What the Windows 8 operating system looks like. Additional requirements for using some functions

Windows 8 is an operating system from the developer Microsoft. It became available to users on October 26, 2012, when it went on sale. It should be said that over the past time it has become the second most popular OS in the world, since it was pre-installed on most new devices when they were sold. Statistics show that 21.3 users chose Windows 8 to run on their device. In just less than a year of sales, 100 million copies were sold. Now, this number has increased significantly.

Development history

It should be said that the first information about the start of work on the new operating system began to appear back in April 2009 - this was even before the release of its predecessor, the seven. Then Microsoft posted an open announcement inviting programmers and testers to become participants in the creation of Windows 8. During this period, one could hear about the code name Midori, but there were other options (Mojave, Orient).

Development took place over a very long period of time. At intervals of several months, authorized persons gave interviews regarding the general progress of work. The information was always vague and the details remained a trade secret. A very interesting fact is that before the first presentation in 2010, there was a leak of materials. They concerned the main capabilities of the OS being developed.

Over the next two years, several major conferences and presentations took place. The final release date was announced as February 29, 2012. During the first days, 4 million copies were sold, and within a month this number exceeded 40 million.

Windows 8.1

It is impossible not to mention the global update of Windows 8.1. It was released on October 17, 2013 and contained a number of important improvements and improvements. The update is absolutely free for all those who use the official version.

System requirements

To install Windows 8 on your device, you must meet the following system requirements:

Processor with a clock frequency of 1 GHz (must support PAE, NX and SSE2)
The amount of RAM for a 32-bit system is 1 GB, 64-bit is 2 GB
Availability of free disk space for a 32-bit system - 16 GB, 64-bit - 20 GB
Video card supporting DirectX 9 or higher.

It should be said that the system requirements for this version of Windows are lower than for its predecessor - the seven. This is due to the use of new operating algorithms and a large list of other advantages.

The most important innovations

A very large book could be written about all the improvements and improvements in Windows 8 compared to its predecessors. We will not consider this issue in detail and will simply list the most important elements:

Using a Microsoft account. The parameters synchronization procedure is in progress. Live ID is used to log in, which greatly simplifies online interaction.
Windows Store App Store. Here you can purchase quite a large number of different programs. It should be said that initially Steam owners feared for the future of their store after reports of the presence of an analogue from Microsoft. Now such fears seem unfounded.
Using new approaches for user authentication - a special picture with a password or a 4-character code. For touch devices, it is possible to use biometric systems.
Completely redesigned task manager. Now it has become much easier and more convenient to see what your computer resources are being used for. It is especially important to note control over running programs.
Improved conductor. It now works more efficiently and is able to prevent most conflicts that may arise during file transfer.
Improved system recovery. For example, it is now possible to return the OS to its original settings - that is, transfer it to its original state. The reset provides a deeper impact - the computer returns to its factory state.
Maximally accelerated loading of the operating system. This is achieved by using UEFI instead of BIOS. This is a bold approach, and it has proven itself to be excellent. The main factor is to check the stability of key OS elements.
Hyper-V based virtualization system. This innovation is aimed more at a professional audience. A certain problem is the fact that the SLAT function is required for successful operation, and not all processors support it.
Improved search. Now it starts during typing, which greatly speeds up the detection of the necessary elements. A similar system has already been used before, but it has been further refined here.
Control Panel. It will allow you to more quickly and efficiently set various system parameters. This makes the settings process simpler and more user-friendly.

New Metro interface

This point should be highlighted separately because it is of great importance. The system uses a fundamentally new interface, which provides for a departure from the standard design. It is expected to appear immediately after starting the device. The functionality of the interface gives many similarities to the desktop. It is planned to develop directly for touch screen devices. Despite this, you can operate quite comfortably on regular devices.

The designers took into account user requests and you can always return to the classic design, which has undergone minimal modifications. In general, Windows 8 took a lot from the 7th version and in most areas “relies” on it. This is the right approach, since Seven is considered the most popular OS in the world.

Criticism of Windows 8

If you read the opinions about this operating system, you will see quite a lot of negative reviews associated with the use of the Metro interface. As mentioned earlier, it is a departure from the traditional Windows design approach. Such serious changes could not but cause such a reaction. In any case, it will take some time to get used to. Within a few weeks it will not be difficult to adapt to the new interface.

Speaking of criticism of Windows 8, we can note the following similar complaints:

Replacing one Start button with an entire screen. This has been covered before and is a feature of the Metro interface.
The taskbar has been removed and this will be useful for users of mobile devices and tablets, but not for laptops or computers.
Pop-up panels and menus. This solution was taken from the web, but even there it has always been controversial. As a result, you need to spend much more time on simple actions than they deserve.

