Windows 8 is the latest version of Windows that includes a traditional desktop as well as a totally new interface that can be used on any touchscreen device like laptops and all-in-one PCs. With the launch of Windows 8, it has been speculated that more and more devices will become touchscreen to facilitate the new OS. The earlier version from Microsoft, Windows 7, was a big hit all over the world. So the biggest challenge for Microsoft is to meet the demands of the user after the super success of Windows 7. We will now see what features separates Windows 8 from its earlier version.
1) Windows 8 touch
The user interface of Win 8 and Win 7 is totally different from each other. The earlier version did support touch but the controls were not good. However, the touch support in Windows 8 is incredibly good. The touch controls on the desktop is much better than Win 7 and you can even close windows and select items from the menu. The Start Screen is specially built for touch as it has tiles instead of menus. This is a much quicker way to get the programs. But all these do not mean that you need to buy a Windows 8 touch PC right now. The interface will work on non-touch machines.
2) Windows 8 start screen
Have you seen the home screen of a Windows Phone? Well, the Windows 8 Start Screen is pretty similar. The Start button will only appear when you hover in the bottom left corner of the screen. The very familiar Recycle Bin and Taskbar are still there. The Start Screen is also used to launch applications for desktop and other UI applications.
3) Multiple monitor support
Using multiple monitors on PCs is not a new trend anymore and Microsoft is very much aware of this. Basically this means that the Start screen can be on one monitor and the desktop in another one. Similarly you can make full use of multiple monitors by having different backgrounds in each monitor. The new Windows 8 also allows you to split the screen between different UI apps so that you can have the Windows Messenger along with the desktop.
4) Windows 8 cloud integration
The cloud integration concept is very central to Windows 8. There is a Skydive app and the convenience of saving data to and from the cloud storage. This means that you can easily sync your data with Skydive. Photo sharing across multiple PCs also becomes a lot easier with Windows 8.
5) Windows store
One of the key aspects of Windows 8 is the Microsoft’s Windows Store. It offers desktop and modern UI apps. Most of these applications are free but there are some paid ones which are regarded as premium apps. You can browse through the list of top free and top paid apps and even browse through the apps which have been segregated by category.
The Windows 8 OS has some other distinct advantages like eating up less memory than Win 7 and also faster. The initial response has been mixed but it seems that people are already showing a keen interest in upgrading to the new offering from Microsoft.
Image Source: Lifehacker
About The Author: Claudia is a writer/blogger & a regular contributor for bornrich.com. She helps in providing knowledge about upcoming operating systems. She is a big fan of Bill Gates. These days she is busy to write an article on windows 8.