After the great success of windows 7 in all over the world, Microsoft steps forward towards Windows 8. Development of this operating system started before the release of its ancestor in 2009. Its existence was first announced in January 2011 at Consumer Electronics Show. During its development and test phases, Microsoft released three pre-release versions: Developer Preview (September 13, 2011), Consumer Preview (February 29, 2012), and Release Preview (May 31, 2012). On August 1, 2012, Windows 8 graduated from the development stage and was released to manufacturing. Windows 8 was scheduled for general availability on October 26, 2012.
Significant Changes in Windows 8
·
Start menu is replaced by a new specially designed start screen which is also called Metro UI.
A new online store that includes many latest applications.
Windows 8 has a significant change of new start screen replacing the start menu that was previous versions of Microsoft Windows. The new start screen has all that you want and cares about. This screen is composed of many specially arranged tiles. You’ll love navigating through these tiles and can arrange them in any order you want. Because you decide how to organize and group things on the screen, viewing and interacting with content is faster than ever.
The new Start screen has all of the information you care about in one place, such as your contacts, the weather, and the next appointment on your calendar. This screen includes websites, playlists, photo albums, contacts, and your favorite apps.
Windows 8 offers fast navigation between desktop and the new start screen. Whenever you want to work through start screen it’s just far on one click or touch and in the same way you come back.
Touch or keyboard and mouse: your choice
Windows 8 is hands-on. On touch-enabled PCs, the things you used to do with a mouse and keyboard are now easy to do with touch. You can switch between apps, organize your Start screen, pan and zoom. With the inventive touch keyboard, you can navigate, type, and interact on the go. It’s a full-sized touch keyboard with large buttons that converts to a unique thumb keyboard so it’s easy to use when you want to take it with you. This flexibility makes it more comfortable. Typing feels natural whether you’re sitting down or walking around.
The touch keyboard in Windows 8 helps you speed up your typing and makes it more precise. The keyboard technology is designed to increase efficiency and lessen mistakes. If you mistype a word, Windows will suggest words as you type so you can get it right with a single tap. In this way typing becomes faster and accurate through this touch keyboard offered by windows 8.
All the Apps you want
Windows 8 has a great storage of apps. With Windows 8, your entire PC is cloud-connected. You’ll have new Mail, Calendar, Microsoft Sky Drive®, Photos, People, and Messaging apps that are connected to the services you use, just by adding them to your Microsoft account.
Mail allows you to see all of your mail in one place, whether it’s Hotmail, Gmail or your company’s Exchange mail.
Just like the Mail app, Calendar combines your information into a single view and enables you to have one view of the day, week or month, by pulling together your multiple calendars.
With Microsoft Sky Drive® you never need to worry about being able to access your documents and photos because when they’re in your Sky Drive, you can access them seamlessly from any device.
Photos put your pictures at your fingertips. Your albums from Face book, Flicker, and Microsoft Sky Drive®, and of course your PC, are there when you connect your Microsoft Account to these services. The People app is your most complete address book. You can include contacts from Hotmail, Messenger, Face book, Twitter, LinkedIn, Gmail, and others. Quickly see what’s new, Share an update, comment, or initiate a conversation.
Messaging makes it easy to chat with all your friends on Messenger and Face book.
Windows Store
Windows 8 offers direct buying of apps in windows store and are screened and checked for viruses. You can easily download apps in windows 8 install the built-in apps and enjoy them. You can download your apps on more than one Windows 8 PC so there’s no need to buy it twice. That’s because after you install an app from the Windows Store, you can sign in to the Store on up to five other PCs and see a list of all of the apps you own. You can pick and choose the apps you want to install on other PCs without having to search for and install them individually.
Windows 8 is cloud-connected
Sign in and your device is instantly alive because your personalization, desktop background, and settings are all there. Whether you set it up perfectly for you or change it often, when you sign in, even a brand-new PC lights up with everything that makes Windows yours. Anyone you share a PC with can have a personalized, cloud-connected experience through their own Microsoft account. Windows 8 gives you a seamless experience between your devices and your personal cloud services. Start a project on one PC, and finish it on another. When you use the cloud to store your information, the boundaries between devices dissolve. Your apps, games, music, photos, files, and settings aren’t stored on one device, they’re in one place: the cloud.
Use mail and messaging apps to communicate with all your friends, family, and coworkers. If you have contacts all over the place, you’re in luck because whether you originally added a contact in Hotmail, Messenger, Face book, Twitter, Gmail, or some other service, if you choose to connect them, that contact is available in your apps as soon as you sign in to your Microsoft account. You can have a fully connected address book with the People app. See the people you care about, their updates, and all the different ways to communicate and share with them—all in one place. And you won’t have to worry about losing your contacts. If you get a new Windows 8 PC or Windows Phone, the People app is your most complete address book.
Internet Explorer 10 Consumer Preview is the only browser to dedicate your entire screen to your websites. Internet Explorer for windows 8 is re designed. It’s so attractive, fast and fluid. It offers fewer browsers and more websites.
Start menu is replaced by a new specially designed start screen which is also called Metro UI.
A new online store that includes many latest applications.
