The release of Windows 8 ,
many sites have done reviews on what the next Windows system will be like. The
reviews are mostly positive, with some hailing Windows 8 as the next
revolution in the
technology of computer operating systems (OS). Such may well be the ambition of
Microsoft, and it shouldn’t surprise time it comes at a time when Apple’s share
of the OS market is rising and pitting fiercely against them.
 |
| Windows Startup Screen |
If there’s one thing great about competition, it is
that it brings out the best product between companies. I’ve
read up some of the features that Microsoft’s Windows 8 will be offering, and
am now both intrigued and excited for what’s to come in the full version. It
will even come with a new and unique kind of user interface (UI) known as the Metro.
Here are brief descriptions to some top features you would be keen to
know about:
1.
Speedy Boot Time & Shut Down Time
The load and boot up speed has improved significantly over Windows’
predecessors. This is partly due to the better resource allocations to
applications and the system. When compared to Windows 7 desktop CPU, Windows 8
has an even speedier boot time.
 |
| Windows 8 Speedy Boot Time & Shut Down Time |
How did they improve so much over Windows 7? Well,
Windows 8 employs a technique of hibernating the system kernel (think of it as your OS’s resource manager)
when you shut down, such that it becomes almost like a partial
hibernation each time. When you reboot the system, the‘memory’ of
your previous session gets reinitialized quicker.
2.
Innovative & Dynamic Desktop Apperance
The tiles-based interface, or the Metro UI, will be the
first thing you see upon logging in to Windows 8. At first glance, the UI seems
to go intuitively with touchscreen devices like tablets and
smartphones. Indeed, in such devices, you tap on those apps to open
them. The grid layout seems to facilitate such
interactions. Needless to say, you can customize your grid by
adding and arranging applications.
 |
| Visualization Experience you never Had |
The coolest thing, however, is that not only does Windows 8 allows you
to personalize your desktop with the organization of
the apps, it is also able display real-time information through
them. Microsoft had demonstrated how the tile for a weather app could reveal
the current temperature in a city without having to activate the app. The same
goes for emails and such. In one glance over your tiles, you can have access to
all that you need to be notified and take action on those which are urgent.
3.
Enhanced Search Functionality
8 has no search box at the bottom of the Start menu. Heck, it doesn’t
even have the trademark Start menu! That doesn’t mean that there’s no
convenient search function available. All you need to do is to type
anything, and a search box will appear from the right and give you the
results. The search capability is even stronger this time,
displaying all the matching apps and files instantaneously.
 |
| Enhanced Search Functionality |
(Image Source: JaisonYR)
Unlike Windows 7, Windows
You can also search within apps that utilize Windows
8′s search function. The search pane that pops out on the right of your desktop
will contain the list of apps which you can conduct the search in. For
instance, if you’re looking for the emails sent by a particular contact, typing
that name and clicking on the email app would allow you to search from within.
4.
Windows To Go like Autopilot
Of the entire list here, this is one feature that
offers the most convenience to users. Windows To Go allows
users to make a copy of their OS complete with their settings,
wallpapers, files and even apps, into a USB thumb drive. Plugged it into another computer
with Windows 8 already installed, and you can boot up the PC and make it look exactly
alike the OS you normally use, with all settings intact.
Autopilot makes to Make Designs Automatic
It sounds rather amazing, doesn’t it? The potential for
such a feature is high and possibilities, many. For one, a
virus-infected and crashed system could be revived by simply
plugging in the USB thumbdrive with your last saved settings, inclusive of all
your files, apps, etc. Users don’t have to worry about losing the ability to
work on their projects just because their PC is down; they can always rely on
plugging in that thumbdrive into another Windows 8-installed PC. Another is
that users may simply bring back work from the office with that thumbdrive
rather than a much bulkier laptop.
5.
Windows Live Synchronization
Similar to Windows To Go, the new Windows 8 will provide Windows Live
syncing, such that users can login on any Windows 8 PC with ‘Live ID’ and
get back their own personalized settings on it. The desktop
will look the same every time the user login on a PC with their Windows Live
account.Migrating to a new PC is probably made easier when the user
has all the essential settings synced.
How different will this be from Windows To Go? Well, Windows To Go seem
to serve more as a controlled device for IT administrators to distribute to
employees (with exact duplicates of Windows 8 with the same settings,
wallpapers, apps, etc on thumbdrives), while Windows Live Syncing is more to
allowing users to keep the basic settings and data available even
if they’re away from their primary PC. We can only anticipate how the former
and latter will be truly be like until they are unveiled by Microsoft in due
course.
0 comments:
Post a Comment