It's been two years since Windows 7 launched & proved itself to be one of the most stable operating systems created by Microsoft. Now, with Windows 8,Microsoft is not only aiming for a repeat performance, but also wants to change how we interact with PCs. Karan Bajaj lists eight key aspects that shape this operating system
Although the user interface has been redesigned, Microsoft has ensured that Windows 8 includes full backwards compatibility. All existing applications will work and even the upgrade from Windows 7 to 8 is seamless. All existing hardware & peripherals that are Windows 7 ready will also play nice with Windows 8 without any compatibility issues or additional drivers.
The all-new 'Metro' interface has a tile layout similar to the one on Windows Phone 7. It is optimised for touch, though you can also use a mouse and keyboard. The tiles are live and get updated with relevant information when connected to the web. Navigation works with swipe gestures while most apps run in full-screen mode by default. You can also run two apps side-by-side .
Boots in under 10 secs
Boot and shutdown times in Windows 8 are optimised -many newer PCs will start and show your desktop in as little as 10 seconds. Instead of shutting down the entire system, Windows 8 hibernates a few elements. When you start your PC, these elements are resumed instead of re-starting from scartch -decreasing the boot time. Additionally, Windows 8 uses all cores of the processor during a boot cycle.
New Windows Explorer
The ribbon interface from Office 2010 has made an appearance in Windows Explorer. The preview window has been redesigned to make effective use of widescreen displays (since these are now the norm on both laptops and desktops). You'll also notice little changes - like a new file-copy interface that now allows transfers to be paused in between and a new interface to handle duplicate file names with more options to replace and rename files.
Windows 8 looks and feels like it was made to be used with a touchscreen . The all-new Start screen with tiled Metro interface works best if you swipe for navigation. The large tiles also make selection easy with a touch sceen. Even the redesigned lock screen requires a swipe-up to unlock -quite like the unlock screen on a smartphone. This feature will push vendors to launch touchscreen notebooks.
One OS for tablets and PCs
Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 will run on standard Intel and AMD processors as well as ARM processors that are used to power tablet devices. Thanks to Skydrive (Microsoft's free online storage) integration, Windows 8 will automatically sync all documents, pictures and other content online with the cloud. So whether you decide to run Windows 8 on a desktop, laptop or a tablet, you will still have all your settings and files accessible as long as an internet connection is available.
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