If Microsoft's decision to give away 5,000 Samsung tablets running early versions of Windows 8 to developers at BUILD 2011 seems like an amazing gesture of goodwill, don't be fooled.
Even the positive press the platform has received as a result is only partly behind the move.
Instead, Microsoft is on a major drive to generate support for its Windows Store - the home of apps the company hopes will lure consumers towards Windows 8 tablets come launch in 2012.
Setting off with Samsung
The prototypes - which sport an 11.6-inch screen, 4GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD - are a simple, if expensive way to introduce studios to the platform, and in turn, set them on their way to developing for it.
Windows 8's advantage over the other tablet OSs that have tried (and arguably failed) to make an impression on iPad, however, is that apps designed to run on it won't be limited to just tablet owners.
Microsoft's decision to deliver Windows 8 across tablets, PCs, netbooks and notebooks means developers will potentially have an audience in the millions to sell to almost from day one, however well - or badly - the first tablets carrying the platform do at launch.
"We reimagined Windows," said Windows and Windows Live president Steven Sinofsky in his BUILD keynote.
"From the chipset to the user experience, Windows 8 brings a new range of capabilities without compromise."
Eye on the ecosystem
Microsoft has already confirmed Windows 8 will ship with Xbox Live, and some kind of link up with Windows Phone 7 - including, possibly, its Marketplace - seems likely, too.
It's a broad approach that means Windows 8 tablets will be at the centre of Microsoft's business, rather than an expensive offshoot, akin to HP's TouchPad experiment.
"Keep in mind, Windows 8 is a no-compromise OS, which means you do not need to have a tablet or touch-capable machine to experience Windows 8," added Sinofsky on his blog.
"Mouse and keyboard are first class in the whole experience."
[source: Microsoft]
News
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Top Stories
Feature
May 17th, 2024
New release roundup: The best new mobile games from a battle royale to a console classic remake
Feature
May 16th, 2024
Behind the scenes: How adding sandwich offers to an idle merge game boosted three metrics at once
Events
Digital Dragons | Europe | May 19th |
GamesBeat Summit 2024 | North America | May 20th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Nordic Game Spring 2024 | Nordic | May 21st |
Impact 2024 - Indie Games | May 23rd | |
Morocco Gaming Expo | Africa | May 24th |
MomoCon 2024 | North America | May 24th |
Unreal Fest Gold Coast 2024 | Australasia | May 29th |
Popular Stories
Feature
May 14th, 2024
53 top mobile games in soft launch: Squad Busters, Battle Guys: Royale, Plants vs. Zombies 3, LEGO Hill Climb Adventures, and more
Feature
May 13th, 2024
Hot Five: Dubai's new Gaming Visa, April's mobile game charts, and Xbox studio closures
Interview
May 13th, 2024