Windows 8 Puts a Fun New Experience at Your Fingertips
If you thought 7 (as in Windows 7) was your lucky number, then you'll love what 8 (as in Windows 8) has in store for your laptop, desktop, or tablet. The new Microsoft Windows 8 operating system is built upon the speed and reliability that made Windows 7 so popular, but wrapped in a brand new interface that helps you do more, do it faster, and have more fun along the way.
The new Windows 8 Metro Interface
The user interface for Windows 8 is built on the "Metro" style, where all your apps and functions live inside colourful, neatly organized tiles. These tiles are dynamic, so they can display information (like animated text and images), making them useful even before you open them up. Metro was designed with a focus on quick practicality and ease of use - just spend a few seconds with a Windows 8 laptop, desktop, or tablet and you'll see how intuitive and useful this interface can be.
Windows 8: Designed for Touch, Mouse/Keyboard, or Both
The new Metro interface is a joy to use on touchscreen tablets - not only are the colourful tiles fun to tap, swipe, and move around the screen, but you can also access additional menus and functions by swiping in from any of the four edges. If you're using a laptop or desktop to get some work done, Windows 8 is equally comfortable with the standard keyboard and mouse/trackpad setup. This new operating system is even more intuitive than before, helping you boost your productivity and smoothing out your workflow.
Windows 8: It's All About the Apps
Windows 8 apps are streamlined to focus on just the essential core functions, so they're good at what they do and aren't filled with a lot of extra stuff you don't need. It's simple to switch between apps, and the apps are designed to work together, making it easy to swap text, images, and more between them. If you're looking for new apps to help you get stuff done, or you want to check out a new game, just explore the Windows Store (built directly into Windows 8) and browse the ever-growing selection of apps. For those people who need the power and versatility of tried-and-true Windows programs like Word, Excel, and Outlook, you'll be delighted to know that Windows 8 is fully backwards compatible with Windows 7 software. There's even a new, more powerful, Metro-optimized version of Microsoft's productivity suite ("Office 15") on the horizon.