Windows 8 Even More Resource Efficient Than Windows 7
Your old PC that came with Windows Vista will still run Windows 8 quite well. In fact, all you need is an old Intel Atom netbook with 1GB of RAM.
Usually a new version of Windows demands higher system requirements than the one before it. This wasn't the case with Windows 7, and it looks like it also won't be the case for Windows 8.
Microsoft yesterday demonstrated on stage at the Build event Windows 8 running on a three-year-old Lenovo S10 netbook, which packed an early model of the Intel Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM. Not only did it run Windows 8, but it ran it better than it could Windows 7.
The latest version of Windows 7 was demonstrated running with about 404 MB of RAM used for 32 processes. Windows 8 in its current, unfinished state is doing the same with about 281 MB and 29 processes.
This is not only good news for those who are still running on computers that are several years old, but it's also for those seeking a performance boost from the greater efficiency. Hopefully this will also translate into better power consumption numbers for notebook users.
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I have to hand it to Microsoft, WP7 & Win 7 are pretty good. But windows 8 looks like it's in a whole new field. I've always been a linux fan boy myself, however I will acknowledge good steps when I see them
The jump doesn't feel like it did from Vista to Win7 so I can't really justify a purchase of Win8 for all of my machines, but on bits like this it makes a stronger case for my 11" notebook.
I think all the little additions will add up to a bigger picture during the final release
I've tried the Win 8 Developer thingymajig and it seems like Win 7 with some bits added on. Why have the apps screen run from the Start button when it should be docked at the side and move in from the right.
The start up and shut down did seem a bit quicker and I'm sure there are enough tweaks to keep adopters happy but the rise of the tablet/touchscreen is here.
Now compare it to XP running on the netbook...
joedastudd
Yeh! because XP is a really secure, modern operation system, which supports all of the latest technologies and doesn't crash very often ..
oh no, wait ..
32 and 29 processes running?
This is not going to represent real world feel at all... it simply shows that 8 is capable of running on less (which should be the case seeing as it should be more efficient)
Does anyone know if there will be a release candidate program like there was with W7 ?
mactronix,
They always go through those processes, and the timescales are usually pretty standard.
This is the developer preview. This will be followed by a closed Beta "technical adoption" programme which is available for select MS Partners only and typically starts 9-15 months prior to release.
This is expected to be followed by either a public Beta or a more open MSDN / Partner Beta which is typically 6-9 months prior to release.
The final stage would be a public time-expiry RC build once the code base is stable (usually 3 months or so before release) and then it would be expected to go "gold" and be released shortly after that.
that has been pretty standard delivery strategy for Microsoft for the past few years. As this is a pretty major release (across multiple platforms and devices) this may take longer, but I wouldn't expect it to be too much so ..
That's good. I used the W7 RC and I look forward using the W8 one. From what i see so far im cold on the new OS but i appreciate the chance to try it in a real environment and make an informed decision.
Well you can install the dev preview on Virtual Box or VMWare.
I downloaded it (free) yesterday and got it working.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516
It's a bit buggy (dev preview! not even a beta yet) but gives you an idea of some of their ideas.
From what I can tell the Metro UI is actually the new Start Menu .. but this might just be the Tablet interface and they haven't build the main Desktop bits yet (who knows)
@ Mkeeper,
Thanks for the link, I have a separate drive I use for running RC etc. Just unplug the main one and install The new OS on the spare one, reattach the main one and boot into drive selection.
Might be a little long winded for some but I feel a bit better knowing its contained on its own drive.
@mactronix
Whatever works for you .. I just run it in a Virtual Machine so I can start/stop it on demand while still using my main PC (so I can still get emails / apps at the same time)