Windows 8- The Much Awaited Present from Microsoft

On October 25, 2012 Microsoft launched Windows 8 and the company did introduce big radical changes. The old interface that people have gotten used to the majority of their lives has now been replaced by a fresh metro-style interface. Gone is the start menu. The left side applications have also been done away with. What this means is that Windows 8 look is very much like that of a tablet and it makes use of tiles for navigation. It seems the look factor and usability have been totally given a new experience.

What is New?

• Microsoft App Store – Other platforms have been quite successful with their own application stores and now Microsoft has created one of their own. Currently, it contains very few apps compared with other stores however all that will soon change. Windows 8 will be running on millions of appliances and independent developers will want to broaden their customer base.
• Skydrive – Users of Windows 8 can make the most of online storage as the operating system gives them the option to keep their content online, giving them a faster running system.
• Live Tiles – The big, multi-colored “Live Tiles” which have replaced folders are probably the most prominent feature of Windows 8. You can customize these the way you like and if you are utilizing a touch based appliance, it will give you a really intuitive user experience.
• Security Features – The security measures in Windows has been intensified, ensuring that the user is strongly protected against numerous hacker threats. Aside from the improved software protection, Microsoft has also added a fresh Picture Password element for signing into windows.

These are only a few of the features that make the newly introduced Windows 8 really exciting to use. However Microsoft may have gotten it wrong in a few places.

• No Start Menu – The removal of the start menu has been the most perceptible feature of the recently released windows 8. That familiar flowing start menu is gone and all your files can be seen in the underside left hand corner.
• Plainly Different Interface – Because Windows 8 user interface is markedly different from other windows versions, many people might find it difficult understanding how to use the new one.

• Older central processing units might not work efficiently with Windows 8 – When designing windows 8, Microsoft was thinking about future trends of digital devices and you will find that older CPUs running Windows 8 lack speed. You may find this annoying.

Wrapping Up

For the past couple of years, people have mainly talked about Google’s Android, Samsung phones or Apple devices. The talk has hardly ever been about Microsoft. Thus far, the recently launched Windows 8 has managed to bring Microsoft back into the limelight. The majority of the early comments have been quite favorable to the company. People have been stating that they find the new features and design really attention-grabbing. So will you install the new operating system? It is up to you to decide.