The world gets a first look at code name Windows 8 (Keep wanting to type Windows 2008 – bad habit). First glance, it looks very similar to Windows Phone 7; featuring similar colorful tiles that include Marketplace (Windows own app shop). The Windows 8 interface is radically different from any previous desktop operating system – with the focus on touch technology. While Microsoft is playing catch up in the "touch" world – they seem to be leading the path of an unified operating system for desktop, laptop and touch slates.

In this first view, the OS starts up with a full screen picture and some general information (time, etc.) on top of the picture. Right from the start menu, we can see the user interface is unlike any previous Windows OS. The start screen is a fully customizable mosaic of app tiles. These app tiles are unique, because unlike an icon, they can display live information without having to launch the app. This new interface is very friendly, but if the "touch" interface isn’t well suited for your taste (or hardware) – the OS offers the traditional interface we’ve come to know with the start button and complete menu system. Built from the ground up, this new interface will work with or without a keyboard and mouse on a just about any device. Whether you choose to use a tablet, laptop, desktop, or other devices, Windows 8 has you covered.

At the D9 Conference, Microsoft demonstrated how the new OS works seamlessly with not just the new apps, but also with the tried and true Windows programs and software, giving users all the tools and capabilities they have come to expect from Microsoft. Apps can be opened and navigated using tapping and swiping gestures, similar to other touch-based interfaces. Both legacy apps and new Windows 8 apps can run side by side, but legacy apps will use a much more familiar display, since they are not optimized for touch devices.

Though it’s obvious where many of these "touch" and "interface" ideas come from (true to Microsoft they don’t always invent the wheel), it’s blended with a couple of really cool features we haven’t seen in the Apple dominated touch world. Many of these features are geared toward true multitasking functionality, such as the ability to snap and resize app panels or find and share photos across multiple apps quickly and easily. Windows hasn’t lost its easy to navigate file system, and the new Internet Explorer 10 has been optimized for touch devices. This will make it a competitor for social networking for sure, but it will also improve workplace tasks and business functionality.

Though Microsoft Windows 8 is still in test stages, it is generating a lot of buzz. Microsoft has demonstrated they will not raise the white flag. If Microsoft actually listens to the community in the early releases – they might actually create a touch OS which takes a bite out of Apple. Microsoft hasn’t set a release date as of yet, but the new Windows should hit market in 2012.