Microsoft has detailed how its upcoming Windows 8 will handle differing screen sizes, allowing apps to present an optimal display layout whether they are running on a small tablet screen, a large desktop monitor, or even a multi-monitor setup.

Windows 8, which is widely expected before the end of this year, will target a range of devices from tablets to desktop and laptop PCs, which means it has to support a wide range of display resolutions and pixel densities.

To ensure that apps will display well across this spectrum of screen formats, Microsoft has imposed a minimum screen resolution and a set of layout rules and principles to follow when scaling up to larger resolutions, as detailed in a new post on the Building Windows 8 blog.

"As people transition between different sized screens in their day-to-day lives, they will be greeted with a consistent and familiar experience," wrote David Washington, a senior programme manager on Microsoft's User Experience team.

"This breadth of hardware choice is unique to Windows and is central to how we see Windows evolving."

Full story: V3.co.uk