Does Windows 8 Really Work on a PC

Explorer, Features, Operating System - By admin on Saturday, November 12, 2011 - 11:58

When Windows 8 was launched at the Build conference, all the delegates were given a tablet to demonstrate the new OS. Windows 8 has a whole new look to it, a whole new way of working that has, it has to be said, been influenced by the way people use touch pads. Microsoft has even admitted that they took their inspiration for things like the Metro start screen from the way in which people use touch pads.

Microsoft also believes that just as the mouse superseded keyboard controls, touch screens will soon become the normal way of interacting with our computers. In which case, the new Windows 8 OS will, naturally, reap the benefits. It has been designed to work mainly with a touch screen. But what about those of us, who have traditional laptops and desktops, does Windows 8 actually work for us? Well, if you download the Developer Preview, like we did, you can find out.

Clunky but Manageable

Yes, it does work on standard PCs but it is a lot, err, clumsier to work with than when it is on a touch screen device. Let's look at the start screen to begin with. This new, Metro style smart screen has replaced the standard Start menu. As you install apps, they are turned into tiles on your screen and similar apps can be grouped together to make it easier for you to locate them and use them. So far, so good, but where you merely need to touch a tile to move it or select it on a touch screen, on a standard desktop you need to move around the screen using your pgup and pgdn buttons. As I tend to have my number pad always set to numbers, this took a while to get used to.

It also takes a while to get used to the fact that when you leave an app, it doesn't get closed down; it remains 'sleeping' in the background. This is part of the new way of working in Windows 8 that saves battery power, but it is odd having all your apps lurking in the background all the time.

Thankfully, once an app is open, even if you're not currently using it, you can get to it by using Alt + Tab; you don't need to keep using pgup and pgdn to navigate your way through the tiles.

You can close apps, but to do that you need to go to Task Manager.

Task Manager Rocks

I actually love going to the new Task Manager; it rocks! The new heat map makes it easy to see where your computer's power is going and it is, let's be honest here, really easy to close down apps you no longer want to have running; it is, in fact, easier and faster than in Windows 7.

Boot-up Times Improved

Of course, one of the main reasons to switch to Windows 8 has to be its faster boot-up time. Add to that the fact that Windows 8 uses less power to do more tasks than Windows 7, then despite the awkwardness of trying to interact via keyboard and mouse, it seems to make sense to move to Windows 8.

But what do you think?

Have you tried the Developer Preview yet on your desktops?

How did you find it?

Let us know.