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| windows 8 |
The most striking changes to Microsoft's new operating system are evident as soon as you first switch on a Windows 8 PC. The boot process is surprisingly fast for Windows: gone are the days of staring at an ugly splash screen or waiting for Windows to apply computer settings before you can log in and progress with your day. In fact, the boot process is so fast on new hardware that you barely see the redesigned Windows logo that greets you ahead of an entirely new OS.
There are a variety of ways to purchase Windows 8. Typically, it will be available pre-installed on machines from stores and online outlets, but anyone with an older system running XP, Vista, or Windows 7 can also upgrade for $39.99. Microsoft is using an online installer to let users check compatibility with their systems and upgrade. If you're setting up Windows 8 for the first time you'll be greeted with some familiar, but simplified, options. One of the first choices is how you want to sign in to a Windows 8 PC. A Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID) acts as a gateway for synchronizing settings, like your browsing history or appearance preferences, across whatever Windows 8 PCs you use. It's also used to provide access to Microsoft services like SkyDrive, Xbox Music, and the Windows Store. You have the option to create a local account, but Microsoft encourages users to enter their email address or sign up online.
For every new account created on a Windows 8 PC, Microsoft triggers a tutorial video that is designed to teach users how to navigate around the OS. The video runs for around 30 seconds in total, but will loop based on the amount of time it takes to configure an account initially. "Swipe in from any edge," says Microsoft, followed by "move your mouse into any corner." It's the first taste of a new way to use Windows, with a redesigned Start button and Charms. It also prepares you for the shock you're about to experience.
USER INTERFACE
Microsoft's Windows 8 user interface, originally referred to as Metro-inspired — a nod to the company's internal design language — is as stunning as it is surprising. Taking visual elements from Microsoft's Windows Phone design, the Start screen is the first thing you'll experience when you log in. There's no Start button, no desktop — just rows of colorful, constantly changing tiles. The interface can be customized with backgrounds and colors for those wishing to dig deeper. If you've configured a Microsoft account that uses Outlook.com or Hotmail, then you'll notice that email, calendar, and contacts will automatically appear. If your Microsoft account is linked to Facebook, your Facebook contacts will also appear in the People app and its associated tile. Immediately, this unfamiliar interface already looks like it's customized to you, with your friends' faces ticking away on the People Live Tile and photos you've stored on SkyDrive or Facebook showing up automatically on the associated Live Tile.
Navigating this new user interface is perhaps the most controversial aspect to Windows 8. There's a steep learning curve here, from navigation to basic tasks like turning off your PC. If you're using Windows 8 on a touchscreen device, swiping from the right will reveal the new Charms, a set of five icons that surface the most common tasks in Windows 8. (The odd naming signifies the types of iconography you’d find on a charm bracelet.) The Charms also reveal important information such as the time and date, network status, and battery levels. Unlike previous versions of Windows, the time and date are not displayed on the Start screen or while you use of any Windows 8-style applications — this can be incredibly frustrating if you spend a lot of time in the new Windows 8 UI.
INTRODUCTION OF APPS
The biggest change in Windows 8 facilitates a new breed of apps. Known previously as Metro style apps, the new Windows 8-style apps are not compatible with previous versions of Windows and are available in a new Windows Store that Microsoft is curating. They are designed to be touch-friendly and full-screen, and they represent Microsoft’s riskiest bet in Windows 8. For Windows 8 to truly succeed on tablets, laptops, and desktop PCs, it needs developers to create functional and good-looking apps that work across a variety of display and input types.
If you’re upgrading from an older version of Windows, these new apps are certainly a fresh approach. The Windows Store offers a variety of games and apps, but with only 5,000 apps available the selection is rather limited right now. Microsoft has built a number of apps that are available out of the box, and some are quite good — like Internet Explorer 10, Music, and Xbox. Thanks to the new Windows 8-style apps, Internet Explorer runs full screen and has been redesigned as a touch version. Navigation is simple, with a large address bar and tabs view that both disappear as you navigate a page. You can also flick backwards and forwards between web pages on a touchscreen. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team should be commended here: the performance is impressive, and the ability to sync favorites and history across all of your Windows 8 PCs is a truly essential feature.
Microsoft is opting to support Adobe Flash, but only in limited cases. Only sites that are on the Compatibility View list will run Flash, but that does include YouTube and other popular video sharing sites like Vimeo. This is particularly useful for tablet use, since rival offerings like the iPad have shunned the use of Flash. Most web developers are moving towards HTML5, which Internet Explorer 10 supports, but for the few big names that require Flash this is a differentiator. Microsoft has also enabled Do Not Track by default in IE10. This controversial change means data collection on web browsing habits is private by default. After years of shipping subpar browsers, Microsoft is heading in the right direction with Internet Explorer 10.
DESKTOP ACTS AN APP
Once you tap on the Desktop tile or launch an older app from the Start screen, you’re essentially using Windows 7 again, and the desktop mode will feel a lot more familiar. Windows 8's biggest change is certainly the Start screen, but the company has also introduced a set of important desktop enhancements that will please existing Windows users. The Start button removal is the biggest visual change, but there are a variety of ways to trigger this traditional functionality with the hot corners of Windows 8, or by using a gesture-enabled mouse or trackpad. Microsoft’s Aero Glass UI has been removed, replaced with a flattened UI that tends to match a variety of desktop themes and backgrounds. Users who are upgrading will, depending on the previous OS, likely launch most applications into desktop mode.
Windows Explorer is also improved and renamed, now referred to as File Explorer in Windows 8. Microsoft has added the ribbon interface to File Explorer, which is collapsed by default. Although it takes up a significant amount of space when enabled, it helps surface a number of common file management scenarios and certainly speeds up some of these tasks. Microsoft has also brought the up arrow back, something the company attempted to kill off in Windows 7. Microsoft has also improved the move and copy dialogs in File Explorer, a single window lets you pause, cancel, and assess file operations.
An updated Task Manager is simplified in every sense of the word. The default view will list all currently running applications.There’s simply an end task button to kill off unresponsive apps — a common use for Task Manager. A secondary view provides even greater information, with performance metrics and app history throughout a number of detailed tabs.
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