Windows Reimagined
Windows 8 has been reimagined to focus on life. The beautiful, fast, and fluid design is perfect for a range of hardware: from compact, touch-enabled slates and lightweight laptops, to large, powerful all-in-ones with high-definition screens. It’s smooth, intuitive, and gives you instant access to your people, apps, and stuff, so you spend less time searching and more time doing. You will enjoy navigating through the Windows Store and downloading apps to help you work more proficiently, or install the latest games and compete with friends. Apps can work together, too, so you can share photos, maps, contacts, links, and whatever else you want faster and easier.
Windows 8 is has flexibility to use touch screen or a keyboard and mouse, you can switch anytime.
Beautiful Design
Windows 8 has a bold modern style and been beautifully designed. It has attractive look and is user friendly providing full flexibility.
Windows 8 is has flexibility to use touch screen or a keyboard and mouse, you can switch anytime.
Beautiful Design
Windows 8 has a bold modern style and been beautifully designed. It has attractive look and is user friendly providing full flexibility.
The New Start Screen
Windows 8 has a significant change of new start screen replacing the start menu that was previous versions of Microsoft Windows. The new start screen has all that you want and cares about. This screen is composed of many specially arranged tiles. You’ll love navigating through these tiles and can arrange them in any order you want. Because you decide how to organize and group things on the screen, viewing and interacting with content is faster than ever.
The new Start screen has all of the information you care about in one place, such as your contacts, the weather, and the next appointment on your calendar. This screen includes websites, playlists, photo albums, contacts, and your favorite apps.
Windows 8 offers fast navigation between desktop and the new start screen. Whenever you want to work through start screen it’s just far on one click or touch and in the same way you come back.
Touch or keyboard and mouse: your choice
Windows 8 is hands-on. On touch-enabled PCs, the things you used to do with a mouse and keyboard are now easy to do with touch. You can switch between apps, organize your Start screen, pan and zoom. With the inventive touch keyboard, you can navigate, type, and interact on the go. It’s a full-sized touch keyboard with large buttons that converts to a unique thumb keyboard so it’s easy to use when you want to take it with you. This flexibility makes it more comfortable. Typing feels natural whether you’re sitting down or walking around.
The touch keyboard in Windows 8 helps you speed up your typing and makes it more precise. The keyboard technology is designed to increase efficiency and lessen mistakes. If you mistype a word, Windows will suggest words as you type so you can get it right with a single tap. In this way typing becomes faster and accurate through this touch keyboard offered by windows 8.
All the Apps you want
Windows 8 has a great storage of apps. With Windows 8, your entire PC is cloud-connected. You’ll have new Mail, Calendar, Microsoft Sky Drive®, Photos, People, and Messaging apps that are connected to the services you use, just by adding them to your Microsoft account.
Mail allows you to see all of your mail in one place, whether it’s Hotmail, Gmail or your company’s Exchange mail.
Just like the Mail app, Calendar combines your information into a single view and enables you to have one view of the day, week or month, by pulling together your multiple calendars.
With Microsoft Sky Drive® you never need to worry about being able to access your documents and photos because when they’re in your Sky Drive, you can access them seamlessly from any device.
Photos put your pictures at your fingertips. Your albums from Face book, Flicker, and Microsoft Sky Drive®, and of course your PC, are there when you connect your Microsoft Account to these services. The People app is your most complete address book. You can include contacts from Hotmail, Messenger, Face book, Twitter, LinkedIn, Gmail, and others. Quickly see what’s new, Share an update, comment, or initiate a conversation.
Messaging makes it easy to chat with all your friends on Messenger and Face book.
Windows Store
Windows 8 offers direct buying of apps in windows store and are screened and checked for viruses. You can easily download apps in windows 8 install the built-in apps and enjoy them. You can download your apps on more than one Windows 8 PC so there’s no need to buy it twice. That’s because after you install an app from the Windows Store, you can sign in to the Store on up to five other PCs and see a list of all of the apps you own. You can pick and choose the apps you want to install on other PCs without having to search for and install them individually.
Windows 8 is cloud-connected
Sign in and your device is instantly alive because your personalization, desktop background, and settings are all there. Whether you set it up perfectly for you or change it often, when you sign in, even a brand-new PC lights up with everything that makes Windows yours. Anyone you share a PC with can have a personalized, cloud-connected experience through their own Microsoft account. Windows 8 gives you a seamless experience between your devices and your personal cloud services. Start a project on one PC, and finish it on another. When you use the cloud to store your information, the boundaries between devices dissolve. Your apps, games, music, photos, files, and settings aren’t stored on one device, they’re in one place: the cloud.
Use mail and messaging apps to communicate with all your friends, family, and coworkers. If you have contacts all over the place, you’re in luck because whether you originally added a contact in Hotmail, Messenger, Face book, Twitter, Gmail, or some other service, if you choose to connect them, that contact is available in your apps as soon as you sign in to your Microsoft account. You can have a fully connected address book with the People app. See the people you care about, their updates, and all the different ways to communicate and share with them—all in one place. And you won’t have to worry about losing your contacts. If you get a new Windows 8 PC or Windows Phone, the People app is your most complete address book.
Internet Explorer – reimagined for Windows 8
Internet Explorer 10 Consumer Preview is the only browser to dedicate your entire screen to your websites. Internet Explorer for windows 8 is re designed. It’s so attractive, fast and fluid. It offers fewer browsers and more websites.
