REVIEW - 8 Things you need to know about Windows 8

The much awaited Windows 8 is about to launch today. Since Windows 95, this is a giant leap in the overall UI of the world's most widely used Operating System. Here is a list of things which Windows 8 has to offer for us:

1.      Desktop replaced by Home Screen - No icons, no files and no folders, yes this is the new Windows 8 home screen. This icon concept has been replaced by the information tiles which give dynamic information. Home screen also comprise of a powerful universal which can be used to access the programmes, files, system settings etc. The best thing is that now the desktops will be cleaner and cutter free.

2.      Desktop in an App – Desktop has been transformed to an app in Windows 8.This means that Desktop can be accessed through the home screen. Also a big change is that the users don’t have access to the start button at the home screen.

3.      Modern UI – Modern UI is the Microsoft’s future interface design philosophy. With the concept of basic colors and minimalism, the UI looks richer and more usable. The whole interface is designed using basic elements like rectangles, squares and clean lines. The overall UI is genuinely attractive and catchy.

4.      Windows App Store - In Windows 8, all the programs with Modern UI design language will be distributed through Windows Store, a concept that is similar to app stores on Android devices, iPhone and iPad etc. Microsoft says it has a good business model to monitor the sales of the apps through the windows store. Moreover, this ecosystem ensures more safety for windows 8 from malware, viruses, etc.

5.      Lock screen Concept – To stay in the race, the Windows 8 has introduced the concept of home screen in its UI. Instead of boring wallpapers and screen savers, users can now see their social media widgets on the home screen. This change is again adopted from the IOS and Android UI.

6.      Cloud Connectivity – Again to stay in the game, Microsoft has adopted the Cloud model for data storage and sharing. Moreover, it is expected that big players like Adobe, Autodesk and others are ready with the cloud version of their apps. This will not only require less space on the hard disc, but will also minimize the software piracy.

7.      Control Panel is far – The controls panel stays in the Windows 8, but it has been pushed deep. Instead, what most users are likely to find when they look to change settings is the Settings Panel that uses Modern UI. Moreover, Windows 8 has adopted the IOS and Android approach again to simplify their modern UI. Also, now one can reset the PC to factory settings.

8.      Lack of Multitasking - There are two ways to multitask in Windows 8. One is the traditional method. This means all your open programs are accessible from the task bar. But this works only in Desktop mode. If you want to multitask in Modern UI mode, you are limited to seeing two windows at a time. Of these two one, occupies 80% screen and other 20%. These windows can't be resized.

Other open programs run in the background. On a tablet, a user can switch between open programs by swiping right on the left bezel. On a desktop or PC the way to bring the list of open apps in Modern UI mode is by navigating to the corner on the top left. Once the thumbnails of open apps show, you can select an app to switch to it or you can snap it in either 80% screen or 20% screen for two-app multitasking.

Bottom Line-

Overall Windows 8 has a good, usable and aesthetically pleasing UI. But in terms of innovation, Microsoft has done nothing new. I don’t think that they have done anything patentable apart from the minimalistic UI. Android simply copied it from IOS and now Windows 8 copied it from IOS and Android both. It seems like the innovative UI team in Microsoft is into hibernation mode these days. But with Windows 8, Microsoft surely stays in the game.