Microsoft has finally released its game-changing operating system, Windows 8. This is the biggest change to the Windows OS since the launch of Windows 95. We've already spent a lot of time using Windows 8, so keep reading to find out what we think of Microsoft's latest operating system in this Windows 8 review - it's the only Windows 8 review you need.
UPDATE: See also our review of the Windows 8.1 Preview
Windows 8 launched on the 26th October and, as usual with Microsoft operating systems - apart from a few exceptions - will be the operating system on all new PCs and laptops. It's also available on tablets, starting with Microsoft's own Surface and, Windows Phone 8 is now available smartphones. In this Windows 8 review we cover everything except Windows Phone 8, which isn't yet available to test.
Windows 8: All change please
You're probably familiar with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 since you use at least one or more of them on a daily basis. Although improvements have been made over the years, they're fundamentally the same as Windows 95. It doesn't take too much effort to switch between any of these versions, even though options have moved around a little.
With Windows 8, things change radically. The desktop, as you know it, is relegated to the side-lines to make way for the new so-called Modern UI (User Interface). This interface is designed to be used with touchscreens as well as with a mouse and keyboard, and requires programs to be written specially for it.
These Windows apps are downloaded via the new Windows Store, or from app developers' websites. The Windows Store is similar to Apple's App Store and Google's Play store. As of the October 26 launch date, there will be relatively few apps there, but the number will grow quickly as more and more people begin using Windows 8. Currently, many are free, and a small number cost a couple of pounds. Again, this is likely to change, so don't expect programs which cost, say £100 now, to be any cheaper when the Windows 8 app is released. See also: Best Windows apps: Windows 8 app group test.
You can still run programs written for older versions of Windows, but this is possible only on PCs and laptops: Windows 8 tablets (at least those which have ARM processors and run Windows 8 RT) won't have the traditional Windows desktop at all.
Windows 8: Upgrading
You don't have a buy a new laptop or PC to get Windows 8, of course. Windows XP, Vista and 7 can be upgraded to Windows 8, although there's a limit to how much you can bring with you.
If your computer runs XP with Service Pack 3, you can transfer your files. Vista users can bring files and settings, while Windows 7 owners can keep programs, settings and files. Any incompatible programs have to be uninstalled before the upgrade, but Windows 8's installer will tell you what action needs to be taken. For a step-by-step guide to the upgrade process, including how to register for the Windows 8 Upgrade Offer, see: How to upgrade to Windows 8.
Windows 8 vs Windows RT
Windows RT, in case you're confused (and we'd understand if you are), is the version of Windows which runs on tablets. It looks the same, and uses the same gestures, but there are some subtle differences.
One is that you can't buy Windows 8 RT, in the same way you can't buy Apple's iOS operating system for the iPad. It comes with the tablet when you buy it.
Windows 8 RT will run apps downloaded via the Windows Store, just like Windows 8. However, RT comes with Microsoft Office pre-installed; Windows 8 doesn't.
Windows RT doesn't have the traditional Windows desktop, and can't run legacy programs, but Windows 8 can. RT also lacks some of the other features of Windows 8 Pro: there's no Windows Media Player, or BitLocker encryption, no domain support and, although there's Remote Desktop, it works only as a client, so you can't remotely connect to a Windows 8 RT tablet. The basic version of Windows 8 also lacks these features: for more see Which version should I choose? later on.
What you will find is the same Internet Explorer 10, Office 2013, Mail, Calendar, Maps, Photos, Music, Videos, Weather, People, News, Travel, Finance and SkyDrive apps. There's also Windows Defender, Exchange ActiveSync and VPN support.
Microsoft has confirmed that IE10 on Windows 8 RT will support Flash, which is used on many websites and for a lot of internet video. Flash is also supported, as you'd expect, in the desktop version of Windows 8.
