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Windows 8

Personal computer operating system by Microsoft that was released in 2012

Windows 8 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, made available for download via MSDN and TechNet on August 15, 2012, and generally released for retail on October 26, 2012. Its server counterpart, Windows Server 2012, was released a month earlier on September 4, 2012. Windows 8 introduced major changes to the operating system's platform and user interface with the intention to improve its user experience on tablets, where Windows competed with mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS. In particular, these changes included a touch-optimized Windows shell and start screen based on Microsoft's Metro design language, integration with online services, the Windows Store, and a new keyboard shortcut for screenshots. Many of these features were adapted from Windows Phone, and the development of Windows 8 closely paralleled that of Windows Phone 8. Windows 8 also added support for USB 3.0, Advanced Format, near-field communication, and cloud computing, as well as a new lock screen with clock and notifications. Additional security features—including built-in antivirus software, integration with Microsoft SmartScreen phishing filtering, and support for Secure Boot on supported devices—were introduced. It was the first Windows version to support ARM architecture under the Windows RT branding. Windows 8 introduced significantly higher system requirements than typical operating system upgrades, which Microsoft attributed to security considerations. Official support is limited to devices with an Intel Core 2 or newer processor and an Orleans AMD Athlon 64 or newer processor. CPUs without PAE, SSE2 and NX are not supported in this version. Windows 8 garnered a mixed to negative reception upon launch. Although the reaction to its performance improvements, security enhancements, and improved support for touchscreen devices was positive, the new user interface was widely criticized as confusing and unintuitive, especially when used with a keyboard and mouse rather than a touchscreen. Despite these shortcomings, 60 million licenses were sold through January 2013, including upgrades and sales to OEMs for new PCs. Windows 8 was succeeded by Windows 8.1 in October 2013, which addressed some aspects of Windows 8 that were criticized by reviewers and early adopters and also incorporated various improvements. Support for RTM editions of Windows 8 ended on January 12, 2016, and with the exception of Windows Embedded 8 Standard users, all users are required to install the Windows 8.1 update. Mainstream support for the Embedded Standard edition of Windows 8 ended on July 10, 2018, and extended support ended on July 11, 2023.