Windows 8 allows lower resolutions than just for mobile devices

Author: Maruo Fei
Windows 8 device a few days ago Microsoft released a new Windows 8 system requirements for Microsoft's Windows 8 requires a resolution to reduce the 1024 & times; 768, color 32-bit true color is required. Microsoft also said that lowering the requirements does not mean encouraging vendors to make low-resolution devices. Windows-based fonts and UI scaling logic, lower resolution means smaller devices. Many tech media authors speculate that this news means that Microsoft is preparing to manufacture e-reader devices of this type?
First of all, in April last year, Microsoft and Barnes & Noble settled a patent dispute and started to cooperate to jointly set up NewCo. Microsoft has a US$300 million share of 17.6%. Barnes & Noble accounted for another 82.4%. The company's main business is Barnes & Noble's divested digital content and campus business, as well as plans to develop e-reading software on the Windows platform.
The cooperation with Barnes & Noble is clearly the action of Microsoft to return to the e-book market, and e-books will become an important part of the Windows 8 tablet. Many years ago, Microsoft participated in the establishment of the ePub standard. However, Amazon's own Kindle, which is the best in the field of e-reading and is also the source of this market, does not support the ePub format. Barnes is the second-largest player in the US e-book market after Amazon. The rich resources will help Microsoft build its own e-book market.
Where is the e-book suitable for reading? The experience of reading e-books on a Windows desktop computer is definitely not good on tablets and phones. For Microsoft, it's easy to add e-book readers and the market to Windows Phone 8. However, given the current market share of Windows Phone single digits, the market will not perform well. What about Windows tablets? The size of the currently produced Windows tablet or anamorphic tablet is 10.1 inches or more, and it may not be sensible to hold an e-book. So can a small-sized tablet, such as an e-reader, solve this problem?
People who have used Windows tablets, including Windows RT tablets, know that their selling point —— is also a point that is criticized —— is "two working modes", touch and Desktop mode. We can't rule out the possibility that Microsoft will make a full UI for Metro on Office 16 in the future—— although I personally think the possibility is a bit small, if the Office touch version comes true, Microsoft cuts off the desktop mode on the tablet device. Providing only a better touch experience is an option. Like Apple, Microsoft has money and experience, and there is no theoretical problem in creating such a closed system.
Now, in this case, the positioning of the Windows tablet is not suitable for e-book reading. Smaller size and lower resolution can't solve the core experience. If Microsoft doesn't learn from Google and Apple in font rendering and UI collocation, it can only watch opponents provide a reading experience beyond paper at higher resolutions, and they can only let users endure "only" The rate is small and horrible. Moreover, currently Windows does not provide split-screen display applications on devices with resolutions below 1366× then lower resolutions can only lead to a worse experience.
Let's take a look at this 32-bit true color requirement. Some media mentioned today that 32-bit true color means that the screen can display 2 32-color colors. It also mentions that both iPad and Nexus 7 are only 24-bit true color, and 32-bit true color is considered a big problem for the tablet. In fact, 32-bit true color and 24-bit true color provide the same number of colors, not 2, 32, and 2, 24, which is the so-called 16 million colors. The difference is that 32 adds 8 bits of alpha to true color, changing from RGB to RGBA. While the alpha parameter is a parameter that describes grayscale, 32-bit color provides a finer color representation, making it easier to draw translucent graphics. In a way, this is the advantage of Windows tablets.
Now look back, smaller size than 10.1, cut off the desktop environment, isn't this an enlarged version of Windows Phone? Is there a high probability that Microsoft will change Windows, or is it a high-density Windows Phone? I believe it is the latter. In this case, Microsoft announced that Windows 8 supports smaller resolutions. More factors should be the limitation of installing Windows 8 on old devices. I hope to popularize Windows 8 on old PCs. Microsoft will come out with a small tablet/reader, but not now, nor with Windows.