Windows 8 represents the biggest
change since Windows 95, with a new tiled interface that’s touch-optimised for
tablets. Here’s what to expect.
Windows 8 represents a radical change from
previous Microsoft OSes. The traditional desktop has been relegated to the
sidelines to make way for a new Modern (previously Metro) UI. This interface is
touch-optimised, making it equally usable via finger or keyboard and mouse
input. However, in this environment, only specially coded apps are compatible.
Microsoft
Windows 8 & RT
Windows 8 or ’Modern Ul’ apps are
downloaded via the new Windows Store, or from third-party developer websites.
The Windows Store is similar to Apples App Store and Google Play, with free and
low-cost software available for download, but it’s comparatively barren. This
is expected to change as more and more people upgrade or buy new PCs
preinstalled with Windows 8, or tablets running Windows RT.
Let’s clear up one important point at the
start: Windows 8 is written for x86 processors, such as the Intel and AMD
variants found inside your existing PC or laptop; Windows RT is written for the
ARM processors found inside your tablet or smartphone. Except that it won’t
actually run on your smartphone for that, you’ll need Windows Phone 8. Windows
8 and RT look the same, and use the same gestures, but there are some subtle
differences.
One is that you can’t buy Windows RT, in
the same way you can’t buy iOS. It comes preinstalled on a tablet.
Windows RT is compatible with apps downloaded
from the Windows Store, as is Windows 8. However, RT comes with Office
preinstalled; Windows 8 does not.
Windows RT doesn’t include the traditional
Windows desktop required to run legacy programs; Windows 8 does. Both the
standard version of Windows 8 and RT also lack some of the features found in
Windows 8 Pro: there’s no Windows Media Player, nor BicLocker encryption, no
domain support and, although there’s Remote Desktop, it works only as a client,
so you can’t remotely connect to a Windows RT tablet.
Windows
RT doesn’t include the traditional Windows desktop required to run legacy
programs; Windows 8 does.
Windows RT includes the Internet Explorer
10.0 web browser, the Office 2013 productivity suite, plus apps for Mail,
Calendar, Maps, Photos, Music, Videos, Weather, People, News, Travel, Finance
and Sky Drive. There’s also Windows Defender, Exchange ActiveSync and support
for virtual private networks (VPNs).
Internet Explorer 10.0 in Windows R.T
supports Flash, which is used on many websites and for a lot of internet video.
Flash is also supported in the desktop version of Windows 8.
Start screen
The Start menu of old has gone, even on the
Classic desktop, now replaced with the Modern UI. This is best thought of as a
full-screen Start menu. Don’t be put off: it takes only a few minutes to gain
your bearings and figure out where things are and how to accomplish tasks.
The Start screen is well designed and
conveys far more information than might be gleaned from a first glance. Some of
its tiles display live information, allowing you to view a weather forecast
without opening the Weather app, or read the headlines without launching the
browser, for example.
Windows 8 Search
For a list of all installed apps on your
machine, swipe up from the bottom to bring up the bottom options bar then
choose All apps.
A neat shortcut, if you know what you’re
looking for, is to simply start typing its name on the Start screen. This opens
the search box, and you can filter the results by type: Apps, Settings or Files.
You can apply a search to a particular app (Internet Explorer, for example) by
tapping on the app in the search box.
Multiple windows
Tapping on an app opens it in full-screen
mode. Drag down from the top, then left or right, to resize the app to occupy a
small column at either side. The remainder of the screen is then left for a
second app. Flip apps between these positions by grabbing the black bar
separating them and dragging it to the left or right.
Working in this way feels more restrictive
than it does with the traditional desktop, which lets you have open as many
windows as you like, and in any position. On a Windows 8 tablet, however, the
ability to simultaneously view two apps is uncharted territory.
Working
in this way feels more restrictive than it does with the traditional desktop,
which lets you have open as many windows as you like, and in any position.
Charms
The Charms bar is a new feature in Windows
8. It appears when you swipe your finger in from the right edge of the screen.
From the top, you’ll find Charms for Search, Share, Start, Devices and
Settings, most of which are self-explanatory.
Performance
Web pages load noticeably quicker in
Windows 8 than they do in any Windows 7 browser. In fact, compared with Windows
7 on the same hardware, Windows 8 is a faster OS in general. The interface is
responsive, apps load quickly and, crucially, it’s much faster to boot up and
shut down.
