Best Features of Windows 8

From Click to Gesture: While Windows certainly popularized clickable applications, the iPod and iPhone popularized the “gesture” action, allowing users to activate and run various applications using just their fingers.

Windows 8 brings this technology to a PC, and lets users gesture their way (in front of the monitor) to their business or entertainment agenda. They can use gestures to switch apps, or select menus, as well as zoom in or zoom out. This “semantic zoom” feature is ideal for surfing news sections by place rather than having to scroll through. The ability to drag and drop apps is also included in the latest Windows version.

Living Apps: The best apps of Windows 8 are constantly working, and actually feed you information without you having to activate them. With apps like Mail, Photos, News and Calendars, this is certainly an added benefit. Of course, you can always turn the “Live Tile” feature off if you find it counter productive.

The rightful paranoia of mobile phone users certainly inspired the latest “lock” feature for Windows 8, and the system now has a lock screen of its own. In fact, it one ups mobile lock screens by introducing automatic working apps that send you information in the background, including photos, notifications and content. The latest Windows Search feature has also been refined to include not only all files but also all apps.

Easier to Use Windows: One of the most common complaints of using Windows systems is the slowness and buggy nature of the systems. Perhaps the oncoming threat of Linux (particularly with Android) motivated Microsoft to spend more time optimizing the operating system.

The Interface: The interface of Windows 8 is completely different from what you might remember as Windows, and actually resembles an iPhone menu, or perhaps a Pinterest section. Why, you can even “pin” your favourites directly to your desktop, whether that’s a website, an app or even a person’s profile.

Since social networking is the big thing in entertainment and business today, it should surprise no one that Windows 8 is share-crazy, and lets you share anything with just the click of a keyboard. You click or tap the share button and then can decide where you want to share it and whether you want to share it as an image, link or app section. Syncing all of your files together is important, and the system does allow easy integration with the Windows 8 cloud platform, allowing easy and automatic archiving.

The faster working interface, the mobile-like gesture and touch operation, and the easy sharing, easy customizing design is sure to please people who are finding PCs to be behind the times. So, while it’s easy to think that Windows is trying to be “more mobile” to attract younger and more active users, the truth is, Microsoft is wisely following the trend. The new Windows 8 may very well save the OS from extinction.