Microsoft's Windows teams are working to enable Hyper-V virtualization technology as part of the upcoming Windows 8.
Microsoft is
working to ensure Windows 8 enables Hyper-V, which will give machines the
ability to virtually run multiple 32-bit or 64-bit x86 operating systems at the
same time. Windows 8-the code name for Microsoft's next operating system-will
reportedly arrive sometime in 2012.
This is a
useful tool for developers who need to switch between multiple test
environments, especially when you consider additional features like Remote
Desktop Connection (RDC), which allows the virtual machine to fully leverage
the PC's physical capabilities, and virtual hard disks. That being said, some
applications, including Windows BitLocker and Measured Boot, don't necessarily
play well with virtualized machines.
Hyper-V
originally emerged as technology integrated with Windows Server, from which
it's now trickling down to the client OS level.
A detailed
explanation of how Windows 8 will enable Hyper-V can be found on Microsoft's
official
Building Windows 8 blog. Microsoft will likely
explain much more about Windows 8 at its BUILD conference, scheduled for Sept.
13-16 in Anaheim, Calif.
For weeks,
Microsoft has used that blog to offer glimpses of Windows 8 in development, and
defend some of its choices. For example, Windows and Windows Live division
president Steven Sinofsky used a Sept. 2 posting to defend the updated "ribbon"
interface.
As part of its
Windows 8 work, Microsoft revamped Windows Explorer with an eye toward
optimizing file-management tasks, creating a streamlined command experience,
and even reviving some popular features from Windows XP. The Windows team
eventually decided to employ a streamlined version of the ribbon interface,
which offers tabs and icons in a horizontal or vertical panel, as the unifying
element for this updated Explorer.
"We chose the
ribbon mechanism, and to those that find that a flawed choice, there isn't much
we can do other than disagree," Sinofsky wrote. "We were certain, and this
proved out, that the dislike of the ribbon is most intense in the audience of
this blog."
He also
defended the choice of "Metro" style for Windows 8's overall look as an
opportunity to embrace the new. "We've seen a clear turn where Aero is the past
and Metro is the future," he added. "And with that a strong desire for the
existing Windows experience to take on a new look or a Metro redesign." The
"Aero" aesthetic informed the look of both Windows Vista and Windows 7, and
emphasized design elements, such as translucent panels.
The blog has
focused on everything from support for USB 3.0 to the aforementioned Windows
Explorer revisions.
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