One of the larger reasons for a lot of people – who are technically sound enough to opt for a free alternative like Linux – to continue using Microsoft Windows, is the platform’s wide support for applications, and, in particular, games. For even casual gamers, Windows is perhaps the sole choice, owing to the fact that the vast majority of games are available on the said platform, and Mac and Linux continue to trail far behind in comparison when it comes to the number of available titles. For this reason, it makes sense that almost all versions of Windows are capable of running most titles, whether they’re legacy classics or modern-era high-end shooters.
Perhaps no version of Microsoft Windows received as much hatred from both the users and experts alike, as Windows 8. There had been faux pas from the Redmond giant earlier – I , for one, haven’t forgotten Windows ME, or Windows Vista – but the funny thing was, Windows 8 wasn’t either of those. The general negative sentiment towards it usually stems from the fact that Microsoft opted to ‘force’ the users out of their comfort zone for the sake of a better, updated and modernized look. Well, hate it or love it, that’s what we got now.
The apps for Windows 8 are still streaming through, and if you're the type of user whom constantly deals with archived content, you'll be pleased to know that WinZip is now available to download.
Windows 8 has now been out for a couple of weeks, and although many Metro-fied apps were ready for the big launch on the 26th of last month, the big applications from the biggest names are still being released by the hour. Video streaming outlet Vimeo is the latest to join the likes of Skype and The Weather Channel for Windows 8, and the new app allows users to carry out a range of functions with apparent ease.
After the success of software distribution platforms like Software Center and App Store, Microsoft has followed suit by introducing Windows Store on Windows 8. Like the App Store, it has its fair share of limitations over which apps go in and which don’t and, like the Software Center, it charges a fee per download of a paid app, but what’s different about it is that, by design, apps on the Windows Store (generally) run both on desktops running Windows 8 and tablets running Windows RT.
In my detailed Windows 8 Pro review, I mentioned that there is a distinct lack of a large variety of quality apps on the Windows Store when compared to offerings on the Mac App Store and, in some ways, the Ubuntu (Linux) Software Center.
Privacy and security is one of the main concerns of most people browsing the web on a regular basis, and if it isn't to you, well, it really ought to be. E-mailing is something we all wind up doing at one point or another, and although our e-mail accounts can be protected by a password, that doesn't mean to say our privacy is at its optimal level. Many main e-mail providers ensure one types in a substantial secret character collective when choosing a password - with most asking for a letter, number, and and special symbol - but more can certainly be done in order to keep e-mails as private as intended.
The Windows 8 apps are coming in thick and fast just now, and although you might not be much of a Skyper or Hulu Plus viewer, the chances are, you do use Google to channel at least some of your search queries. Indeed, "Googling" has become synonymous with the act of searching the web, and if you're running / planning to install Windows 8, you'll be pleased to learn the official Google Search app tailored to Microsoft's new OS has just been launched.
Microsoft caused quite a stir last year when it announced the purchase of Skype for an eye-watering sum total of $8.5 billion. Some touted the sale price as grossly overvaluing of the company - one owned by eBay of course - but when one considers AOL paid 800 million bucks for Bebo, anything looks like a steal in comparison.
The official launch of Windows 8 may still be weeks away but that hasn't stopped developers from getting themselves and their apps ready in time for the big launch, with the fantastic MetroTwit Twitter app being the latest to get an update. A number of online and physical retailers are starting to offer pre-order discounts for those who get their Windows 8 upgrade orders in early as well as multiple hardware manufacturers starting to take initial orders for Windows 8-based PCs and notebooks.
