What to Expect from Windows 8

Anyone preparing for an upgrade to Windows 8 should be prepared for a completely different Windows. It is a complete overhaul of the Windows system from the ground up. The most obvious difference is the Metro interface. It functions as the default home screen, and for optimal user benefit, it should be kept as such. It is command center for the entire operating system, and serves as an easy to use nexus for all of the most commonly used applications.

The Metro interface is a screen of differently-colored tiles. Each tile gives information about a different application, and provides a means of quick access for it. Not only does the Metro interface give its user a quick and easy way to use an ordinary computer, it is designed to be the most effective way of using a touchscreen device on the market.

Windows 8 leverages cloud computing for users on the go. All of a user's customizations and settings are stored online. This means that any Windows 8 machine anywhere can, in moments, give a user access to their home desktop setup.

The Start menu is absent from its accustomed place in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Instead, mousing over the middle of the right side of the screen calls up the Charms menu, which serves as an extended version of the old Start menu.

One huge new advantage to the new Windows is that it has been created to boot up in just 8 seconds. Additionally, it is designed to be left on at all times instead of being shut down daily. Its new design also means that it uses less memory than older versions of Windows do, freeing up more for other purposes.

Windows 8 also comes with new special features. The Windows Store lets users purchase new Windows apps in just moments. Music, contact, calendar, and email apps come bundled with the system already.

Many users are going to find the new interface a lot more intuitive and easy to use than the old versions. Of course, with such a radical redesign some users will be confused or put off, but even they will be able to make easy use of it with the emulator app. This app emulates the Windows 7 system, and allows users to work with what they are familiar with while taking their time to learn the new system.

As a Windows Champion blogger, I do not receive compensation, but I do receive resources, information and tools in order to test and use Windows-based services.