The system had other shortcomings, but they have now been eliminated.

Windows 8 editions

The developer has proposed five editions of this operating system. They differ in their functionality, as well as their cost. It is necessary to consider each of the available options in more detail and list their key features.

Windows RT

The simplest version, which is used on devices with ARM architecture. You can only install applications from the Microsoft Store. This introduces serious limitations and does not allow efficient use of the system's capabilities. A special feature of this edition is that it is not sold separately. Despite serious limitations, Office 2013 is available for free.

Windows 8 (Basic)

An inexpensive and quite functional option that allows you to use the basic capabilities of this operating system. Well suited for ordinary users whose needs are small. Quite often purchased for home devices - computers and laptops.

Windows 8 Pro (Professional)

Developed specifically for business users. Focus on the corporate sector provides quite broad opportunities. Among the innovations are functioning as a server, support for file system encryption and group policies, as well as improved visualization. Quite often, buyers are advanced users who need all the capabilities of the system.

Windows 8 Pro N

It is intended for the European market. Due to the presence of certain features of antimonopoly legislation, some programs were cut out. For example, this includes Windows Media Player. In all other respects there are no differences from the previous edition.

Windows 8 Enterprise

Focuses entirely on requests from corporations. This edition is considered the most complete - nothing is cut out or limited. Additionally, there are a large number of different possibilities.

We were on our computers for about 4 months and we managed to get to know the new brainchild from Microsoft well. At the moment, the RTM version is available, which can be considered final, and which is positioned as a version for developers. But we will still focus on the Release Preview, since the RTM version does not have the Russian language (there are about 8 languages, but Microsoft apparently has a high opinion of Russian developers and believes that there are no language barriers for them :). The first thing the user sees when starting the system is the Start menu of the Metro interface. Regardless of which of the two interfaces you are going to use, the first one you will see is the Metro-style shell.

Having switched to normal mode, the user will immediately find that the old Start menu is no longer there. There's not even a Start button, which we've been staring at in Windows for over 16 years. Instead of the Start menu, there is now the Metro main screen. Having opened it, we see that it does not have the usual access to system utilities and standard programs, such as Pain, Notepad and Calculator. And this begins to worry: how are we going to run all these applications now? However, not everything is as bad as it seems at first glance. Indeed, without an analogue of the Start menu, working in Windows will be very difficult and unusual, and in fact there is such an analogue in Windows 8. But the fact is that the start menu is not only the first screen that we see when the system boots! The old Start menu appears in Windows 8 as a pair of Merto screens: Start + All Apps. The names, as we see, remain the same, but the appearance and format of the presentation have changed, and you need to get used to it. Next, watch the video review.

Rice. 1. Those items in the Start menu that do not have a separate folder and are displayed at the very top of the list moved to the “Applications” screen in the block with metro programs.

Normal Windows 8 interface

In general, there is nothing to get used to here, except perhaps the absence of the Start button, to which at first your hand involuntarily reaches out. The Start menu now opens by clicking in the lower left corner of the desktop. The windows have become angular, with the same angular buttons for closing and minimizing the window. Also, the windows are now less transparent. The Aero Shake feature came from Windows 7 unchanged. That is, you can grab a window, and by shaking it in different directions, remove all other windows from the desktop. But the Aero Peek function is no longer available. Let me remind you that in Windows 7, when you hover the cursor in the lower right corner, all windows become transparent; now, with this action, a panel with search and settings slides out.

The Aero Snap feature has changed significantly. Previously, this feature would stretch a window vertically to half the screen when you dragged it to the side edges, and expand the window to the full screen when you dragged it to the top edge. All this remains, but see its new capabilities in the second part of the video review.

The task manager has changed, in which processes are now divided into categories, which is very convenient. The old task manager can also be found, but there is no particular point in using it - the new one is better. Explorer now has a ribbon toolbar, which was previously only found in Office and Paint. Now the main operations on files are presented in this panel. Shutting down and restarting the computer is done through the sidebar in the “Settings” item.

Programs for Windows 8

Many developers of various programs are already adding support for Windows 8 to their products. Apparently, by the time the final release of the system is released, most of the software on the market will be optimized for the new OS. Although, even without official support for the new system, many programs work quite stably - they simply do not notice that they are installed in Windows 8 :).

Since the beginning of the release of test builds of the system, systems began to appear, which are intended to change the interface of Windows 8 and, in particular, to bring it to a more familiar look that was in Windows 7. There are several applications that restore the old Start menu. You can also find utilities that display special tiles for turning off the computer on the Start screen (after all, now the options to turn off and restart the machine are hidden a little deeper).

