The next generation of Windows, a re-imagining of the operating system from the chip to the experience

Written by Giorgiana Arghire on October 17th, 2013

You can download the ISO files for Windows 8.1 Preview from this page.

Windows 8 was launched in several editions and you can buy the one that suits your needs best. Windows 8 can be purchased via this link, and upgrading to the Pro license requires buying Windows 8 Pro Pack. Windows 8 Pro features additional protection due to BitLocker and the PC can host a Remote Desktop Connection; it can be bought via this link. Students who are currently running a genuine copy of XP, Vista or 7 can upgrade to Windows 8 for a discounted price.

Windows 8 was launched in October 2012, and it is the first operating system developed by Microsoft that aims to bring the same user experience on desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones (via Windows Phone 8). 

While its user interface might not seem too different from the one of Windows 7, it still comes with some modifications, including the removal of the Aero transparency and of the rounded corners, as well as implementation of the ribbon-style look for Windows Explorer. 

One of the greatest changes is related to the Start Screen which replaces the Start Menu altogether, as the installed applications can be accessed using their dedicated tiles. The Modern UI (initially called the Metro UI) also includes a so-called Charms Bar which displays a vertical toolbar to the right side of the screen, allowing people to share data, open the Control Panel and access the power options. 

In addition to the traditional way of downloading and installing programs, Windows 8 users can also rely on the Windows Store, an online resource of numerous apps compatible with the OS, similar to the way other mobile marketplaces function – when using this online platform, users are no longer required to download the app first, as it gets automatically installed.

Another innovation of Windows 8 is its faster boot mode, based on a technology called UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) and which can only be activated on computers with specialized hardware. UEFI is basically meant as a replacement for the old BIOS firmware interface and it helps PC open much faster than before. 

In addition to USB 3.0 support, integration with Windows Live accounts and synchronization between all PCs belonging to the same account, along with the Windows To Go feature, Windows 8 has a lot more to offer to its users who are willing to give it a try.

Windows 8 description

Here are some key features of "Windows 8":

Touch-First User Interface:

Metro style - Windows 8 introduces a new Metro style interface built for touch, which shows information important to you, embodies simplicity and gives you control. The Metro style UI is equally at home with a mouse and keyboard as well.

Touch-first browsing, not just browsing on a touch device - Providing a fast and fluid touch-browsing experience, Internet Explorer 10 puts sites at the center on new Windows 8 devices.

More Ways to Engage With Powerful, Connected Apps:

Powered by apps - Metro style apps built for Windows 8 are the focal point of your experience, filling your entire screen so there are no distractions.

Apps can work together - Apps communicate with each other in Windows 8. For example, you can easily select and email photos from different places, such as Facebook, Flickr or on your hard drive.

Your experience syncs across your devices - Live roams all the content from the cloud services you use most — photos, email, calendar and contacts — keeping them up-to-date on your devices. With SkyDrive, you can access your files, photos and documents from virtually anywhere with any browser or with Metro style apps in Windows 8.

Enhanced Fundamentals:

The best of Windows 7, only better - Windows 8 is built on the rock-solid foundation of Windows 7, delivering improvements in performance, security, privacy and system reliability. Windows 8 reduces the memory footprint needed - even on the lowest-end hardware - leaving more room for your apps.

Preserving power-user favorites and making them better - For those who push the limits of their PC, Windows 8 features an enhanced Task Manager and Windows Explorer and new, flexible options for multimonitor setups.

New Developer Opportunities:

Windows Store - The Windows Store will allow developers to sell their apps anywhere Windows is sold worldwide, whether they’re creating new games or familiar productivity tools.

Build using more languages - Windows 8 lets you leverage your existing skills and code assets to create great experiences using the programming language you prefer.

Rich hardware integration leads to richer experiences, particularly for games - DirectX 11 gaming power underlies Windows 8, allowing the easy creation of full-screen games with smooth, flicker-free action.

New Generation of Hardware:

One Windows - many shapes and sizes - Support for ARM-based chipsets, x86 (as well as x32 and x64) devices, touch and sensors means Windows 8 works beautifully across a spectrum of devices, from 10-inch tablets and laptops to all-in-ones with 27-inch high-definition screens.

Always connected - With Windows 8, new ultrathin PCs and tablets turn on instantly, run all day on a single charge and stay connected to the Internet so your PC is ready when you are. Next-generation system on a chip (SoC) support will also enable greatly extended standby and low-power states.

Tap the full power of your PC - Windows 8 runs on PCs and is compatible with the devices and programs you use today on Windows 7, without compromise, to deliver the performance you expect of a PC.

Requirements:

1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor;

1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit);

16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit);

DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.

Taking advantage of touch input requires a screen that supports multi-touch

Limitations:

90 days trial

Whats New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Enhancements:

[b]Workplace Join

A Windows 8 PC was either domain joined or not. If it was a member of the domain, the user could access corporate resources (if permissioned) and IT could control the PC through group policy and other mechanisms. This feature allows a middle ground between all or nothing access, allowing a user to work on the device of their choice and still have access to corporate resources With Workplace Join, IT administrators now have the ability to offer finer-grained control to corporate resources. If a user registers their device, IT can grant some access while still enforcing some governance parameters on the device.

[b]Work Folders

Work Folders allows a user to sync data to their device from their user folder located in the corporation’s data center. Files created locally will sync back to the file server in the corporate environment. This syncing is natively integrated into the file system. Note, this all happens outside the...