My Windows 8 review

The first thing I want to point about Windows 8 is that it’s not your typical OS, it has been designed to work on everything from a Tablet up to a big screen TV in your living room in a HTPC otherwise known as a Home Theater PC. It's got the Windows Phone 7 Metro-style touch interface of live tiles, and it is a touch based interface but we can still use a keyboard and mouse for those of us planning on using it on our PC’s. 

The installation only took a bit over 16 minutes on my test PC, but of course that will be different for everyone. The first thing you see when you power up your PC is the Lock Screen; you can add apps that can display their detailed status using the Control Panel. If you have a touch screen Monitor or a Tablet just swipe it up to reveal the login screen if you are using a password or continue to the Metro home screen if you don’t. 

Once you are on the Metro home screen, you’ll see a screen full of tiles that include Internet Explorer, Store, Socialite which is another social networking program, weather, stocks among others. There is also the Control Panel, Windows Explorer, Developer Command Prompt and many other tools. On the lower left corner you’ll find the Start button that once you click it you will definitely see that it’s not the same old Start button we are used to. It’s simplified and down to 4 options which are Search, Share, Devices and Settings. 

Of course the old desktop is still available underneath all that, and opening up the Windows Explorer does the same old thing. But something new is the Ribbon style interface seen only in Office 2007, Office 2010 and Microsoft Paint. Very easy to use altogether in my opinion but definitely will need some getting used to, especially for those of us still using Windows XP… Please take a look at my video to see Windows 8 in action!