If you still decide to try the new system from Microsoft on your desktop computer, then below you can see detailed installation instructions.

Rice. 2. Since the installation package only contains Russian, you don’t have to choose anything. Just click next.

Rice. 3. The product key for Windows 8 Release Preview is: TK8TP-9JN6P-7X7WW-RFFTV-B7QPF. Enter and click next.

Rice. 4. Accept the license agreement and click Next.

Rice. 5. The "Update" type is intended for installing a system instead of an existing one. If you select this type, some system and personal data will be saved and transferred to the new system. If you need to select precise parameters, such as the hard drive partition, then select the "Custom" type.

Rice. 6. Select the desired hard drive partition. Under "Disk Settings" there is an option to format the partition.

Rice. 7. We wait until all the files are copied, after which the system will reboot. A window will appear saying “System is preparing” and after some time there will be another reboot.

Rice. 8. Select the color for the future Metro-style interface and the name of the computer. The color and background of the Metro interface can also be changed after installation.

Rice. 9. If you click the "Customize" button, you will see three more screens with settings, which are presented below.

Rice. 10, 11, 12. Configure system security settings, send data to Microsft and solve problems on the Internet.

Rice. 13. If you don't have a Microsoft account, you can click the "Sign in without a Microsoft account" link and then create a standard Windows user. However, you need to take into account that a Microsoft account may be needed later when installing Metro-style applications from the Store, but you can register it after installing the system.

Rice. 14. Click the “Local Account” button to create a new user in Windows.

Rice. 15. Enter the username to create a new account in Windows.

Rice. 16. System installation is complete.

The new Windows 8 operating system caused a lot of noise even before its official release. Its preliminary versions surprised with its novelty and unusual approach: for example, instead of the traditional Start menu, a “start screen” appeared in the Modern UI style.

The major changes caused a lot of dissatisfaction. Users are divided into two camps: some are delighted with 8 and intend to use it, others preferred to stay on Windows 7. Questions have arisen:

Do we need Windows 8?
Do we need the innovations that the new OS brings?
What's next after Windows 8?

Well, I'll try to figure out what's going on.

What's New in Windows 8: More Than It Seems

Microsoft did not explain in simple terms why the G8 is better than previous Windows. Let's fix the situation by disassembling Windows 8 brick by brick.

Let's start with the most important thing:

Modern UI - what is it and how to work with it

The regular desktop is still available - press the key Win or tiles Desktop.

The screen with multi-colored program tiles that greets the user when logging in is called “ start screen in Modern UI style". It is intended to replace the old menu " Start". Called by pressing a button Win on the keyboard, or by pointing and clicking the mouse at the lower left corner of the screen.

The Modern UI tiled style was originally called "Metro UI", but the name had to be changed in a hurry due to rights issues with the word "Metro". Articles may mention both Modern UI and Metro - they are the same thing. For the first time in practice, Metro appeared in the Windows Phone operating system for smartphones. The principles of Metro are described in detail on Habrahabr, and there is also a whole section dedicated to it on MSDN.

The Start screen in Windows 8 is not just some kind of separate program, but actually a “system within a system” with its own programs in the Modern UI style. The advantage of these programs is not only the most simplified operation of fingers on touch screens and a standardized appearance, displaying information directly in tiles, but also a new installation method - via App Store Windows 8:

I'll talk about how to take advantage of all the benefits of Modern UI. Let's start with the most important thing - installing applications.

Installing and uninstalling Modern UI apps

For installations free Metro Modern UI programs, just go to its (programs) page in the Store and click the “ Install«.

To buy a paid program in App Store, you must enter your VISA, MaterCard or American Express credit card details. Unfortunately, the easily accessible QIWI Visa Virtual and MasterCard Prepaid from Yandex will not work, which is very strange - you can use them to make purchases in competitors’ app stores. But the QIWI Visa Card, judging by user reviews, is suitable.

For removal Metro programs must be clicked right click on the program tile, then click the “ Delete«:

Common Elements of All Modern UI Apps

All Modern UI applications have their own menu, called up by pressing keys Win+Z or right click. The menu consists of two panels located at the bottom and/or top:

Also in Windows 8 there is a global menu (“ Charms panel"), which can be called in any program with a mouse gesture from top right corner down or keyboard shortcut Win+C:

Contents of the item " Options" will be different depending on the program in which it is called.

By the way, you can’t do without the Charms panel now - that’s where the shutdown and restart buttons in Windows 8 are located.

Advice: if you need to customize the application, call the Charms panel.

