V3 readers excited by prospect of Windows 8's faster boot times

Over two-thirds of V3 readers are looking forward to faster boot times in the forthcoming Windows 8 operating system (OS), as the buzz around the new OS continues to grow ahead of its launch next year.

The latest V3 poll asked our readers what features they were anticipating most eagerly and 68 per cent pointed to dramatically reduced boot times. This echoed the high level of interest in a V3 story from September that first revealed Microsoft demonstrating an eight-second boot from a cold start.

Microsoft explained at the time that these times are possible due to the kernel session being put into hibernate mode in Windows 8 rather than being closed down.

However, not all V3 readers were looking forward to the new Microsoft operating system, with 22 per cent arguing that they would rather stick with XP or Windows 7 than upgrade.

A further six per cent argued that Windows 8 is merely an attempt to rip off Apple's popular iOS.

Microsoft certainly appears to have borrowed heavily from Apple, with Windows 8's main Start screen consisting of active tiles to represent applications.

Some three per cent of V3 readers said that this so-called Metro UI, which has been designed specifically to perform well on tablets, is the one thing they are most looking forward to.

Dell for one has thrown its weight firmly behind the platform in a bid to challenge the dominance of Apple's iPad 2 in the tablet sphere, announcing at Dell World this month that it will be releasing "a wide range" of Windows 8 products.

The least popular feature of Windows 8 appears to be its ability to integrate more tightly with cloud services, with just one per cent of V3 readers saying they are looking forward to trying this new functionality.