Co.Design on Windows 8 Design (and Apple)

Co.Design on Windows 8 Design (and Apple):
Although I have spent quite a bit of time with the consumer/release preview editions I haven’t written much about Windows 8.
To date I’ve only run it in virtual machines on desktop hardware. Although useful to try some Windows 8 features, review technical aspects and build familiarity it hasn’t allowed fair evaluation of the operation, either touch or desktop, of the new User Interface which is the most visible, radical change.
For that I’ll wait for the release version on real hardware but I have formed an opinion on the what Windows 8 represents for both Microsoft and personal computing.
This article from Co.Design is an interesting view of the biggest change Microsoft have attempted since the shift from DOS to Windows. It also highlights a rather surprising contrast in design direction between the “new” Windows and Apple’s operating systems along with the challenges Microsoft still faces.

Windows 8: The Boldest, Biggest Redesign In Microsoft's History | Co.Design
This fall, a billion PC users will wake up to a new desktop--Windows 8. Could it signal a design revolution at Microsoft?
"They’re no longer chasing Apple; they’re actually making Apple look old. That’s a really unexpected turn of events in design and the competition between these two powerhouses."

As for what I think, more on that in future posts.

DIGITAL JUICE