Windows 8 (1 of 2)

Many of you will be seeing Windows 8 launching in the very near future, in a variety of forms.  October 26 is the official launch date, and many vendors are accepting pre-orders.  Here is what you need to know.

The main differences between Windows 8 and Windows 7 are the metro interface, integrated Security Essentials, and a new interface for Windows Explorer, as well as a number of technical details that happen behind the scenes (things your IT provider will need to know, but won't affect you).

The metro interface is a tiles-based interface that will look vastly different than your standard Windows desktop you typically see.  We find it to be a bit 'clunky' and unintuitive when using a traditional mouse and keyboard, but it is designed for ease of use on touchscreen PCs.  To that end, unless you intend to use a touchscreen enabled piece of equipment, the metro interface will likely be worth turning off.

Integrated Security Essentials is the feature that should have been built into Windows years ago, in our opinion.  Instead of having Windows, and then having to install an antivirus program, why not have the antivirus built into Windows?  That's exactly what Microsoft is doing with Windows 8.  This should enhance security by having everything working right out of the box, and one less item for you to worry about when you get your new Windows 8 PC.

The ribbon interface for Winodws Explorer is essentially a modification of how the window looks when you open "My Computer" or "My Documents".  The new interface is modeled after the style that is used for Office 2010 and Office 2007, which can be somewhat of an initial shock but many users have found it to be fairly intuitive.  Be prepared for a learning curve, but it should not take more than a day or two in order to get used to it.

Check back soon for part 2!  We'll address upgrades and new equipment.