Leaked Screenshots Reveal More About Windows 8

More information about Windows 8 continues to emerge, though the details aren't coming from Microsoft.

Instead, the recent information has been passed down by a pre-release version of Windows 8 leaked onto the Internet. The plethora of Windows 8 screenshots reveal a startling amount of information about the upcoming operating system, which is rumored for release sometime in 2014.

Windows 8 Ribbon Could Change Windows Navigation Forever

The most striking difference between Windows 7 and Vista and their successors is Windows 8's widespread use of the Ribbon interface.

This navigation system, which relies heavily on icons and ditches traditional menus, has been very popular in the most recent version of Microsoft Office. The leaked Windows 8 images show a Ribbon interface moving beyond the company's business productivity suite, and is now being used for navigating an entire operating system (OS).

"In Windows 8, Ribbon usage is accelerating again, and Microsoft's next major OS will include this UI in the most visible of all possible places, Windows Explorer," said industry experts Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott.

Both Rivera and Thurrott are not convinced the screenshots indicate Ribbon is a definite for Windows 8's final version, saying that it looks "only half-finished and ... of dubious value." (Source: foxnews.com)

Modern Reader to Replace Adobe PDFs

But it wasn't just the Ribbon that caught the attention of Windows experts.

The screenshots also show a native PDF (portable document format) reader built right in to Windows itself. This would essentially replace Adobe's popular but often hacker-exploited Reader software. According to reports, this new Microsoft software will be called Modern Reader. (Source: switched.com)

Windows 8: Redesigned From The Ground Up

The recent reports add to existing rumors that indicate Windows 8 will also be built from the ground-up with portable devices, such as tablets and smartphones, in mind.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has already noted that the next Windows will support processing chips that can power these kinds of devices in addition to those behind Intel and AMD computers. Said Ballmer in January: "Whatever device you use, now or in the future, Windows will be there."