Microsoft recently revealed details on the minimum PC, tablet and smartphone specifications required to run its upcoming Windows 10 operating system. During Microsoft's WinHEC conference in China last week, the company said that Windows 10 will require a GPU that supports at least DirectX 9. This requirement is valid for any type of device.

Tablets and PCs compatible with Windows 10 should have screens of 8 inches or more with a minimum resolution of 800x600 pixels. The 32-bit version of the new OS will require 16GB of disk space and 1GB of RAM, compared to 20GB and 2GB for the 64-bit version. Tablets will also need to have an on/off button and a volume dial.

For smartphones, Windows 10 version will be compatible with displays ranging in size from 3 to 7.99 inches. The amount of RAM required will depend on the display resolution, ranging from 512MB for screens with under 854x480 pixels to 4GB for ultra high-definition screens (2560x2048 pixels). Since at least 4GB are required to run Windows 10, smartphones with less memory will require a microSD card expansion.

Microsoft announced it will launch the Windows 10 hardware certification program on April 30, 2015, and the OS is expected to launch this summer in 190 countries and 110 languages. Microsoft will offer the new OS as a free upgrade during one year to Windows 7 and 8.1 license-holders.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to offer a "universal" OS for all type of devices, ofering the same experience across mobiles and computers.

Among the new features announced are biometric authentification through facial recognition and a fingerprint reader, the virtual personal assistant Cortana, a revamped Windows Store, a new web browser and the return of the Start menu.

Microsoft is also looking beyond 4K with Windows 10 and bringing 8K support to the OS. The 8K support for Windows 10 will be for displays larger than 27 inches.

However, we are still many years away from adoption of 8K. Users are still moving to from conventional HD to the new 4K standard, and it could be many years until PC displays start supporting 8K.

8K displays will show images at a 7680 x 4320 resolution. Support for 8K will be built in to Windows 10 for PCs, and 8K monitors will need to be attached to display ports.

TV makers have already showcased 8K TVs in trade shows. A new SuperMHL connector for 8K video has been proposed, and the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has proposed the Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) 1.4a standard to support 8K in laptops, mobile devices and PCs.