Operating
System
Windows 8 Version
■ Windows 8 is a personal computer operating system that was
produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating
systems. The operating system was released to manufacturing on
August 1, 2012, with general availability on October 26, 2012.
■ Code Name (Jupiter)
■ Software compatibility
■ The three desktop editions of Windows 8 support 32-bit and 64-bit
architectures; retail copies of Windows 8 include install DVDs for both
architectures, while the online installer automatically installs the
version corresponding with the architecture of the system's existing
Windows installation. The 32-bit version runs on CPUs compatible
with x86 architecture 3rd generation (known as IA-32) or newer, and
can run 32-bitand 16-bit applications, although 16-bit support must be
enabled first. (16-bit applications are developed for CPUs compatible
with x86 2nd generation, first conceived in 1978 . Microsoft started
moving away from this architecture after Windows 95.
Windows 8
Developer Microsoft
Source model Closed-source
Source-available
(through
Shared Source Initiative)
Released to August 1, 2012; 6 years
manufacturing ago
Generalavailability October 26, 2012; 6 years
ago
Final release '6.2.9200' / August 25,
2012; 6 years ago
Update method Windows Update,
Windows Store,
Windows Server Update Ser
History
■ Windows 8 development started before Windows 7 had
shipped in 2009. At the Consumer Electronics Show in
January 2011, it was announced that the next version of
Windows would add support for ARM system-on-chips
alongside the existing x86 processors produced by vendors,
especially AMD and Intel. Windows division president
Steven Sinofsky demonstrated an early build of the port on
prototype devices, while Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
announced the company's goal for Windows to be
"everywhere on every kind of device without
compromise”. Details also began to surface about a new
application framework for Windows 8 codenamed "Jupiter",
which would be used to make "immersive" applications
using XAML (similarly to Windows Phone and Silverlight) that
could be distributed via a new packaging system and a
rumored application store.
Windows 8 Edition
■ Windows 8
Windows 8 (also sometimes referred to as Windows 8 (Core) to distinguish
from the OS itself)[2] is the basic edition of Windows for the IA-32 and x64
architectures. This edition contains features aimed at the home
market segment and provides all of the basic new Windows 8 features.
■ Windows 8 Pro
is comparable to Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate [3][4] and is targeted
towards enthusiasts and business users; it includes all the features of
Windows 8. Additional features include the ability to receive
Remote Desktop connections, the ability to participate in a
Windows Server domain, Encrypting File System , Hyper-V, and
Virtual Hard Disk Booting, Group Policy as well as BitLocker and BitLocker To
Go. Windows Media Center functionality is available only for Windows 8 Pro
as a separate software package.
■ Windows 8 Enterprise
Windows 8 Enterprise provides all the features in
Windows 8 Pro (except the ability to install the
Windows Media Center add-on), with additional
features to assist with IT organization (see table
below). This edition is available to
Software Assurance customers, as well as MSDN and
Technet Professional subscribers, and was released
on 16 August 2012
Minimum hardware requirements for Windows 8
Component Minimum Recommended
1 GHz clock rate x64 architecture
Processor IA-32 or x64 architecture Second Level Address Translati
Support for PAE, NX and SSE2 on
[119][120]
(SLAT) support for Hyper-V
IA-32 edition: 1 GB
Memory (RAM) 4 GB
x64 edition: 2 GB
DirectX 9 graphics device
Graphics Card DirectX 10 graphics device
WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Display screen N/A 1024×768 pixels
Input device Keyboard and mouse multi-touch display screen
IA-32 edition: 16 GB
Hard disk space N/A
x64 edition: 20 GB
UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B with
Microsoft Windows
Certification Authority in its
Other N/A
database
Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
Internet connectivity
Hardware certification requirements for Windows
tablets .
Graphics card DirectX 10 graphics device with WDDM 1.2 or higher driver
Storage 10 GB free space, after the out-of-box experience completes
Standard buttons Power, Rotation lock, Windows key, Volume up, Volume down
Touch screen supporting a minimum of 5-point digitizers and resolution of
at least 1024×768. The physical dimensions of the display panel must
match the aspect ratio of the native resolution. The native resolution of
Screen the panel can be greater than 1024 (horizontally) and 768 (vertically).
Minimum native color depth is 32-bits. If the display is under 1366×768,
disclaimers must be included in documentation to notify users that the
Snap function is not available.
Camera Minimum 720p
Accelerometer 3 axes with data rates at or above 50 Hz
USB 2.0 At least one controller and exposed port.
Connect Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 + LE (low energy)
Speaker, microphone, magnetometer and gyroscope.
If a mobile broadband device is integrated into a tablet or convertible
Other system, then an assisted GPS radio is required. Devices supporting
near field communication need to have visual marks to help users locate
and use the proximity technology. The new button combination for Ctrl +
Alt + Del is Windows Key + Power.
Interface
Start up
Windows 8.1 Version CN = Blue
■ A feature update to Windows 8 known as Windows 8.1 was officially
announced by Microsoft on May 14, 2013. Following a presentation
devoted to it at Build 2013, a public beta version of the upgrade was
released on June 26, 2013. Windows 8.1 was released to
OEM hardware partners on August 27, 2013, and released publicly as a
free download through Windows Store on October 17, 2013. ] Volume
license customers and subscribers to MSDN Plus and TechNet Plus were
initially unable to obtain the RTM version upon its release; a spokesperson
said the policy was changed to allow Microsoft to work with OEMs "to
ensure a quality experience at general availability." [203][204] However, after
criticism, Microsoft reversed its decision and released the RTM build on
MSDN and TechNet on September 9, 2013.
Editions
■ Windows 8.1 Pro
■ Windows 8.1 Enterprise
■ Windows 8.1 OEM
■ Windows 8.1 with Bing
