By now you probably know that the new Windows 8 operating system from Microsoft
was built to compliment touch-enabled monitors. If you don’t have such a
monitor, you might be wondering if the other features are enough to
warrant an upgrade at any price. Let’s take a look.
Windows 8 Features
The biggest change with Microsoft 8 is the new, tile-filled interface
screen (called Metro) that makes your monitor look like an over-sized
smartphone loaded with apps. If you really hate the interface, or if you
keep tapping the monitor with your finger despite not having a
touchscreen, it’s possible to turn it off altogether. Check out this
handy article from PCWorld for a walkthrough on how to turn off Metro
and get back the old Windows home screen you’re used to. Once you do,
you’ll be impressed by a new – yet familiar – operating system that runs
faster than Windows 7 and offers several handy new features, including:
Startup Time
Unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 stores your system state and memory
contents so it can load them from the disk on reboot, instead of having
to reload everything from scratch, which takes a whole lot longer. While
results will vary from machine to machine, reports are that starup time
with Windows 8 machines is half of what it was on Windows 7.
Windows Store
You have much easier access to the Windows Store where you can buy
free and paid apps. While many of these are touch-based apps, you’ll
also find a nice selection of mouse-friendly ones, too.
Built-In Antivirus
After you install Windows 8, you will automatically have Windows
Defender on your computer, which is a hearty little antivirus program
that offers ingoing and outgoing protection against malware.
Automatic Cloud Storage
Everything from your address book to your system settings can be
stored in the cloud. Then you can access it on any Windows 8 PC. You can
get your personal PC experience on your home computer, work laptop, and
even at a friend’s house if they have a Windows 8 machine.
System-Wide Search
It’s a lot easier to hunt down that lost MP3 with the faster, more
responsive system-wide search available in Windows 8. The search also
connects to the Internet, so it’s really your one-stop-spot for browsing
on your computer.
