Okay, so it’s just us calling it The Ocho. It’s now available as a preview download. Here’s what you need to know if someone asks how it’s going to be different than Windows 7: it’s going to be a whole lot more like working a tablet computer or a smart phone. Or rather, Microsoft is beginning to do away with the notion of an operating system that works one way for a PC and another way for a mobile device. Those things are all computers so they’re going to start looking more and more similar. The Ocho has big panels, much like the Windows Phone and whatever a Windows Tablet looks like one day. When you think about it, this is why they named it the Windows Phone in the first place, as opposed to Microsoft Phone.
Also on The Ocho, access to a SkyDrive, much like the iCloud for Apple. And the rock star of Windows products, the Microsoft Office suite, comes preinstalled on the ARM version of Windows 8.
Will you like The Ocho? Well, Microsoft certainly hopes so. But they REEEEALLY hope the IT department at your work likes it. In a world where Apple is flat out crushing it in the consumer market, Microsoft makes its money in businesses. There is some concern that a lot of companies are still transitioning to Windows 7 and might not be in a hurry to do another leap. But if it works well and offers a unified solution across PC, tablet, and phone, it could be a huge hit.
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