Microsoft: Windows 8 to install 10 times faster than Windows 7

Software giant Microsoft® has revealed that the time it takes users to upgrade their PCs to the upcoming Windows® 8 operating system will be much shorter than with previous versions, sometimes taking only one-tenth of the time.

Windows 8 is the next significant installment of Microsoft's flagship operating system. Announced in mid-2011, the OS is a big gamble for the company, as it will power both traditional desktop and laptop PCs, as well as tablet computers. This suggests that Microsoft needs to get the software just right to capture a piece of the rapidly growing tablet market.

In a blog post, Christa St. Pierre, of Microsoft's Setup and Deployment team, acknowledges that installation time can be a major factor in a user's decision to upgrade, which is why Microsoft is aiming to reduce the time for a clean installation of Windows 8 to just 21 minutes.

In bigger installations, in which PCs will upgrade as many as 1.4 million files and 120 applications, Microsoft claims Windows 8 will install up to 10 times faster than Windows 7.

Windows 8 is due to release in mid- to late-2012 and will undoubtedly receive a great deal of attention as Microsoft transitions into the new mobile era. Whether computer owners -- tablet owners especially -- will be drawn in by faster installation times remains to be seen, but it is clear that Microsoft is pulling out all the stops with its new software.