Three Reasons Why Windows 8 Will Succeed

Windows 8 is the best version of Windows yet, and here’s why.

Doubtful over the prospects of Windows 8? Don’t be, because of these three reasons

Windows 8 is a big change, introducing the Metro UI that’s already available on Windows Phone and the Xbox 360 dashboard. That’s not the only change, though, and not the only reason why Windows 8 will succeed.

#1: It’s Designed for Touch

Yes, Windows 8 will be the first non-iOS operating system that works on a tablet. It’s not just Metro, but Microsoft has introduced the Windows Store – a dedicated location for apps – and has already shown developers how easy it is to bring apps over from the iPad to Windows 8. And the advantage is that Microsoft isn’t limiting Windows 8 to tablets: it’s on laptops, ultrabooks and hybrid devices that can be used as a laptop and tablet.

That means two things: one, Microsoft will have a range of hardware across a range of prices consumers can choose from. Two, Microsoft can pitch Windows 8 as an OS beyond the tablet. We’re already seeing integration across devices where games can be resumed on smartphones and Xbox 360s.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint

#2: Kickstarting Windows Phone, and Vice Versa

As I said, Microsoft has shown developer the similarities between iPad and Metro apps and how easy it is to bring the former to the latter. It’s even more simple when bringing apps from Metro to Metro, or Windows 8 to Windows Phone: developers will literally just need to scale down the apps for the smaller resolution. It should mean the lagging app store for Windows Phone will get a boost, and one that’s tied directly to the success of Windows Phone.

#3: A Different UI

Metro is different. And that’s the best way I can describe it; Android copies iOS, differentiating itself because it’s an open source operating system (though that doesn’t necessarily mean higher quality). Metro is unlike anything out there, and performs very well on low-end devices. That’s something Apple manages on phones such as the iPhone 3GS, while Android can be a mess on older devices with new OSes releasing every six months. Yet, users are familiar with Metro: it’s on Xbox Live, one of the biggest online content services.