Windows 8: Modern UI Interface
Windows 8 Lock screen
In Windows 8 your computer boots straight to the lock screen, the same screen you'll see on a Windows 8 RT tablet. You swipe upwards, or click or press a key on your keyboard, to remove it and see the user accounts, as you'd see in previous versions of Windows.
The Lock screen shows the time, date and can also show more detailed information from an app of your choosing, such as Weather or Mail. Many other apps, such as Twitter clients can also show information on the Lock screen.
Windows 8 Start screen
When you've entered your password (there's also the option of a picture password), you're taken to the new Start screen, which Microsoft is now calling the Modern UI (formerly, but no longer, Metro). This is best thought of as a full-screen Start menu, since there's no longer any such menu, even on the traditional desktop.
It's at this point which many people will feel lost, but as with any new interface, it takes only a few minutes to gain your bearings and figure out where things are and how to accomplish tasks.
In fact, the Start screen is well designed and conveys much more information that it first appears. Some of the 'tiles' display live information, so you can see the current weather, for example, without launching the Weather app. Similarly, you can see the latest news headlines, emails and share prices and much more without as much as a single tap or click.
If you'd like things to be arranged differently, just tap (or click) on a tile and drag it to a new position. Everything else will rearrange around it, and some tiles can be shrunk or enlarged, making it easier to find the apps you use most.
As you install apps, new tiles are created, and you can also add tiles as shortcuts to programs already installed, including those that run on the traditional desktop. When there are too many to display on screen, you have to scroll right to see more. Alternatively, you can pinch to zoom out, then scroll and zoom in when you see the tile you want.
Those without a touchscreen can hold Ctrl and roll their mouse wheel to zoom in and out, while laptop owners without a scroll area or gesture support can use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl, + or Ctrl, -. It's well worth learning the keyboard shortcuts for getting around Windows 8 as this is the only way to be as fast as if you had a touchscreen.
In the zoomed-out view, you can click on a group of tiles to select it and move it to a new position. Right-clicking on it (or dragging down on a touchscreen) gives the option to name it - the name then appears above the group. In the zoomed-in view, you can drag a tile between groups to create a new group.
When using the interface with a standard scroll mouse, the scroll wheel will default to horizontal scrolling until you click on a vertical pane of information, such as a list of emails or on a web page. Then it switches to scrolling vertically. It means you can get around the Modern UI without too much hassle, and without needing to buy any new hardware such as Microsoft's Touch Mouse.
There's no getting away from the fact that, as Microsoft freely admits, touch is a first-class citizen in Windows 8 and it's not as quick or pleasant to use it with a basic mouse and keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts, as we've said, are the next best thing.
Keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8
Windows key + Q: Search. This opens the search charm, set to whichever app you're currently using. You can quickly switch to a files search with Windows+F, or settings with Windows+W.
Windows+C: Open the Charms bar
Windows+H: Share charm
Windows+I: Settings charm
Windows+Z: Displays the app bar. This gives contextual options in each app.
Windows+X: opens the admin menu, which appears where the Start menu used to be.
Windows+D: Shows the traditional desktop. Press again to minimise all desktop windows.
Windows+L: Locks your computer and displays the Lock screen.
Alt+F4: Close current app. Also, you can use your mouse to click at the top of an app and drag it to the bottom of the screen.
Windows 8: Charms bar
The Charms bar is another brand new feature. It appears when you swipe your finger in from the right-hand edge of the screen. Those with a mouse can point the cursor to the top- or bottom-right corner of the screen (these are two of the new 'hot' corners in Windows 8).
From the top, you have Search, Share, Start, Devices and Settings. Search is a replacement for the search box in Windows 7 and Vista, but a more capable version. The Share charm allows you to share things with people, but the options will change depending on which app is running. Extra sharing options will appear when you install apps that can share content, such as Twitter clients.
Start takes you back to the Start screen if you're in another app, or switches to the most recent app if you're on the Start screen.
