Windows 8 review

Like:
On the right hardware, it's
sleek, fast and fun; Huge
security improvements; Better
battery life, faster boot; Great
for touch
Dislike:
Start menu gone; Can't boot
to the desktop; You'll want a
touchscreen/trackpad
gestures/Touch Mouse;
Modern UI will annoy some;
Some older CPUs won't run it
Introduction
Windows 8 is here. With
upgrades, new Windows 8 PCs
and Windows RT devices
released at the end of October,
this is our definitive verdict on the
full, finished Windows 8 operating
system.
If you've been following Windows
8 through the development
process, especially if you've tried
the Release Preview, Windows 8
won't surprise you.
The changes between the
Release Preview and RTM aren't
major, except possibly the
removal of Aero Glass
transparency from desktop
windows and turning Do Not
Track (DNT) on by default.
New to Windows 8?
Windows 8 represents a
fundamental shift in the way
Windows works and is far
more touchscreen-orientated
for use on tablets as well as
traditional PCs. If you're
completely new to Windows 8
and haven't used a preview
version, we'd recommend you
check out our guide to the
new features you'll find in
Windows 8 vs Windows 7 and
Windows 8: what you'll need
to relearn .
The real difference between this
and previous versions is that
Windows 8 is finished; it's
polished and smooth, with even
better performance than in the
previews, and none of the rough
edges left.
Confused between Windows
8 versions? Read Making
sense of the Windows 8
versions
Even the previously disappointing
Modern UI -style apps such as
Mail, Calendar, Messaging and
People are slick, sleek and far
more functional.However, there is
still work to do with these apps
and Microsoft knows it - it
released a major update to them
on 10 October and several other
updates subseqently.
Many of the apps are now useful
and engaging rather than
frustrating. This is Microsoft
putting it all together.
Windows 8 tablets release
date, specs and prices
Windows 8 laptops release
date, specs and prices
The company has also just
released a major 170MB Windows
8 update to improve performance,
battery efficiency and power
management.
Running Windows 8 RTM
First of all, it's worth noting that
the Windows 8 RTM is still only
for x86/64 PCs; there isn't a
version of Windows RT for ARM
devices that you can download
and try out, since there aren't any
ARM devices that will run it.
That's because of the extremely
custom way that ARM devices are
built, where not even the way to
control a physical button is
standard. Microsoft isn't
supporting tablets built to run
Android or WebOS, either.
Windows 8 vs Windows RT:
what's the difference?
Much of what we're seeing in the
RTM will be the same on
Windows RT systems as it is in
Windows 8. Most features - from
the Start screen user interface to
the touch gestures, to the
Windows desktop and built-in
Windows tools such as File
Explorer and Task Manager - will
be practically identical (although
we don't have a definitive list of
which built-in tools will be built in
with Windows RT).
The vast majority of apps in the
Windows Store will run on both.
Microsoft has even confirmed it
will offer Flash functionality for IE
on Windows RT (at least on what
it calls the "initial delivery of
Windows RT PCs").
But until we see it in action, we
don't know what Windows RT
performance and battery life will
be like (although the promised
battery life for Connected
Standby and HD video playback
looks impressive, at up to 409
and 13 hours, respectively).
Windows 8 doesn't include the
desktop Office apps that will be
bundled with Windows RT either -
although you can still install the
Office 2013 Customer Preview -
and of course it runs all the x86
desktop apps that won't work on
RT. It also has the optional
Windows Media Center, which we
don't expect to be available for
Windows RT.
Along with the final release, we
have the final system
requirements for Windows 8;
much the same as for Windows 7,
with some added requirements for
WinRT apps.