which boasts one of the biggest screens seen on a smartphone. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":15,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} Taiwanese phone giant HTC launched its new One range, featuring toughened Gorilla glass screens. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":16,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} Ford's launched its technology-stuffed B-Max car at the Mobile World Congress to tout its hi-tech credentials. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":17,"title":"Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona"} Nokia's Lumia 900 mobile phone cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":7,"y":1,"pos":18,"title":"nokia lumia"} Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona Latest gadgets on display in Barcelona nokia lumia HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 > >> Mobile World Congress Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, ""); } }); var currExpandable="expand27"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='business/2012/02/27/qmb-intv-nokia-ceo-41-megapixel-camera.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120227075106-qmb-intv-nokia-ceo-41-megapixel-camera-00003728-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand27Store=mObj; 41 megapixel camera on new Nokia phone var currExpandable="expand37"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='business/2012/02/28/boulden-intv-blackberry-rory-oneill.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120228090123-boulden-intv-blackberry-rory-o-neill-00014607-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand37Store=mObj; BlackBerry in your car and in your hands A new Windows Store, which will be the marketplace for all apps for Windows 8, also launched on Wednesday. Apps will be free to download for the duration of the consumer preview. James Governor, a London-based tech-industry analyst, said Windows 8 was unlikely to galvanize Microsoft's market profile but its entry into tablet technology laid crucial groundwork for sustained relevance. He said the popularity of Windows 7 meant that, as was seen with Microsoft's earlier XP operating system, there wouldn't be intense clamoring for an immediate update. "I don't think it's an explosive 'Christ, we've got to have this new release,' he said. "There isn't necessarily a pent-up demand for what Windows 8 represents." Read more: Brave new world of mobile medicine Governor said the move into the tablet market represented by Windows 8 marked a key step for Microsoft as it repositioned itself against Apple and Android-powered machines. "Microsoft needs to be in the tablet game. It couldn't sit out two or three rounds of tablets without trying to have a more effective play and clearly Windows 8 is a big part of that," he said. In terms of functionality, Governor said Windows 8 suffered from a "weird two-personality thing" as it switched between its user-friendly new Metro interface into functional areas of computing. "A lot of people aren't going to be comfortable with that: here is this new Metro personality and then, oh by the way, now I really want some really hardcore web development. I found it OK, but I don't know how it will work with others." if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} Barry Neild contributed to this story from London