Click or tap the Devices icon to show relevant connected devices. Printers, speakers, screens and network devices will be shown in a list. You can click on one to change its settings, or use any of its capabilities.
Finally, Settings gives quick access to Wi-Fi settings, volume, screen brightness and notifications options. It also provides a link to the new, streamlined control panel, simply named Settings. Clicking on the Settings charm will also show settings specific to the current app, so you might see common Help and About links for most apps, but an extra Accounts option for Mail, say.
Windows 8: Searching
For a list of all installed apps, swipe up from the bottom, or right-click, to bring up the bottom options bar, then choose All apps. A neat shortcut, if you know what you're looking for, is simply to start typing on the Start screen. This opens the search box, and you can filter results by type: Apps, Settings or Files. You can also apply that search to a particular app (Internet Explorer, for example) by clicking or tapping on it in the search box.
Multiple windows, Modern UI-style
When you tap or click on an app it opens in full-screen mode. Most apps are designed to work this way, but you can drag down from the top, then drag either left or right to resize the app to occupy a small column at either side. Three-quarters of the screen is then left for a second app (or the desktop, if you like). You can flip apps between these two positions by grabbing the black bar which separates the apps and dragging it left or right.
This 'multitasking' feels a lot more limiting than the traditional desktop where you can have many windows open at once, in whichever positions you like. However, it feels like a revelation on a Windows 8 tablet as it's the first time you can see two apps at once.
It's useful in many situations as you can put an app such as Tweetro or Mail in the small column to the left or right and use the rest of the screen for the app you're actually using. This way you can see new tweets or emails appear. The new Windows 8 notifications can also do this job, but they're shown for only a moment.
There are various ways of switching between apps in the Modern UI. The easiest is to use the Windows, Tab shortcut to bring up the new, vertical apps list. This includes the desktop, but to choose a particular app that's running on the desktop, use Alt, Tab instead, then use the cursor keys to pick the app you want.
On a touchscreen, you drag in from the left, then back to bring up the vertical list of apps, just as you get on an Android tablet. With a mouse, you point the cursor at the top or bottom corner at the left side of the screen (the other two 'hot' corners), then drag down or up to see the list.
NEXT PAGE: Windows 8 apps, IE 10 and Windows 8 performance >>
Comments
noel one said: this all sounds like a whose football team is better conversation from time to time we all wonder if its choreographed entertainment all contrived to generate maximum cash flow thats the trouble with a corporation selling you a product the product has to do what people want it to do but it also has to periodically change because once everyone has got one the company makes no money There is an urban myth with windows that involves skipping the next release because it is assumed to be bad 31 good 95 bad 98 good ME bad NT based 2000 and XP good Vista bad win7 good etc its a deliberate model for perpetually selling the OS The way i personally think about my OS is like a TOOL and the fundamental question i ask is will it do what i want it to do because realistically it is only going to be a platform that enables me to use something else every new PC that i have ever purchased goes through a thinning procedure to uninstall all the bloat and useless software and thats before i even get to turning off all the OS gadgets and gimmicks that only slows down my intended programs and forces me to need more ram I wondered why windows 8 looks a little bit like a childrens tablet or telephone interface and thought it isperhaps designed and targeted to captivate a whole generation of mobile facebookers and tweeters personally i hate dirty fingermarks all over my screen
Van said: Long time Apple user and I never thought Id look into another Microsoft product but Ive got to admit Windows 8 is a classy OS and could be seeing me jumping the iOS zombie train and going for the more bang for my buck MS
mustdisquss said: They should have implemented more themes into 8 Its interesting how a tiled taste the rainbow scheme immediately leads people to believe its geared towards the youth of today Future editions should have different colour schemes-one reason why win8 felt unfinished upon release They would have surely realised that it wouldnt have been to everyones taste A dull monotone tiled interface may be on the cards to suit the traditional dreary yet another day in the office feel Cant wait