Gestures and other tricks for controlling programs

Gesture from top left corner down or keyboard shortcut Win+Tab You can call the panel with running programs:

To view all installed programs, right-click on the Start screen and then in the pop-up panel, click the " All applications«:

With the left mouse button you can launch any program from the menu. By right-clicking on the icons, you can pin them to the Home screen, delete them (if this is a Modern UI application), run them as administrator, or do something else, depending on the set of buttons.

To search for the desired program, you can type its name directly on the start screen - the search screen will open.

Setting up Modern UI

Start screen and Windows settings can be done on the “PC Settings” screen: press Win+C to bring up the Charms panel, then Settings - Change computer settings:

How to display two applications at the same time

If your monitor resolution is equal to or greater than 1366 by 768 pixels, then applications can be placed next to each other like this:

To do this trick, you need to pull the screen with the program from the top center point down to the left or right. If you wish, you can also pin the regular Desktop with running programs in this way.

Modern UI has many interesting features, and Microsoft will certainly improve and supplement this part of Windows 8 with updates.

New interface (window appearance)

Windows Vista and 7 used a window theme called "Aero Glass". In Windows 8 it was replaced with a new one:

Many reviews write that Windows 8 does not have Aero. In fact, “Aero” (the method for drawing windows) has not gone away; the developers only removed the “Aero Glass” design theme and removed some of the resource-intensive functions from Aero. This is necessary for two reasons:

Because of this, the system began to respond to user commands a little faster.
Due to the reduced load on the processor and video card of your computer, laptops and tablets will now run on battery power a little longer.

A similar effect can be achieved on Windows 7 by selecting the classic theme.

Explorer has also been redesigned: menus and panels with buttons have been replaced with a Ribbon ribbon (“ribbon” style, as in the latest versions of Microsoft Office). You can see this in the screenshot above.

Sync with Microsoft account

Now you can have the same set of programs and settings on different computers. All you have to do is register and switch to a new account on the PC Settings screen:

You can create an account on Windows or switch to it later. In the second case, both accounts will be “merged” into one, so you don’t have to worry about the safety of your data.

What a Microsoft account gets you:

Electronic mailbox
7 GB of space in SkyDrive online storage (you can store your files online and access them from anywhere)
Synchronizing settings between Windows 8 (and some programs, for example Internet Explorer) on different computers
You can install applications (including games) from the Windows App Store
Integration with Microsoft services such as Xbox LIVE, Office Live and Zune
And other things - it’s impossible to list them all.

Xbox LIVE support

Let me dispel the myth right away: games for Xbox 360 on Windows 8 don't start. This is technically impossible.

Xbox LIVE is a service that allows the owner of the Xbox 360 console console to play games with other players online, communicate, read news, participate in various ratings, watch entertainment programs, and so on.

Windows 8 can work with this service, implementing some of the functions previously available only on the Xbox 360:

You can track and view the results of games running on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE-enabled games running on your PC.
Allows you to communicate with friends and track their game statistics.
You can watch movies, listen to music.
And so on. The list of possibilities will be updated with new items.

Not to be confused games for xbox 360 And games with Xbox LIVE support. In Windows 8, you will never be able to run games from the Xbox 360, but you can play their ported versions for PC (if there are any) and games that support the same Xbox LIVE.

Built-in antivirus from Microsoft Windows Defender

After decades of viruses, a miracle finally happened: a normal antivirus appeared in Windows. Defender (“Windows Defender”) existed before, but then it only worked as anti-spyware protection, without protecting against viruses. In Windows 8, the program was replaced by Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus, leaving the previous name “Windows Defender”:

The protection is free and does not require computer resources. When installing a third-party antivirus, Defender can automatically turn off.

Improved Task Manager

The new Task Manager will delight anyone who likes to monitor system performance. Click Ctrl+Shift+Esc, a nondescript window appears:

Click More details and the Task Manager will show itself in all its glory:

The new Task Manager has a lot of useful features that we can’t talk about without excitement. Most of the innovations make it easier to find programs that reduce system performance. For example, you can now view a list of startup programs - programs that start when the system starts. Useful and convenient.

Innovations in drivers and graphics

Windows 8 features a new driver model, WDDM 1.2, and support for DirectX 11.1. This will slightly increase game performance, improve the quality of the displayed image, and reduce resource consumption. At the time of writing this text, games with support for DirectX 11.1 have not yet been released (although video cards with support for 11.1 can already be purchased), so it will not be possible to clearly show the difference between DirectX of previous versions and 11.1. Moreover, there are no games with full support for DirectX 11 yet!

For those who want more detailed information about WDDM version 1.2, there is a document from Microsoft in English with comparison tables and block diagrams: link.

I talked about the myths associated with DirectX

Ability to install Windows 8 on a USB flash drive

The Windows 8 Enterprise edition has the function of installing Windows 8 on a USB flash drive (see " Windows to Go" V Control panels). Convenient if you need to work with one Windows on several computers.

