As we reported this morning, Microsoft has made the shopper preview of Windows 8 available as a free download today. The recent OS aims to revolutionize Windows, unifying user experience across multiple platforms laptop/desktop computers, phones and tablets, and the Xbox gaming console.
The big new feature of Windows 8 is the Metro user interface. Windows Phone users have had the Metro interface since 2010, and Xbox Live users have had it because the newest update late last year. The paned interface replaces the beginning menu on desktops and laptops. It arranges your Windows apps in a tiled format. Clicking a tile opens the associated app. Apps could also display information of their pane. A weather app can display climate information in its pane, after which increase additional info if you click the pane to open the app. Metro displays apps in page format, besides. Users can rearrange their Metro apps and pages into whatever order they need, similar to on a smartphone or tablet.
In a move with the intention to be jarring to a couple long-time Windows users, Windows 8 does away with the beginning button completely. Variety of. The button itself is gone, that’s true, and the Metro interface replaces the beginning menu. Don’t panic just yet, though: how one can access Start screen is pretty familiar: you get there by clicking within the lower left corner of the screen.
The interface isn’t all about Metro, though. Windows 8 keeps the standard desktop interface and the great old start bar, but gives it a big makeover. Moving your mouse across the screen offers you access to a gaggle of slick new the way to interact along with your computer. As previously mentioned, the lower left corner takes you to the beginning screen. Move the mouse to the higher left corner and spot your most recently-used app. Move down from there, and also you get an inventory of newer apps. Moving down from the end right or up from the underside right shows the “charms.” These are a number of basic system functions including search, share options, access to the beginning screen, a tool list, and your settings.
Another key feature of Windows 8 is the Windows Store. That’s right, Windows is finally getting an app store. Apps are purchased from the shop with a Microsoft account. Installing an app from the shop puts it to your Start Screen. Purchasing an app will give you a license to lay that app on as much as 5 machines total.
SkyDrive is Windows 8’s new cloud storage and connection system. Users sign into SkyDrive on all in their Windows machines, and SkyDrive syncs their apps, personalized settings, and files across all devices they’re signed into. SkyDrive also connects with various web services includeing Facebook and Flickr to maintain users’ photos and files synced.
The Windows 8 consumer preview is accessible now at no cost and might be downloaded here. For more on Windows 8’s features, try out here. To work out all our Windows 8 coverage, including Twitter reactions and reviews, go here.
It bears repeating that the Windows 8 Consumer Preview is barely that: a preview. It’s not the ultimate version of the OS, and as such is sure to have some bugs that also need squashing. Microsoft has not yet announced a release date for Windows 8, but a late third or early fourth quarter release seems fairly likely.
Have you downloaded the Windows 8 Consumer Preview- Do you propose to- Let us know what you suspect of it inside the comments.