mustdisquss said: I try to ignore all the media hype over how bad or good a system is unlike many of the viewers on here I have had far more blue screens using xp than vista but looking back arguably vista was the least stable blue screening without a known likely cause For me both 7 and 8 had initial freezing issues upon release mainly due to hardware or gfx drivers but to date I have now found 7 and 8 to be the most stable operating systems I vote for 8 over 7 because its faster to boot to an active state and I get a better performance have compared systems installing both os I do not have to use a tiled app screen As with vista and 7 I barely ever used their gadgets If 7 booted to a gadget screen ie metro it would still be 7 underneath The desktop is still available I never cared for a start menu in 7 because my programs were always on my desktop and taskbar-just like they are now in 8
mustdisquss said: No one is telling you to use Word full screen You can stick to the desktop version in 8 The full screen apps are there out of choice and only for basic quick tasks such as sending email or writing a quick letter-most are for entertainment value and little else Some apps such as google maps actually benefit from full screen I have my bog standard 32-bit copy of MS Office 2007 that I used on XP and it still works perfectly on windows 8
mustdisquss said: I think the biggest problem with windows 8 was the lack of help for newbies as a result of its changed or new features and of course how to close those apps Initial on screen help should have been implemented and should have been thought through after all no one reads a manual before using a computer these days Plenty of 7 features can take 4 clicks or more if you dont add shortcuts so what is taking you 8
Matt Egan said: You can
Remi said: Can I use Microsoft office 2007 with windows 8 as I have software that works the old word 2007
Bill Gates Lives On said: Dear MicrosoftWhy do you care if I drive Windows 7 or Windows 8 I prefer Windows 7 at the moment but the new laptop has Windows 8 license the kind that forbids free downgrade to Win 7 Why do that Are you hoping people will migrate to Linux to escape the Redmond mentalitylack thereof If Microsoft offered free retrograde to Win 7 for ALL users of Win 8 what does that cost MS beside pride No amount of cutesy advertising will compensate for the dodgy moribund and clumsy Operating System known as Win 8 release Just read a few message boards on the subject 50 to 1 Against Win 8 all with compelling reasons Microsoft has a history of releasing a dud OS and then followed by a fixit OS to remedy the newly introduced blunders
Bill Gates lives said: KieranBasic functions that with Win 7 took 1 or 2 clicks now in Win 8 take 4-8 clicks all the while one is scouring ambiguous subject headings for the required function Yessir that surely is progress
lizzy2mellow said: I love my smart phone it helps me in my everyday life and situations However windows 8 is a nightmare I want to do simple things that have been turned into a problem solving situationWhy why why have they changed things to this I want to connect my phone and download my pics- its a hassle and half the time I cannot find the right point to access my phone I want to upload a pic on the likes on Gumtree and it just doesnt work And the absolute frustration due to the fact it constantly swipes my page away when I am doing stuff then I have to go looking for it as I dont know where its went I dont know if I can do this laptop with this on it I am starting to get anxiety at the through of having to do anything on it now Not good
Darth Nefarius said: Windows 8 is a pain in the ass piece of crap Not intuitive at all amp requires M account to do half the shit
NotAppy said: Why are they forcing this on us though I had my laptop nicked and the replacement comes with Win8 and it is absolute pantsI use my laptop for work etc I hate social media like facebook and twitter so why the hell am I forced down that route Flexibility has to be a key feature for something like this instead they force you down this road because they probably realise that if they make it easy for us to revert back to Win7 style no one will adopt their new look There is the carrot approach and the stick which one is this do you think
