If you get excited at the thought of new technology releases, you are probably keyed up for the release of the new Windows operating system on October 26. Windows 8 is the first major overhaul of Windows since the launch of Windows 95. I was lucky enough to go get a pre-release copy of the system and take it from me, it’s a big change. And change isn’t always a bad thing. Windows 8 is designed to work effectively on a variety of devices and make it easy for users to share and interact with their friends and family.
A New Look
The first thing you notice about Windows 8 is the new look. At startup, you are no longer presented with the desktop screen cluttered with icons you keep meaning to clean up. You now get to see the ‘Modern UI’ start screen:
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Designed to work well with tablets and smartphones as well as computers, it’s a lot different than the startup menu we are all have become familiar with. The Start screen’s open, task-oriented layout gives you easy access to your favorites websites, pictures, emails and just about anything in your machine. But traditionalists need not worry – once you get past the new Start screen, the old fashioned desktop is still there.
More Security
We all hate viruses and malware. As by far the most popular operating system in the world, Windows has always attracted the attention of hackers, spammers and other cyber troublemakers. Luckily, Windows 8 has beefed-up security behind the scenes and a better preferences interface so you keep track of what’s going on with your computer.
Windows 8 comes with Security Essentials, a new antivirus software tool from Microsoft created to make the Windows browsing experience more secure. Over the past few years, ‘rootkits,’ a new type of malware, have found their way onto the information superhighway. Rootkits infect computers at a deep level and in ways a normal antivirus can’t remove. Windows 8 uses a new hardware feature calledUEFI that makes it a lot more difficult for rootkits and other kind of malware to get into your system.
A New Way to Get Programs
An added bonus to Windows 8 is that it is tightly integrated with the Microsoft App Store. Just like the app stores that feed your smartphone, the new Windows system makes it easy to download games and apps straight to your computer. While the Microsoft App Store is still in the process of building its offerings, it can be a great way to get that cool new app everyone has been telling you about. Best of all, you can link it to your Microsoft Live account and put the same app in up to five devices.
Stay Tuned for More
As we get closer to the launch of the Windows 8, be sure to check the Intelligence blog for more updates on Windows 8 with tips and tricks on getting the most out of the new operating system. We have also posted information on Windows 8 in the Self Help section of Geeksquad.com.
Double Agent Devin C can be found trekking in his Geekmobile in North Carolina and policing technology on a daily basis. When he is not saving clients from their technology issues, he can often be found glued to his computer chair with the warm glow of the monitor providing all the artificial light he needs to power his robot brain.
