If you have a mouse, you can click screen corners, or hit keystrokes, to perform these same functions. These swipes take about one minute to learn. If you have the time, watch the videos to see all of this in action. So on a PC, hiding behind this new Start screen is what looks almost exactly like the old Windows 7, with all of its complexity.
In other words, Windows 8 seems to favor tablets and phones. If you have two monitors, you can keep the regular Windows desktop on one screen, and the Start tiles on another. Or you may eventually get to the point where you never need the old desktop.
In the meantime, though, this dual world is a little jarring. And the Start menu is not well-optimized for this purpose. It affords limited customization, provides virtually no useful information, and offers only a small space for search results.
We knew that we already had a powerful launcher for desktop programs in the taskbar. The Start screen is not just a replacement for the Start menu—it is designed to be a great launcher and switcher of apps, a place that is alive with notifications, customizable, powerful, and efficient. Tiles surface information as it comes in, not unlike peering through a window.
See what Microsoft did there? So the Mail app previews recent e-mails; the Calendar app shows your next appointment. You can also set this information to surface on your lock screen, although the version of the beta I tested could only surface detailed previews from the Calendar. Contacts from multiple sources are integrated, too, in the People app. When it recognizes the same contact from different networks, it merges them.
I found most merged without fail, although there were some oddities. Physical addresses appear with a link to Bing Maps for quick lookups, and accounts that are added to one app--such as People--cross over to other related apps, like Messaging.
Search is global, and includes data from all your apps that have activated the search hooks. Of course, this being Windows, you can easily tweak those settings. Although the Windows Store wasn't open at the time this First Take was written, Microsoft has said that Windows 8 will sync apps through the Store. There's also a Live SDK that developers can use to hook into the single sign-on, and the aforementioned SkyDrive for file sync.
So as your apps are integrated with each other and Windows 8 as a whole, they are also syncable. Use your Microsoft log-in on any Windows 8 computer, and instantly your apps, settings, files, and browser history will get pulled down. The beta of Internet Explorer 10 continues on the path dictated by IE 9.
IE 9 and 10 are the most standards-compliant versions of Internet Explorer yet, as well as recognized by several sources as extremely good at blocking malware and phishing. There's also stuff you're likely to never encounter that's protecting you, like Trusted Boot for double-checking system integrity and SmartScreen to protect you from phishing and malware.
There are features like XBox Game and XBox Companion apps for pulling XBox content into Windows 8; a new Refresh option that will re-install Windows 8 without deleting your data; and multiple monitor support for showing Start on one screen and the desktop on the other.
Some people may find it jarring that most of the Windows utilities appear in the Windows 8 desktop screen, even when you launch them from the Start screen. Still, Microsoft has made some effort to make them more accessible. The Task Manager, for example, has been redecorated with colors, charts, and tabs. As far as default features are concerned, though, Windows 8 beta presents a solid baseline of apps and functionality to get you started. Don't be surprised if hardware manufacturers are allowed to insert their own preferred apps by the time that Windows 8 ships in the second half of this year.
Performance One important aspect of Windows 8 that I haven't gone in-depth on yet is that it feels quick. You swipe and you're there. Tap and you're there. Mousing around feels just as zippy, and there's a speed and responsiveness to Windows 8 that no other version of Windows has ever had. If there's a third pillar supporting this massive overhaul alongside the integration and the touch interface, it's that Windows 8 zooms.
All of which is even more impressive considering that my demo hardware was a Samsung tablet designed for Windows 7. Shutdown times weren't impressive, taking around a minute. Boot up was blazing, though, taking between 10 and 13 seconds to get to the log-in screen over three cold boots.
From the log-in screen to the Start screen took under 3 seconds in each of three cold boots. Microsoft has said that Windows 8 is designed to sip on battery life. We didn't get the opportunity to benchmark precisely how accurate that claim is, but after heavy daily use for six days straight, I only had to plug in this older-model tablet once a day.
It also was good about keeping a charge when unplugged and not in use, something that has not been true of many tablets currently on the market. Conclusion It would be beyond shocking if Windows 8 landed like Vista did.
This is a tight consumer experience, with features both new and familiar, and in a refreshingly different package. Hardware makers are on-board, Microsoft says developers are investing heavily in it, and it's earning its buzz because there's nothing quite like it out there.
Microsoft has moved the cheese. Windows 8 is here! InfoWorld can help you get ready with the Windows 8 Deep Dive PDF special report , which explains Microsoft's bold new direction for Windows, the new Metro interface for tablet and desktop apps, the transition from Windows 7, and more.
Stay abreast of key Microsoft technologies in our Technology: Microsoft newsletter. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde operating system " -- may be applied conclusively. While Windows 8 inherits many of the advantages of Windows 7 -- the manageability, the security plus integrated antivirus , and the broad compatibility with existing hardware and software -- it takes an axe to usability.
The Windows 8 Release Preview Sans the desktop theme and a few other coming changes This is it, folks. Windows 8 is a brand new user experience and app model And Finally A lesson from Facebook -- avoid IPOs.
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