Now you can easily reinstall or, more importantly, fix Windows using built-in tools:

Let's go through all the points:

1. Recover PC without deleting files: reinstalling the operating system. You will need an installation disk or a specially prepared image. The contents of the Program files folder, Windows settings and standard programs (Internet Explorer, for example) will return to their original state, as they should be after a proper reinstallation. You will need to reinstall programs and configure Windows. Modern UI applications, user documents and account settings will remain the same - this is a huge plus of this method of restoring computer functionality, because it saves time.

2. Removing all data and reinstalling Windows: The title of the item briefly and clearly conveys the essence.

3. Special download options: The computer will reboot and show a menu with an interesting item “ Diagnostics". By clicking this item, a list of ways to restore your computer will appear:

The first two points duplicate the recovery points in “ PC settings", the third opens the next menu:

For those who have problems loading Windows 8, I advise you to try first running “ Automatic recovery". It won’t help - then through “ System Restore» Restore your computer to an earlier restore point.

Using the item " Boot Options» You can restart your computer to display the boot menu options. Safe mode in Windows 8 it is located there. Don’t believe those who say that there is no safe mode in Windows 8 - the menu with boot options remains, it’s just not called up by pressing the F8 key. To launch it, use the above-mentioned “Boot Options” menu item.

What should I do if I can’t get to the recovery menu from PC Settings? If Windows 8 does not boot several times in a row (it crashes or reboots when Windows starts), the following menu is displayed:

Continue- Continue loading Windows 8.
Troubleshoot- the same recovery points that I talked about above. They will be in English, but since their order will be similar to the screenshots above, you will be able to understand their purpose.
Turn off your PC- turn off computer.

Hence the conclusion: if you do not have the opportunity to start Windows and call the boot menu through the “PC Settings” screen, you can reboot it several times during the boot phase - the menu we need will appear, from where you can get to Safe Mode. This is very bad advice, I strongly I don't recommend it use it, but in force majeure circumstances it will do.

Also deserves special mention (Blue screen of death): in Windows 8 it has become easier. Now, in the event of a serious failure, we will see a sad smiley and error codes without unnecessary information.

If we compare the G8 with previous versions of Windows, the advantage of the new product is obvious: such a set of recovery tools has never existed. The ability to quickly restore the OS after failures is one of the key advantages of the G8. However, technically non-technical users may face difficulties due to lack of experience with these tools.

Other improvements in Windows 8

As usually happens with new versions of operating systems, the developers have corrected, optimized, simplified or speeded up something somewhere. Windows 8 loads faster, is a little more responsive in operation (mostly this is due to a simplified interface without transparency and other effects), new ways to authorize login have appeared (you can set a PIN code and a graphic password).

A little bit about the sad: Windows 8 problems

It is rarely possible to do without a fly in the ointment. In the case of Windows 8, instead of a spoon, there was a bucket.

Article update from 07/26/2013: I advise you to look at the overview of innovations in Windows 8.1 - some of the problems have been fixed.

Compatibility of programs, games, drivers

Due to the changed driver model, programs containing drivers do not work, namely: antiviruses, anti-cheat systems for games, tools for protecting against copying disks, emulators of virtual drives and other devices.

For example, it was a big surprise for me that Aion, the only online game I play, does not work in Windows 8. The game's technical support is throwing up its hands, promising to quickly release a compatibility update for Windows 8, without giving exact dates. The problem turned out to be that the Aion anti-cheat system cannot work correctly in Windows 8.

(Update of the article from 01/18/2013: Aion in Windows 8 already works fine, problems with games have been resolved.)

If there are more than a dozen programs, this becomes a problem, which was never the case with the regular Start menu.

Secondly, the very concept of Metro Modern UI is puzzling:

1. There is no button to close programs. The user will have to understand that the cross for closing the program cannot be found in the Modern UI.

2. Only one Modern UI application can run at a time (two if they are placed side by side, if the monitor resolution is suitable. Article Update: This has been fixed in Windows 8.1, where you can have more apps running at once). For the first time, the “multitasking” of the computer depends on the monitor resolution. Programs in the background seem to “fall asleep,” reacting only to events specified by programmers. For example, if the ICQ program is sent into the background by opening another application, ICQ should still receive messages and notify about them. Alas, this does not work very well yet and ICQ may stop accepting messages. When you reopen the ICQ window, you may find that you have an “offline” status.

3. Finger or mouse gestures require learning and getting used to.

4. The user is not given a choice - to work only in the Modern UI or in the old Windows interface. You won’t be able to get by with one thing and disable the other. You will constantly jump from Modern UI to the regular interface and back, because sometimes you can’t do without Modern UI.

