Skip to main content

Windows 8 screenshots leak

shhThe last time we glimpsed Windows 8 was all the way back at CES, and calling it a glimpse is generous: All Steve Ballmer would show us at the Microsoft keynote was the OS running natively on ARM processors – which speaks to its compatibility, but failed to show off even a hint about what the UI would be like.

Today a fairly trusted Windows blog, Win7China,  is revealing alleged screenshots of the upcoming Windows release (the photos were also published by WinRumors). Fortunately, Windows 8 could be here as soon as June. Unfortunately, the images don’t reveal much about the upgrade. Let’s remember that Ballmer has all but said Windows 8 is a game changer, so he’s created some lofty expectations.

Recommended Videos

The set of files starts off with one reading “Shhh…let’s not leak our hard work” followed by shots of what we could be seeing in a few months.

photosWe get a look at the Default Pictures folder coming to Windows 8. It’s extremely reminiscent of Windows 7’s photo viewer format, but at least there are some obvious differences, like video options for your account image. In the photo below, you’ll also see that the bottom right of the desktop. According to Win7China, Windows 8 is furthering cloud integration and you will be able to use a Windows Live account to access Windows 8.

bottom right
Image used with permission by copyright holder

taskbarThe taskbar appears nearly identical to that of Windows 7, which also includes Windows Live integration. The other difference you can see is that the process indicator will show your progress with software and hardware – you can see in the demo it’s connecting the mouse.

Nothing extraordinary to see here, and much of what you’re seeing is obviously very subject to change. What might be more interesting is what Win7China had to say about the OS. It will apparently be an insanely fast install – approximately eight minutes – and we can expect a new restore feature that will reset the OS to its virginal state in a mere two minutes’ time.

Molly McHugh
Former Social Media/Web Editor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
How to uninstall Windows 10 and downgrade to Windows 8.1
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 windows 10

Windows 10 has been a critical success since its release, but if you need or want to revert to an older version of Windows, you can uninstall Windows 10 and downgrade to Windows 8.1 or even Windows 7.

Be aware, though, that new computers (especially tablets) may contain components that weren’t manufactured when older Windows versions like Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 were being sold. This might mean that if you downgrade, you'll run into driver issues, and your display, keyboard, and networking might not work right.

Read more
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is the new benchmark for 4K monitors — and I saw it
Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 gaming monitor.

Multiple companies came out with high refresh rate 4K monitors during CES 2022. Acer, for example, debuted the world's first 4K monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate. But then Samsung showed up, and the company clearly wasn't content to end CES 2022 quietly.

Amid announcements of  "world's first" 4K gaming tech, Samsung blew away everything with a 4K monitor that can run at 240Hz: The Odyssey Neo G8. It's not practical at the start of 2022, but it's the new benchmark that high-end gaming displays will need to measure up to.

Read more
Qualcomm takes on the Apple M1 with new Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 for PCs
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 platform.

Qualcomm is ready to step up and strengthen the ARM-based side of the PC market. At its annual Snapdragon Tech Summit, the company announced the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform.

This is a new ARM-based mobile system on chip (SoC) that should take on Apple's M1 processor and bring new experiences to a potential new wave of laptops in the year 2022.

Read more