Windows 8 – New Graphics Capabilities

Wind Interface Microsoft has a few tit-bits up to its sleeve and it is releasing a 3D user interface with the codename “Wind” for high-end users. The new UI is capable of being adaptive by changing shortcuts and icons by offering the end-user customized control. It requires a minimum of 170 MB video memory along with integrated graphics card for supporting advanced graphical capabilities. Windows 7 was designed to support 3D acceleration; however, low-end computing systems posed a barrier in its performance and hence visual effects were lost in low-end systems. Microsoft plans to introduce a hibernate mode that would save the state of currently running processes and applications that have been inactive for a certain amount of time by switching them from primary to secondary memory. NVIDIA has released a graphics driver Quadro that matches the requirements posed by Wind Interface in 64-bit mode. Microsoft plans to release the final OS with Wind somewhere in 2012. 128-bit capability Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 may support 128-bit processing capabilities. New possibilities are open for the media since the new 128-bit processing can set a new benchmark in data-intensive processing operations. Simply put, merging two 64-bit processors does not give 128-bit processing capability. It is a completely new application in processing meant for server based high-end processors. With the right hardware on client machines, 128-bit computing can realize 3D graphics to open new avenues in gaming and entertainment. It is rumored that Windows 8 will better manage Solid State Drive and will feature  a fast hibernation mode that will take between 3-6 seconds to hibernate. Microsoft will release the operating system to general consumers in the form of a non-cloud solution and business users who will have an option to avail themselves of various cloud services. Microsoft has learnt many new lessons from Apple regarding 3D graphics acceleration. Let us hope that the implementation of graphics appeals to both the general audience and gamers. In the end, Windows 8 will be a mass consumer product used by animation designers, gamers, media analysts and so on. Although, graphical requirements vary slightly with different categories of people using Windows 8, the basic qualities of responsiveness, performance, speed and visual effects remain a persistent demand among all consumers.  ]]>