5. When working in the classic interface, pop-up elements may interfere if they accidentally touch the edges of the screen:

6. To quickly work with Modern UI, a keyboard is desirable, although in general this interface was designed for finger control. For example, to switch between Modern UI and the old interface, it is easier to press the Win key on your keyboard than to move the cursor to the lower left corner of the screen each time.

7. If Modern UI is easier to control with your finger, then the classic (old) interface is easier to control with the mouse - small icons are difficult to hit with your finger. There is no compromise. Ideally, the classic interface should be simplified and all remaining elements enlarged. In practice, a logical discrepancy arises: for example, a small “Network” icon in the tray brings up a Modern UI-style menu optimized for finger control.

8. In Windows 8 for x86-compatible processors, the presence of a classic interface is justified: you can and should still run programs developed for Windows XP, Vista and 7. In Windows RT, designed specifically for tablets with ARM processors (such as the Microsoft Surface, for example), there is no point in using the classic interface - only a special version of Microsoft Office and a set of standard programs work under Windows RT. Everything else is only for Modern UI. Programs such as WinRAR, Mozilla Firefox, Photoshop, etc. you can’t install it there, although the Windows RT operating system is one-to-one similar to its sister for desktop computers. As a result, Microsoft Surface users received an “under-tablet-under-laptop” whose functionality is being questioned. There are also tablets running “adult” Windows 8, where you can run all the usual programs, which adds even more chaos and confusion.

9. Returning to Modern UI multitasking: the familiar Taskbar is missing, which adds to the inconvenience. In principle, its absence is justified for technical reasons: for example, the Android operating system also does not have a taskbar, but there is a list of recently launched applications - as in Modern UI, a small number of programs are launched simultaneously in Android, the rest are in “hibernation”. There is no point in showing a panel with programs that are not actually running.

10. Large screen area cannot be used effectively. At best, you can place two Modern UI applications side by side, but that’s it.

11. Modern UI applications launch and work slowly, as if reluctantly. Despite optimization to speed up the computer and reduce energy consumption, Modern UI applications give the impression of being far from optimized. For example, on a Core i7-2600K processor overclocked to 4.2 GHz, the Music application can launch in five seconds, while the Winamp player launches almost instantly.

A few more words about the Start screen: The Start screen is not perceived as what it is - the same Start menu that Microsoft took and stretched to fill the entire screen. However, it's still the same Start menu, just in a new wrapper. If you accept this fact, Windows 8 is easier to work with.

To sum it up: the present and future of Windows 8

At first glance, Windows 8 looks similar to its predecessor Windows 7 with the addition of a new feature called Modern UI. However, as I explained above, Modern UI is more than it seems. This is a whole platform for new generation programs. Such programs are optimized to consume less computer resources, have a simpler appearance, and are easy to install (and uninstall too). Windows 8 is a step towards more convenient communication between the user and the computer.

If you forget for a moment that Windows 8 has Modern UI, then in addition to this you can find:

DirectX 11.1 support (if you have a video card and installed games that support this technology)
Improved performance (faster OS loading, faster overall experience)
Reduced power consumption (your laptop will last longer on battery power)
Various interface improvements (for example, redesigned Explorer)
And so on, as I already wrote about above.

Therefore, the position of those people who consider Windows 8 to be an unambiguously bad system looks strange.

Windows 8.1 - normal Start will not return

Although Windows 8 was released recently, its life in the form that it is now was short-lived: almost immediately rumors about “Windows Blue” began to circulate. This is expected, because devices with Windows 8 are not selling well - Microsoft must quickly come up with something new and focus on it. Windows Blue is just such a project.

Unfortunately, in Windows 8.1 (this is the official name of the major update for Windows 8), Microsoft did not return the classic Start menu. All that has been done is the return of the Start button, when clicked, it appears... the same Start screen in the Modern UI style!

Thus, to summarize: in Windows 8 (8.1), the Start menu can only be implemented using third-party programs, nothing else.

You can read the full list of innovations that appeared in Windows 8.1. I would like to note that all the innovations are really aimed at improving the work with the computer. Of course, except for the lack of a Start menu.

New or old?

Does it make sense to run to the store to buy Windows 8? Yes, if you want to keep up with the times. AND Not yet, if you are comfortable working with Windows 7. But you will have to switch to a new operating system, one way or another.

