Upgrades, system migration, support headaches — IT folks are probably dreading the next major Windows rollout. Yet Windows 8, which is scheduled to move to the beta stage in late February and will likely launch in the fall, does offer several compelling new features for both IT and end users.

The latest rumour and speculation surrounding the forthcoming Xbox 360 successor – whatever it may be called…

Since it now seems unlikely we’ll see a PlayStation 4 announcement this year, the eyes of the incurably attention-deficit games industry have now flicked back toward the next Xbox. So what are Microsoft’s plans for the console that people are (erroneously, yet conveniently) calling Xbox 720?

If you’ve managed to fall behind on all the latest speculation, here’s a round-up of the key stories.

Since Microsoft is looking to get into the tablet market with Windows 8, it’s imperative that they make the OS compatible with mobile networks since a lot of tablets these day ship with 3G capability as well as WiFi.

First off they’ve developed a new control panel which will allow you to turn radios on and off, as well as configure connection settings and get contact information for support. While Windows 7 did support mobile networks, the user was left to install all the appropriate software to manage these things, where as it will all be integrated straight into Windows 8. This will make the process of using mobile broadband much easier for consumers.

Microsoft will be introducing a new file system with Windows 8 Server, called ReFS, which is built on top of the existing NTFS, but will deliver new features for scale and prevent data corruption.

ReFS, short for Resilient File System, will initially debut with Windows 8 Server, but is expected to make its way through to Windows 8 client system to support the full feature set of Storage Spaces, which will allow users to create storage pools from multiple physical and virtual storage devices.

The Windows 8 task manager is another revamped aspect of Microsoft‘s latest desktop operating system. Once you open the application, you will be surprised how much developers strapped away from it, at the first sight. It gives users the simplicity needed to close everyday processes and applications in just one click and lets diehard tuning fans to optimize the CPU for better performance; all details being hidden under one button. It still holds the same good features and adds some that should have been implemented since XP.

Classic View

First of all, when you open the task manager, you will see a redesigned window, displaying just opened applications and two buttons: ‘More details’ and ‘End Task’. Each of the application can be closed by selecting it and then pressing the ‘End Task’ button. The visual style is stripped of the chaotic options given in Windows 7, options that could only help advanced users. Now, a user with even the minimal amount of technical expertise can use the task manager in Windows 8 without having to wander through a multitude of buttons.

You often hear in the software industry that performance optimization is one of the last steps in the software development process. That bodes well for Windows 8, considering at the early stage of Developer Preview—even before we’ve seen an actual beta—the nascent operating system is getting widespread praise for its performance, particularly in startup times.

Windows 8 is, without a doubt, the most controversial Windows version the company has ever designed. Microsoft released its first preliminary version of Windows 8 roughly a month ago. It’s somewhat raw, definitely incomplete, and absolutely the most controversial Windows version the company has ever considered releasing. Windows, being one of the most used OS, brings great challenges for Microsoft to keep its users impressed in the next version of Windows.

Although Windows 7 has done exceptionally well since its release, Microsoft has been constantly working to make the next version of Windows a better one by further improving upon the existing features, and have added new impressive Windows 8 features along with a stunning UI.