Cheddy said: Windows 8 is such a frustration and such a disappointment I was really excited to get a Windows 8 Asus Vivotab Smart - at last a Windows answer to all the Apple and Android hype I thought and the price was right too After having used the tablet for several months my overall impression is that it is virtually useless as a serious productivity device and it has been the source of constant frustration almost every time I use it Many of the metromodern apps dont work or hang or just take forever to start up The Windows Store suffers from the same problems and often hangs or tells me it cant connect when there is a good wifi connection The thing is constantly telling me that it has to reboot to install updates and then takes forever to install them over half an hour last time around There seems to be very little or very poor integration between apps For example trying to share pictures or videos via email is a pain compared to the seamless one-tap sharing features of the iPad and iPhoneI have not had much experience with Windows 8 on the desktop or laptop but as a tablet experience it just doesnt cut it - to the point that I have been looking around for ways to convert my tablet to Android without any luck so far Looks like Im stuck with a pretty useless piece of junk
SIna said: Im an academic and never used win8 before until two days ago I was aware of the complaints and incompatibilities of win8 through the reviews I read before but given that almost all laptops come with win8 I actually didnt have much choice Anyway I have used it for two days now and so far its proved to be a fair OS It wouldve been nice to have the down-left corner start menu like win7 and also ease of access to a few other features but in general Id say its improved compared to win7 particularly in terms of connectivity to other devices web services and multimedia I was very hesitant to move to win8 but as I said so far so good
joe said: httpnewstechworldcomsecu
Windows8isRubbish said: Wow isnt Windows 8 rubbish worse even than Windows METheyve dumbed down a perfectly good operating system in Windows 7 for a corporate product that does nothing for PC and laptop users in the pursuit of a bigger share of the tablet and smartphone marketNot only have they dumbed down the user interface which is only useful if you have a touch screen device but dumbed down some of their better produces eg outlook is now split into 3 terrible apps There is nothing good about WIndows 8 to say Ive tried to like Wndows 8 I have a Windows 8 phone too W8 is great on a smartphone but Im just becoming more and more frustrated with the apps that are better suited to a touch screen To compound matters I cant even downgrade to Wondows 7 Unless the MS corporate mindset doesnt start treating and engaging their profit PC and laptop users I can see people moving away from Microsoft produsts in droves Im so cheesed off with Windows 8 I will be moving to Ubantu
shmu said: If I had been fully aware of how Windows 8 worked and what it was before I bought it I would have avoided it like the plague I hate windows 8 I would have paid more and gotten windows 7 if I had known In my opinion Microsoft BOMBED BIG TIME WITH THIS SOFTWARE I am going to try and sell my new laptop with windows 8 and buy an Apple I just cant see myself ever getting comfortable with this thing
Desimjfan said: My mom got me a computer with Windows 8 as the operating system I wanted a computer that would work quicker than my old one and have more memory Also one that I can play my PC game on I have The Sims 3 I wanted to play that on my new PC So we installed The Sims 3 we also the Sims 3 pets installed The computer wouldnt let us install Ambitions which is strange since in the past our other computer let us install it but our other computer wasnt Windows 8 I also used to have World Adventures installed but we removed because when the game kept kicking me off and saying the Sims 3 has stopped working I thought maybe it was to much so we removed World Adventures I went back on and it let me in and Id play a my sim yesterday for about 5-10 minutes and then it would kick me off I had problems with it when I first installed it but the Sims 3 installed and update at first I thought the update had fixed it however after awhile it started acting up again with kicking me off the game when I tried to do certain things Also Windows 8 is really stupid the way it boots it goes through a Hotmail account Isnt that retarded I mean come on why cant it just take you to the desktop Windows 8 usually doesnt run older programs correctly Also the way of shutting the PC down it very stupid There is a short cut key f4 and alt that bring up the shut down menu but it took me awhile to figure that out Also my sims games take about 15GB each so this computer has about 10GB but when I look at the memory it makes it look like a lot is taken when that is crazy how the heck can that much memory have been hogged up BY WHAT Moral of the story Windows 8 sucks I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE BUY IT UNLESS THEY WANNA WASTE MONEY AND DEAL WITH COMPLETE NON SENSE It is annoying frustrating and all around pain in the butt
HatTrickHero said: This article seems more like a sales pitch than a review