I find almost everything involved in day-to-day usage to be pretty easy on Windows 8, and in some instances, even easier than its more-favored predecessor, Windows 7. The search function in the latter iteration of Windows is definitely much improved, and the aesthetics of the new Modern UI are simply beautiful. Add to it the fact that there are quite a few new features, and the operating system is a rather solid winner, in my opinion. That, however, doesn’t imply that it doesn't come with its own shortcomings. One very obvious one, which even I find annoying and bad design choice all the time, is how you turn off your PC. Unfortunately, the Redmond giant decided to hide away one of the most accessed features of the operating system rather obscurely.
Taiwanese electronics giant HTC is plotting two Windows RT-based tablets, according to a report by Bloomberg. The report cites the usual "sources familiar" with the matter, and as well as a an all-singing 12-inch version of the purported tablet duo, HTC is also said to be following market trends by also offering a much more pocketable 7-inch version.
Windows has been the most popular desktop operating system for years, and by the looks of it, will continue to be so, despite the fact that Windows 8 had raised a lot of eyebrows over its rather bizarre feature set. I have expressed my liking for the Redmond giant’s latest iteration of the operating system, but even someone like me can’t help but question some of the obscure choices that Microsoft made while designing Windows 8.
VLC media player is considered the de facto media player of choice for those who want a feature rich media player that can handle any format. Having used VLC for nigh-on ten years on a variety of platforms from Windows XP to iOS, and in that time, it has - in its various forms - played everything I have thrown at it with aplomb. Now, the VideoLAN team behind VLC want to make a version in-keeping with the tiled interface of Windows 8, and in order to gather the funding for this “Modern” take on the iconic app, has begun a Kickstarter campaign.
The Universal Serial Bus interface, more commonly known as the USB, is perhaps the most useful invention in the world of computers and technology after the floppy disk. The bus provides a standardized media and input/output interface that has truly revolutionized how removable devices and other peripherals connect and interact with computers all over the world. Today, USB-interface is used not only for removable storage media, but also for the likes of printers, human interface devices (like mice and keyboards), gamepads, speakers, device connections, and lots of other cool gadgets that you’d just like to have sitting around on your desk while you work. If you really think about it, you’ll hardly find yourself using any other port on your PC or laptop more than the USB ports.
I personally like Windows 8 a lot. The missing Start Orb doesn’t bother me, since I have pretty smoothly adapted to the new Start Screen (I find it more convenient, in fact), and even if some of the features have been buried down deep within the operating system, that actually piques up the geek inside me, making it more challenging to use the operating system with as much ease as its earlier variants. However, that nowhere implies that everyone is a power user, and for casual ones, some of these hidden items are downright annoying. Take the ability to turn your laptop into a personal Wi-Fi hotspot, for instance; it was all too easy under Windows 7 thanks to the ad hoc network support. With Windows 8, things have become more complicated.
Windows 8 isn’t just missing the Start Orb or the ability to easily restart/shut down the PC; there are certain other elements that Microsoft either decided to bury deep within the settings, or omit altogether, when compared with Windows 7 and earlier iterations of the operating system. Among them is also the ability to easily create ad-hoc wireless networks using your current internet connection and wireless adapter. Essentially, an ad-hoc wireless connection turns your PC into a virtual Wi-Fi router, allowing other devices to connect to the internet through a shared internet connection, each with its own unique IP address. Until Windows 7, ad hoc connections were a breeze, since there was an option to create one right in the Network Management utility. With Windows 8, the ability does exist; it’s just a little hard to achieve. In this article, we’ll guide you how to create a wireless ad hoc connection under Windows 8.
An operating system upgrade is always worth having, in my opinion. Newer changes are almost always valuable, and the ability to utilize the latest technology on your smartphone, tablet, computer or laptop is a much-needed benefit. Similar holds true for Windows – the world’s most used PC operating system – where Windows 8 is the latest and greatest in the choices that you have. A lot of people have their issues with the operating system, but that isn’t stopping Microsoft from making constant updates to the OS, making it even better than before. I leave the debate of how useful Windows 8 is at that, and come to something that’s actually limited in the operating system: backward compatibility. Up until Windows 7, Microsoft allowed users to run applications that were compatible with, say, Windows XP, but that has been taken out in the latest iteration of Windows.
With the Surface RT struggling to pick up momentum and sales in the tablet market, Microsoft desperately needs to call upon plan B, and in a move that'll no doubt inject a little life into the Surface brand, the software maker has revealed pricing details of the upcoming Surface Pro. Unlike the current slate, it will run on Windows 8 Pro rather than the - for lack of a better phrase - watered-down offering in Windows RT. Legacy apps will be supported on the Intel-powered device, meaning those looking to really get some use out of the Surface won't need to rely on the very, very slim pickings over at the Windows Store.
Having met its long-awaited released date on 26th October, Windows 8 is truly here, and as a testament to just how consumers have responded to the new operating system, the 40 million mark has already been passed in terms of licenses sold.
