Windows 8, as the first Microsoft operating system compatible with low-power microprocessors designed by ARM Holdings Plc, will run on tablets as well as desktops and laptops.
The test "beta" version of the revamped system was introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the planet's largest cellphone trade show, and borrows some of the look of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 software for Windows 8.
Windows 8 doesn't have the traditional "Start" menu, and applications are spread across a mosaic of tiles in a design Microsoft calls "Metro" — seen as an attempt by the company as a scramble to preserve its market share. And executives said it powers up on PCs in eight seconds, much faster than the previous version.
The tiles, which resemble road signs, can be navigated with a finger swipe on the screen or with a keyboard and mouse. But those testing out the new operating system won't be able to try out the finger swiping unless they already have systems enabled for touch use, and the system isn't expected to make its official debut until September or October.
"It's beautiful, it's modern, it's fast, it's fluid," said Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division. "Windows 8 is a generational change in the windows operating system."
Microsoft is also opening an Internet "Windows Store" where users can download applications for the operating system. Applications are free for those testing out the beta version, but would include both free and paid versions after the operating system is released.
