Windows 8 Goes To Square One

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Mere weeks ago the Developer Preview of Microsoft’s newest entry into its long-running Windows series of operating systems opened for public alpha testing. Windows 8 has officially been released to developers and technophiles alike. Packed with hundreds of new features and a complete overhaul to the traditional Windows user interface (UI), but the question: is it worth the hype? I have been testing this new offering from Microsoft for the past few weeks and have been surprisingly impressed.

Upon booting into Windows 8, the first thing you will be greeted with is a screen filled with modern looking fonts and tiles. Microsoft calls this new interface Metro. The tiles are representations of the programs and applications that the user will most likely use frequently. If anyone has used the Windows Phone 7 operating system will be familiar with this new interface.

The most surprising part to the new Windows experience is that this new Metro style interface is not something that can be avoided or turned off. Once the user activates the traditional Windows desktop screen, pushing the “Start” button will now simply bring you back to the new tiled UI. Currently these tiles are dynamic and change based on location and if the user has an active Internet connection (for example, the stock app tile changes to reflect current stock prices) they can also be moved around to suit the user’s needs.

One of the main components to the new interface is the automatic connectivity with the user’s Windows Live account. When setting up the computer for the first time the user will be required to log into their Windows Live account or (for those of us that do not have one) will now be forced to sign up for Windows Live to receive the full benefits of the new features.

An exciting new program that is built in called NearMe can be activated to tailor the user experience based on the user’s current location (for example, if one were to search “restaurants” the user’s results will be tailored to the location of the user’s computer.) Through several new built-in programs, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr are now also integrated into the operating system to provide the user with a greater personalized experience.

Once again it seems like Microsoft has taken a cue from Apple’s mentality. The focus for the Windows operating system seems to have shifted from pure productivity to the ease of user accessibility and functionality. Gone are the days of the traditional desktop as Microsoft is continuing to improve and refine the look and feel of the Windows brand (heck, even the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” has been changed to a calmer, more friendly blue with a sad face.) Julie Larson-Green, the corporate vice president of Windows Experience at Microsoft spoke about the radical new changes on Microsoft’s official blog.

“Our approach means no compromises — you get to use whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run the apps you love. This is sure to inspire a new generation of hardware and software development…”

Windows 8 looks promising to completely change the way we interface with our personal computers. Microsoft is pushing the envelope on aesthetics and user experience with a focus on the ease of using their new operating system. There is still over a year left until the final release of Windows 8, but if this early build is any indication as to how we will all be accessing our PCs, we are all in for an exciting and game changing computer revolution.

Mere weeks ago the Developer Preview of Microsoft’s newest entry into its long-running Windows series of operating systems opened for public alpha testing. Windows 8 has officially been released to developers and technophiles alike. Packed with hundreds of new features and a complete overhaul to the traditional Windows user interface (UI), but the question: is it worth the hype? I have been testing this new offering from Microsoft for the past few weeks and have been surprisingly impressed.

Upon booting into Windows 8, the first thing you will be greeted with is a screen filled with modern looking fonts and tiles. Microsoft calls this new interface Metro. The tiles are representations of the programs and applications that the user will most likely use frequently. If anyone has used the Windows Phone 7 operating system will be familiar with this new interface.

The most surprising part to the new Windows experience is that this new Metro style interface is not something that can be avoided or turned off. Once the user activates the traditional Windows desktop screen, pushing the “Start” button will now simply bring you back to the new tiled UI. Currently these tiles are dynamic and change based on location and if the user has an active Internet connection (for example, the stock app tile changes to reflect current stock prices) they can also be moved around to suit the user’s needs.

One of the main components to the new interface is the automatic connectivity with the user’s Windows Live account. When setting up the computer for the first time the user will be required to log into their Windows Live account or (for those of us that do not have one) will now be forced to sign up for Windows Live to receive the full benefits of the new features.

An exciting new program that is built in called NearMe can be activated to tailor the user experience based on the user’s current location (for example, if one were to search “restaurants” the user’s results will be tailored to the location of the user’s computer.) Through several new built-in programs, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr are now also integrated into the operating system to provide the user with a greater personalized experience.

Once again it seems like Microsoft has taken a cue from Apple’s mentality. The focus for the Windows operating system seems to have shifted from pure productivity to the ease of user accessibility and functionality. Gone are the days of the traditional desktop as Microsoft is continuing to improve and refine the look and feel of the Windows brand (heck, even the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” has been changed to a calmer, more friendly blue with a sad face.) Julie Larson-Green, the corporate vice president of Windows Experience at Microsoft spoke about the radical new changes on Microsoft’s official blog.

“Our approach means no compromises — you get to use whatever kind of device you prefer, with peripherals you choose, to run the apps you love. This is sure to inspire a new generation of hardware and software development…”

Windows 8 looks promising to completely change the way we interface with our personal computers. Microsoft is pushing the envelope on aesthetics and user experience with a focus on the ease of using their new operating system. There is still over a year left until the final release of Windows 8, but if this early build is any indication as to how we will all be accessing our PCs, we are all in for an exciting and game changing computer revolution.