Windows 8 - desktop not being axed Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky has defended the Windows desktop, as the company looks ahead to a vital year for the grand old Operating System.
Speaking to TechRadar last week, Sinofsky outlined one of the key new Windows changes: the transition to work on ARM chips.
Windows on ARM (WOA) is a huge departure for Microsoft – it has previously focused on Intel's x86 platform – but the transition to new chips will not see a move away from the now familiar Windows desktop.
Touchtop?In a blog post, Sinofsky outlined just why the Windows desktop would not be sacrificed any time soon, insisting that it was a compromise too far as touchscreen devices become widespread.
"Some have suggested we might remove the desktop from WOA in an effort to be pure, to break from the past, or to be more simplistic or expeditious in our approach," he blogged.
"To us, giving up something useful that has little cost to customers was a compromise that we didn't want to see in the evolution of PCs.
"The presence of different models is part of every platform. Whether it is to support a transition to a future programming model, to support different programming models on one platform, or to support different ways of working, the presence of multiple models represents a flexible solution that provides a true no-compromise experience on any platform."
Considering the considerable interest in Windows tablets there is clearly still a desire for a desktop, and Microsoft is aware that familiar user interfaces are as much about serving up what a consumer expects as clinging on to the past.
TechRadar's hands on: Windows 8 review discusses the difficulties in balancing a traditional desktop and the touch-friendly modern Metro UI that runs over the top of it.
And even if that transition is still a little clumsy, it seems that ditching the desktop would be a step too far for many - including the team at Microsoft.
Tags: Windows 8, WOA, ARM, desktop, Windows, MicrosoftTweetreddit!StumbleuponComment on this article Your comments (4) Click to add a new commentbradavon4. @ munichlondon: That's basically how Windows 8 can work already.
I have to agree with Simon_M. The iPad and iPhone are incredibly slick and efficient (uninstalling an app is so much easier than on Android too) but they both feel very dumbed down after using a Desktop OS or Android.
You cannot do "anything" with the home screen except change the wallpaper or move shortcuts around. That's it!
This makes it very simple for newbies to pick up but takes away an extreme level of control even Mac OS X (currently) offers.
Alert a moderatormunichlondon3. In my perfect world a Win8 tablet runs in 'Metro-Mode' while on its own and switches to 'Tradional-Mode' once attached to a keyboard/trackpad (read: transformer prime keybord) or when forced to do so.
Alert a moderatorsimon_m2. Having a desktop is vital to most peoples notions of computing. Most Linux distros, Windows, Mac OSX and Android all have desktops (even if Android calls it 'homescreens') - it's by far my preferred way of computing, and the success of iOS in ditching them should not be taken as a sign that all devices would benefit from this. It's too simplistic for a machine that will be running all of your domestic/professional software.
Alert a moderatormadjedi1. If this is truly the case then you should be able to operate exclusivly in desktop mode on any windows 8 device and not have to go back and forth to the Meto interface to switch/start programs or do anything that you used to do on the Start menu. It seems to me that this is currently not the case to as it stands from the Developer preview verion.
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