Like all Windows NT-based operating systems, Windows 8 will be a derivative of the Windows 7 kernel and the Windows Server 2008 R2 kernel. What this means is that by the time Windows 8 is released, it will include significant enough functionality to justify an upgrade. Progress is measured in nightly builds, or compilations of the software, using compilers, as well as key objectives for the development staff. While Windows 8 may currently resemble Windows 7, this is because it is nearly a year away from a commercial release date. It is also simultaneously being designed for ARM processors, which used an entirely different instruction set. These processors function on cell phones, tablets, and other portable devices. For example, your...