The reason is banally simple: You can't run away from progress. What appeared in Windows 8 is worthy of attention. This is the future of Windows operating systems. At the moment, the implementation has caused a lot of dissatisfaction, but Microsoft is not going to leave the intended course. What awaits us in the future:

The same programs will work on tablets, smartphones, and desktop computers. Modern UI is just the platform for all this.
Some programs will go “to the cloud” - they will work and store their data on the Internet. For example, Microsoft Office 2013 stores documents online by default (SkyDrive storage linked to a Microsoft account). It won't matter which device you're working from - you'll have access to your files everywhere.
A convenient “App Store” will allow you to sell programs and games, as well as monitor their updates to new versions. The user will not have to go through websites, solve problems with downloading and installing new versions of programs - all this will be replaced by one “Update” button. Plus, programs in the “App Store” must meet certain requirements - this means that the number of unstable programs that devour computer resources will be reduced.
Standardization of the appearance of programs, their predictability in operation (this and much more is included in the Modern UI concept) will allow users to learn how to work with new programs faster than before.

There is no doubt that Windows 8 will be improved. In August 2013, the first major update to Windows 8, Windows 8.1, is due to be released, designed to eliminate interface roughness and “make candy” out of Modern UI.

Windows 8 and Modern UI, for all their shortcomings, are worth a try. “Windows Update” has not gone away, which means there will be more updates that bring something new and fix the old. The future has already happened and we must accept it as it is.

Dissatisfaction often arises among those who have not tried to get used to the new system. If you doubt the advisability of purchasing Windows 8, use it as a second system and try working with it. If you like it, you can activate the system with the purchased license key.

Personally, I don’t experience any noticeable discomfort when using Windows 8 - I just need to get used to it and learn to take advantage of the Modern UI.

I would be glad if you write about your experience using Windows 8 in the comments.

A new version of Windows 8.1 Professional has been released and at the moment you can already download Windows 8 activation on our portal for free and test it yourself. This is already a significant plus, since the user will be able to appreciate all the innovative changes in the operating system. In addition, the updated version has a built-in antivirus for Windows 8, a more advanced task manager, etc.

And these are just the major updates. In addition, the updated version has a built-in antivirus for Windows 8, a more advanced task manager, etc. You can download Windows 8.1 Professional for free, create a bootable Windows 8 USB flash drive and transfer it to a USB flash drive and use this OS on different computers. Installation will take little time. You can download and install right now, free and activated.

Windows 8.1 Professional overview

➤ Innovative tiled style start screen called “Modern UI”.
It replaced the standard start button menu and is essentially the same “Metro UI”, only renamed. “Modern UI” is a whole system with its own programs. It has a standard design and is as user-friendly as possible. This system has a new installation method - the App Store.
➤ Updated “Aero”, from which some capacious functions were removed. Thanks to this, the load on the video card and processor is reduced, and PCs respond and work many times faster.
➤ You can now download Windows 8 with a new account, which allows you to have the same settings and programs on different devices. This is done using SkyDrive virtual storage.
➤ Ability to work with the Xbox LIFE service
➤ Innovative system for diagnostics and OS recovery.
➤ Updated video player for windows 8. The use of Flash is one of the most important updates. Microsoft and Adobe have collaborated to create a new version of Flash that works with Internet Explorer. Thanks to it, Flash works when you need it (for example, when watching a video)
➤ Fixed a number of stability issues that were found in pre-release versions. There's also a new feature that many users may be looking forward to: the Scroll Forward feature.

System requirements Windows 8.1 Professional

— Processor: 1(GHz) or more.
- RAM: 1 (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64.
— Free hard disk space: 16 GB for 32 or 20 GB for 64.
- Graphics adapter: Microsoft DirectX 9 or higher graphics device.

Version:	Windows 8.1 Pro
License:	Free
Update:	08-12-2018
Developer:	https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/
Language:	Russian English
OS:	Windows: All
File size:	3 / 3.9 / 4.3 GB

Recently, at the Build conference, representatives of Microsoft Corporation showed the latest version of Windows 8, released the Windows 8 Developer Preview distribution and distributed 5,000 tablets with a pre-installed new generation OS. This gave people interested the opportunity to look a little ahead and see what Windows 8 would look like. But since we didn’t get a free tablet from Microsoft, we will test Windows 8 on a virtual machine running the 64-bit Winodws 7 OS.

Testing platform: MB: M2N68, CPU: AMD Phenom 8450 Triple-Core 2.1- GHz, RAM: 4096 MB, VIDEO: nVidia GeForce 9800 GSO, SSD: SATA-3 120Gb OCZ Agility 3, Windows Experience Index: 6.2 (minimum, per line CPU). Software: Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit 6.1.7601, Service Pack 1, VMware Workstation 8.0.

