Windows 8 Features Revealed In Leaked Microsoft Documents

Several leaked Microsoft presentations, posted on MSFTKitchen, Microsoft Journal, and Business Insider, offer a look at some of the features we might expect to see in Windows 8, the next iteration of Microsoft's operating system.

Some potential Windows 8 features detailed in the alleged Microsoft slides (see them here or here):

• Facial recognition technology that allows users to log in just by positioning their face in front of their PC's webcam. "My PC could detect my presence and log me in automatically," Microsoft's explanation reads. As Gizmodo notes, Windows 8 could offer a range of "Kinect-like" features: "When you get up and leave, it can go to sleep automatically as well. Additionally, if someone else shows up, it can quickly switch between user accounts based on who it sees in front of the computer."

• Streamlining the ability to switch between user accounts. The leaked document notes that among the things "we are considering for Windows 8" is "making it fast and easy to switch between user accounts." Microsoft says it aims to evolve the Windows identity "from machine centric to user centric."

• A fast startup time for Windows 8: "Windows 8 PC's turn on fast, nearly instantly in some cases, and are ready to work without any long or unexpected delays," the document says.

• According to the leaked documents, one of the features under consideration for Windows 8 is connecting users' accounts to the cloud. This feature would allow the computer to "log on to websites on the user's behalf" and make it possible for a users' settings and preferences to be consistent across multiple devices.

• Compatibility with 3D platforms, wireless TV sets, and slates. "Developers can build modern experiences around display devices by leveraging Windows 8 support for premium media experiences such as stereoscopic 3D and Wireless TVs," Microsoft notes. The leaked presentation also specifically mentions slates as a "target form factor."

Elsewhere in the leaked document is a slide examining "how Apple does it." "Apple brand is known for high quality, uncomplicated, 'It just works,'" Microsoft's text reads. "Realized value leads to product satisfaction, which in turn feeds brand loyalty. This is something people will pay for!"

Earlier this year, a Microsoft employee reportedly wrote a blog post about Windows 8, calling the forthcoming OS "mind-blowing" and "completely different."

What do you think of these possible Windows 8 features? What would you like to see Microsoft deliver with Windows 8?