MANILA, Philippines -- Microsoft’s next-generation operating system, Windows 8, is not just another version of the software company’s market-leading product. It marks a major, some would say radical, change for the computing platform.

With the new OS, expected to be for release in 2012, Microsoft takes a 180-degree turn, changing the way its bestselling software works and interacts with its users. From a desktop-bound platform, Windows has now become a lighter version of itself, light enough to run even on systems that are not exactly hot rod.

In fact, when Microsoft provided a peek into the beta version of the software, a first-generation netbook and some low-spec PCs were used to demo some of its capabilities and features. Imagine, a Microsoft OS running its full version on a lowly, low-capabilities netbook?

That is quite surprising knowing Microsoft’s history of releasing bloatware after bloatware.

Not Rosy for Chips

Worries about the U.S. and European economies are spooking the global economy, including the world PC market. Slowing PC sales, coupled with could-have-been-better global economic conditions, prompted Gartner analysts to revise downward their forecasts in the semiconductor market for 2011 and 2012.

A Sept. 15 report issued by Gartner analysts predicts a 0.1% drop in global semiconductor revenue from 2010 to about $299 billion in 2011. Combined with high inventory levels and manufacturing overcapacity, this sales slowdown is making industry analysts worry that the third quarter 2011, usually a strong quarter for the semiconductor industry, may be weaker compared with the previous third quarters before it.

Several market research firms have revised their 2011 forecasts for the PC market, as demand continued to slow.

More than ever, the PC market needs Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system to be a remarkable and profitable hit.

2TB USB Drives

Taiwan-based Transcend recently unveiled the Thin Card, a USB 3.0-compliant flash drive that is claimed capable of storing up to 2 terabytes of data. Developed in partnership with Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute, the USB flash drive would certainly have some serious impact on the data storage market.

For the meantime, Transcend and ITRI are still waiting for the USB 3.0 standards to be finalized before releasing the Thin Card into the market.

Windows 8’s Plug-in-Free Side

Microsoft announced that one of Windows 8’s user-interface modes, the Metro, will not include plug-ins for its version of Internet Explorer. The desktop version, however, like the previous Windows versions, will support plug-ins, as well as extensions.

Windows 8’ Metro side represents the operating system’s efforts to socialize and be intimate with tablet PCs. It is logical, therefore, that the Metro would discard those bloat-promoting plug-ins and extensions.

Analysts believe, however, that this presents another batch of headaches for Adobe and its Flash Player software, which is the de facto standard for online video.

Years earlier, Adobe was forced to wage a war after Apple banned its Flash from its iOS gadgets and devices, such as the iPhone and iPad.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.