Considering the state that Windows tablets were back when Windows 7 was touted as a touch capable operating system, I have to admit I'm very impressed in the jump from Windows 7 to the developer preview of Windows 8. It's very exciting to see Windows losing its reliance on the start+taskbar paradigm that we've seen since Windows 95.

Metro

It's a design concept and I hope it's one Microsoft is going to invest heavily in training/education/certification to allow developers to understand how to develop applications that actually suit Windows 8 and suit touch gestures. I'd say it would be better for Microsoft to loosen the focus on .Net certification and ramp up the emphasis on great design in Windows 8 applications.

JavaScript+HTML+CSS

With the demise of WebOS I thought we would be waiting a few year before we see another platform enable web applications to be first class citizens on a platform. It seems with the WinRT layer JavaScript joins the ranks of C# and C++ for enabling Windows developers to build rich applications.

I think web development and design is an exciting realm to be in and with Microsoft opening Windows up to JavaScript API calls it is only going to strengthen the importance of open frameworks and web development. I hope it exposes more and more students to JavaScript as an alternative to the dry "Intro to Java" curriculum we see now (or even the awful institutions that still teach VB).

Change at the .Net shops

I'm curious to see how the .Net shops respond to not only JavaScript as an increasingly power language but also the Metro concept. Based on my small experience in .Net consulting companies most of them aren't interested in the UI development stage; it's all about the code and maybe a simplistic design template.

I hope they realise that a Metro styled application isn't just the default template provided by Visual Studio; it's about building applications that suit the method of input, designing screens that aren't cluttered and making the app something a user wants to use and not something they are forced to use to get the job done.

The worry

I really hope the default state of Windows 8 (at least on tablets) is that you never see that awful Windows 7 desktop no matter how hard you tried; I hope Microsoft pushes developers to change for new paradigms and not just rely on the old concepts that have existed since Windows 95.

I'm a little worried about the consulting shops that will understand Metro enough to use the templates but not enough to actually put the effort in to build distinct apps that conform to Metro but don't feel like any other Metro app. I think this is the beauty of iOS where I can jump from Facebook to Tweetbot and be in two amazing different world; I'm worried that Metro will be just a feature that developers enable and never care about.

One things for sure

I'm excited to see Windows 8 replace those awful touch displays at shopping centres, it seems killing Flash is a joint effort from all parties (except RIM...).