Who really knows Windows 8?

Who really knows Windows 8?

Windows 8 is FAR more than simply a new UI

Windows 8 “under the covers!” 

Picking out the differences between Windows XP and Windows 8, improvements have been enormous and have remained unnoticed by a lot of people. So here’s a glimpse of new features that are all in Windows 8. In sum, the following three unsorted (net even complete) lists of new Features give an impressive insight into the innovation thrusts of the different versions starting with Windows Vista to Windows 8. Naturally, the list would be much longer - especially if we considered Windows Server as well, which we won’t in this article. Windows Server 2012 on its own provides so many new features that an own list would even be more extensive than the ones provided herein.

It is definitely worth to have a look on the documentation since Windows is simply unbeatable regarding security, manageability,automation and customization.

New features within Windows Vista 

New features within Windows 7 

New features within Windows 8 

By the way, Windows 8 has a new start-button which references to the new Start Screen. If you counted the number of required clicks or keystrokes to start a program in Windows 7, you will see you won’t need more rather less clicks when using Windows 8. 

Incidentally, the most important technical features are still accessible in the "Technical Start Menu" with a right mouse click (bottom left corner). 

Just looking at the touch ability of Windows 8 in the new Start Screen and in the new Windows Store applications is impressive and for this I'm likely adapting on a new operation system, which is in my opinion to learn easily within a few minutes. 

In addition, the new type of handling opened an unprecedented comfort. Here a quote of a colleague, who appreciates the new Start Screen as much as I do: 

„My personal Highlight is the ability to interact in totally new ways compared to other Operation systems.

I simply enter a term and Windows 8 lets me know all possible alternatives for it. So it shows you the results Windows 8 finds for the term in “Apps”, “Files” and “Settings”. What is even more interesting is that Windows 8 tries to process across apps. “Tie” for example is being looked for in Bing and eventually you might see what different types of ties and knots exist. Using an app might lead me to a shop where I find offers. Otherwise I can just search through an auction app for auctions. The “Share” function is just amazing: I may easily share the found ties with my wife and find out, whether she likes the tie as well.”  

Looking at how many powerful features inside Windows 8 are we can definitely call it an impressive operating system which hadn’t been seen by the world before. It’s the most feature rich client operating system so far (Windows Server 2012 has much more than the client). 

First of all, Windows itself benefits from these features and therefore reaches a new dimension concerning security, manageability, usability, performance and much more. Furthermore it is extremely energy saving so even with older hardware battery life has been raised a lot. 

Also administrators profit by substantial increases Windows 8 had in terms of manageability, automation and security, which results in potential reduction of operating costs. 

Additionally, software developer benefit from those features since many of them may directly be addressed or integrated in their own projects and thereby increasing the quality, safety and performance. Also, development costs can substantially be reduced. 

Finally, all users profit from the new Features – no matter if they use Windows 8 at home or at work. If the operating System and related apps are secure, reliable and fast, users are the ones to really make use of it. Not to mention that many features are of course available to the user – if he is aware of them.

There is one question remaining: “Who really knows Windows 8?“ 

It would be a pity if the entire discussion about Windows 8 would be reduced on a new type of user interface or usability.

Therefore, I to highlight my favorite Top-10 Features in Windows 8 as a separate blog series. 

Oliver Niehus, Microsoft.

Who really knows Windows 8.pdf