Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 8, 8
So here it is then, one of the
most controversial operating systems of all time, has finally landed. People
have talked back and forth about the new design, the loss of the start menu,
the bright colours and have had a chance to use it themselves with the release
preview.
Now that the final product is out,
the main question: is it any good? Yes. It’s not perfect by a long shot, but
what it does, it does well.
This review won’t focus too much
on the nitty gritty technical side, comparing file transfer time in
milliseconds with differing OSes, there are many sites that already do that;
this blog will look at how it feels to use day to day, is it worth upgrading
to?
The UI formerly known as the
UI known as Metro
 |
| Start Screen with added apps and live tiles set |
Let’s address the UI first, the
most controversial element, the most radically different and the one that
immediately hits you on start up. Modern UI (neé Metro) is inescapable. There
is no boot to desktop (the desktop exists as an “app” in Modern UI) and this
start screen also replaces your old start menu.
I like it.
When you have a fresh install,
there are a few tiles already there, bright colours against your background. As
you explore these apps, they start to come alive, showing you previews of your
mail, weather updates, calendar appointments and so on. No screenshot can do it
justice, it comes alive. If you have any
“embarrassing” photos you don’t want previewed, you can turn the live tile off.
You can rearrange the tiles how
you like, making them big or small and sectioning them off. The first tile also
acts as a shortcut, hit the return key, it will launch that app. I have my
desktop as my primary tile.
Any conventional applications you
install will also be added to the start screen. You can unpin them from the
view if you feel you won’t access it that often. A little button at the bottom
right also zooms out, presenting a global view. Can’t find the application
you’re looking for? Just start typing; it works exactly the same as the old
start menu. In fact, better. You can fine tune your search by selecting whether
it is an application, file or a settings option really easily. You can even
search other apps from within an app!
Many I have spoken to who don’t
like Windows 8 reserve most of their hate for the start screen. They decry it
as a mobile phone interface on the desktop. If anything, I feel that this is
really what Windows is about, what it should be about. Those tiles? What are
they if not windows onto applications, showing what is happening on the inside?
They say they don’t want a start screen filling their view, distracting them
from their task when searching for a new application to open. After several
months of use, you really don’t notice it. When you search for something on
Windows 7, you aren’t focused on your
application anyway, your attention is on the search box. This is no different.
There’s an app for that
 |
| The bundled mail app |
The apps themselves are very
different to the traditional desktop applications. They are full screen and
have no menu bar. Again, a thumbs up from me. They really sing, utilising your
full display to present their content. A right click will bring up relevant
controls (for example, the modern UI internet explorer’s URL bar) and you can
drag the application, snapping it to a third of the screen. This is brilliant
for the messaging app, I can see all conversations in the side whilst working
in any desktop applications. You close them by dragging from the top to the
bottom and you can alt tab between them like before.
 |
| Messaging application in the snapped view with desktop Office. |
The default social applications
are also fantastic. The messaging app has already been mention and is great,
pulling from all your chat services. The people app works similar to flip
board. You aren’t just on facebook, youre on linkedin, twitter, google plus;
why have so many tabs open? The app pulls all content and displays it there. It
acts as your social hub, allowing you to see whatever your circles are doing on
whatever service you are doing it on. This is a modern operating system,
meeting our modern needs and uses.
Many more will be available on
the Windows 8 store. Essentially, the App Store. But it is de rigueur these
days and would be a massive oversight if it didn't have one.
Start me up
Setting up Windows 8 for the
first time is a breeze, you can upgrade with all your files in place or wipe
everything. If you are upgrading from 7, you can even keep your programs
intact! The install is the fastest yet, it asks you a few questions as you
choose your layout and then you are in!
You can choose a fantastic
variety of patterns and colour combinations! It can get ridiculously trippy, or
muted and in the background... It's up to you. This OS brings the cloud to you.
You can create your account like you have done many times before, or, you can
log into your Windows Live account! Doing this will sync your life online with
your desktop. Your xbox friends, messaging and email will be there waiting for
you. This gets better the more Windows 8 devices you have...it will share
settings on any device you log on, it will also remember which apps you have
downloaded (they won't automatically install, but there will be a section on
the store).
Windows 8 is lighter on the system requirements than
its predecessor, which is great if you want to eek out all the performance you
can. The start up and shut down times
are also a lot faster than prior Windows, it almost feels like an
appliance! I do miss the start up time brew making though...
Sat at the
desktop
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| Desktop in Windows 8. Notice the solid title bars and no start button. |
The desktop then. It's still
there. Functions similar but better than before. It now works better with
multiple monitors, you can have different pictures on each screen, or stretch
it across. There's no start button, but you can access the start screen by
clicking where it used to be (or just hit the Windows key...seriously, it's
right there).
Microsoft have gotten rid of
Aero. It is no more. The windows are now as square as they can be to match the
Modern UI apps, with solid, opaque bars at the top. Oddly, the task bar is
still translucent for some reason. A neat feature is that the bars will match
the colour of your desktop background!
Based on your opinion of the
ribbon in Office, you will be pleased/alarmed to hear they have added it to the
explorer window. The file copy and paste is now a lot more informative,
allowing you to pause the transfer. Task manager to has had a great overhaul!
For power users, right click on the bottom left or win + x brings up a power
user menu.
Essentially that's it. People who
fear Modern UI haven't lost the desktop, it's still there, a few user
improvements, but still the same one we know and love.
Who's bad?
So what didn't I like? Well, it's
obvious that the main functions in Windows requires re learning, it is
something we will get used to in time. But a lot of the functionality is hard
to discover, there is a brief tutorial at the beginning on how to bring up the
Charms bar, but where is the help with app switching, closing, keyboard
shortcuts? I'm not against learning, but I want a syllabus!
 |
| Charms bar overlay |
The divide between the start
screen and desktop is disorientating. It's like two OSes sandwiched together.
Microsoft tried to "metrofy" parts of the desktop, but it is still
something very much apart.
R8ted
Overall then...A very good
OS. From the desktop user's point of
view, very much a refinement of what's gone on before. The tinkering under the
hood has made this more secure, more reliable, more informative and faster to
use. As a whole, it's very much a version one product. It's a great,
revolutionary change, it heralds the beginning of the changing ways in which we
use our PCs. However, the original Windows showed the beginnings of the GUI on
business computers, it wasn't really until Windows 95 until it became fantastic
to use, it all sunk in and everything seemed right.
Windows 8 feels a bit like that.
The pieces are in place, a little rough, a little unpolished, but a blast to
use and certainly not any worse than has gone before. I suspect we will have to
wait until Windows 9 for the "modern UI" to be perfected...until
then, this glimpse of the future is a blast!