The use of Windows 8 Developer Preview has been recommended for educational purposes only. To run the system on the current platform (Windows 7), we used the VMware Workstation virtual machine. After starting the system, we enabled full screen mode. The startup time of Windows 8 on a virtual platform took 32 seconds. It doesn’t match the promised 3 seconds, but it’s too early to judge this, so we’ll omit the 10-fold difference and go directly to the interface. After the long-awaited loading of the system, a screen appears in front of us with a landscape vaguely reminiscent of the cover of Bill Gates’ famous book “The Road to the Future,” a digital clock and a network settings icon.

Windows 8 Welcome Window

Next, a nice green Windows login window appears, where a pre-prepared user asks us to enter his password. Naturally, there is a form of failure and shutdown/reboot of the system, as well as special features for visually impaired users. All items in this menu are spoken out loud for the same purpose. Here you can also call up the on-screen keyboard. It is likely that it will appear automatically on the tablet computer. After successfully logging into Windows 8, we are presented with a new Metro interface.

Metro interface in Windows 8

Externally, UI Metro is very reminiscent of the 7 interface and differs from, in addition to visual changes, the increased functionality of the buttons is noted. In general, the Metro interface looks more dynamic than that of mobile devices. A comparison of operating systems gives an overview of both interfaces. All icons can be dragged and sorted. Unlike iOS, Metro interface icons have two types: square and rectangular. In this regard, the user has more opportunities to realize flights of fantasy and express their own taste. After launching an application, the icon changes and begins to display some information about that particular application. So, for example, the game icon begins to show the maximum number of points you have scored, the notepad shows the number of entries in it, and the weather icon, after being configured, regularly updates weather information.

By the way, the weather utility in Metro is made in a rather original way, but, as you might expect, it is crude. Thus, a video loop is used as a nature-themed background, which enlivens the picture and makes the waves crash on the shore and the fog float over the rocks. Moscow was found in the database without problems, but we were unable to switch the program to the Celsius scale, so the weather utility showed 52 degrees Fahrenheit. In general, it’s convenient, beautiful and, most importantly, informative. However, the video slowed down a little, but for now we’ll chalk it up to system virtualization and move on.

Weather program interface in Windows 8

The built-in applications in the new Windows 8 are enough to start working comfortably on your tablet. There are built-in Facebook and Twitter clients, an RSS reader, an Internet Explorer browser, stock prices, a touch drawing tool, several arcade toys, an alarm clock, an RDP client and much more, there is even a built-in piano. The Windows Store is not available in this version of Windows.

Built-in Twitter client for Windows 8 - Tweet@rama.

Cooper game on Windows 8.

The drawing application for Windows 8 is PaintPlay.

What immediately catches your eye is that the interface is designed primarily for touch and voice control. In the first minutes of using Metro, you feel the urge to run your fingers across the monitor, but common sense still prevails. Not all applications work fully. The new Internet Explorer looks extremely minimalistic, using black by default, which is very un-Microsoft. However, the official release is still far away, although perhaps IE 10 will be just like this and will not change in appearance. There is no Flash player for IE 10, so it was not possible to thoroughly test the functionality of the browser.

This is, apparently, what Internet Explorer 10 will look like.

At first glance, it may seem that all the novelty of the operating system lies in this green Metro interface, and a reasonable question arises: “What does Windows have to do with it?” This is where the fun begins. The Metro panel has several icons that lead not to applications, but to the system itself. Externally, if you do not take Metro into account, Windows 8 is very similar to its predecessor - Windows 7. But, as the developer states, the new operating system has a completely rewritten kernel, but the Aero interface, which has already become familiar, takes place in Windows 8. It has been stated more than once that that the new Windows will be without the windows that everyone is so used to. This is wrong. All windows remain and work fully in Windows 8 with minor changes in the interface. Also, the Taskbar and the Start button are still there. Except that the latter now carries a new function: it calls up the same Metro main screen and is an analogue of the “Home” button on Apple mobile devices.

As you can see in the image, the Windows 8 desktop interface has not undergone major changes. Let us remind you that the “Start” menu now calls up the Metro interface, therefore the new version of Windows will not have the familiar utilities that you have become accustomed to since version 3.11... This means the presence of the “Standard” and “Utility” packages. Most likely, they will appear in the Metro interface closer to the release of the first beta version in some original form. It is possible that there will not be any at all, but an alternative replacement from third-party developers will be offered. Of the usual things in the new Windows 8, Explorer remained, which was external. The Control Panel with system settings has also been completely preserved.

System properties and virtual system configuration in Windows 8.

This concludes our first acquaintance with the Windows 8 interface; you can download the distribution kit for your own experiments with the new OS. It’s too early to draw conclusions, because to adequately evaluate the new OS you need to wait for at least the first beta version, but first impressions of Windows 8 are purely positive.