By Jonathan Charles | Oct 16, 2012 12:25 PM EDT
Windows 8 is a few days away from general release, having been available to developers, enterprise, and TechNet customers across August and September.
The first advertisement (below), not taking into consideration the official leaks, counts down to Windows 8, getting stuck on the number eight. The video proceeds to show snapshots of Windows 8 functionality, from drawing with a virtual paintbrush to playing Fruit Ninja.
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Interestingly, the video also focuses entirely on Modern UI, the controversial, tile-centric half of Windows 8. Leaked advertisements showed glimpses of the traditional desktop environment, perhaps hinting at the type of Windows experience Microsoft wants to push.
Consumers and critics may be interested to see how Windows 8 performs in the weeks post its release. The availability of the platform digitally, for $39.99, marks a cheaper and more convenient Windows. Windows 8 is also available physically for $69.99 before prices rises in 2013. The figures cover Windows 8 Pro, the edition targeted at a majority of consumers.
Showing what Windows 8 can do, and why the platform is better than Windows 7, is likely to be the key for Microsoft while pitching its product. The uninformed consumers could be surprised by the Modern UI, which is considered a significant move away from the desktop environment.
Whether the marketing will show off cross-platform functionality between Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 is yet unknown. Clearly, Microsoft wants to develop consistency across the two operating systems; developers can build apps for the platforms simultaneously, implying that the success of Windows 8 will probably affect Windows Phone 8.
The advertisement resembles Apple's approach of demonstrating the functionality of products. Getting consumers to understand how the Modern UI performs may be vital to a successful Windows 8 launch. The user interface is drawing a lot of criticism from the video game community, who are calling Windows 8 a closed platform due to the changes in app submission policy.
Windows 8 launches on Oct. 26 worldwide. Microsoft is holding an event on Oct. 25 to "celebrate" the operating system, launching Surface at midnight, and perhaps showing off more devices across a range of form factors.
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