Microsoft demos Windows 8 for tablets (photos)

Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows and Windows Live for Microsoft, talks with D9 conference organizer Walt Mossberg about Windows in general.

Using special test rigs, Julie Lawson-Green prepares to show off Windows 8 on tablets.

The image on the start screen can be personalized (this is Lawson-Green's son). You swipe up from the bottom to unlock the device.

Like Windows Phone, Windows 8 on tablets (and every other platform for that matter) has a screen of "Live Tiles" that provide rich data and launch deeper apps. Users can slide the tiles around on the screen.

Microsoft brought several sample apps to show off Windows 8. This is the weather app.

The colors are very old-Apple-esque, are they not?

On a tablet device, the "task bar" for users is on the right side of the screen. It slides out as needed.

The Windows 8 task bar performs system functions, like connecting to networks. It's also where the good old Windows Start menu lives.

Windows 8 lets users slide running apps to run side-by-side.

In addition to the standard on-screen keyboard that takes up the bottom of a tablet computer, users can also switch to a split keyboard, which is easier for thumb-typers to use.

Another sample app: Microsoft's Tweet-o-rama.

This sample app for viewing photos looks much like Windows 8's tablet file browser app.

Kara Swisher checks out Windows 8 running on notebook and convertible computers from Lenovo and Dell.

Mossberg, Larson-Green, and Sinofsky discuss the new operating system.