The first wave of laptops with Intel’s latest third-generation Core processors started shipping this week with Windows 7, but PC makers are quiet about what it would take to upgrade the PCs to run Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8.

The Windows 8 OS is due to come out later this year, though Microsoft has not provided a specific release date. Analysts have said that Windows 8 may come out around October, and a consumer preview version of the OS is already available for download.

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.

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 HTC Radar combines an elegant design with the engaging and intuitive Windows Phone 7.5 OS.

Don’t look now, but Windows Phones could become the top value-priced option for lots and lots of smartphone shoppers. Consider the HTC Radar 4G for T-Mobile, which offers Microsoft’s easy-to-use and fun 7.5 OS along with an attractive aluminum design for $99. The device features a 1-GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and a bright 3.8-inch display–plus Netflix.

Design

The HTC Radar 4G is right up there with the iPhone 4 as one of the most elegant looking smartphones in its price range. The device has a sturdy aluminum unibody design, broken up by bands of white plastic on the back and a strip of white along the bottom front edge. The mostly glass front covers the display and a white bezel. This handset felt very solid in our hand.

The right side of the Radar 4G houses a long volume control and a dedicated camera button, and a power button and headphone jack line the top. There’s a microUSB cable on the left side and a 5-MP camera, flash, and speaker on the back.

Weighing 4.8 ounces and measuring 4.7 x 2.4 x 0.4 inches, the Radar 4G is larger and heavier than the Samsung Focus Flash (4.1 ounces, 4.6 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches). However, the Radar has a larger display–3.8 inches vs 3.7 inches–and an aluminum unibody design, as opposed to the mostly plastic Flash. The iPhone 4 weighs the same as the Radar but has a slimmer 0.37-inch profile.

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.

At Microsoft’s Build Conference in Anaheim this week, it announced the next version of Microsoft Windows, codenamed Windows 8. Excitement, eagerness, and trepidation fill the air in equal measures.

Developers are overjoyed that Microsoft’s best-in-class development tools can now target tablets, a slew of new, low-level features will usher in entirely new species of always-on, omnipresent devices, and few can deny the awesome money-making potential of the Windows Store.

The main features of this new version of Windows OS is the user interface, which has been highly redesigned keeping in mind optimization based on touch screen usage as well as mice and keyboard usage. It is having various graphical customizations which we saw in Windows 7. The new METRO UI has been included, something we saw in Windows Phone 7.