Microsoft has taken a big step forward by making public the Release Preview of Window 8. Features that are astonishingly good and those not up to mark will be highlighted have been highlighted by a number of critics a week before its hardware is set to be released by OEMs.
The good begins with the Metro interface which is brilliant. The live tiles are very convenient as you can create separate tiles for different accounts. One can also follow updates on different sites for particular contacts. Another great feature is the ability to access different levels of applications by zooming. This helps in a more complete use of the Metro applications to fulfil your needs. Picture password, as always, is impressive, allowing the user to access their accounts via gestures on a picture instead of a typed password.
Windows 8 has 3 S’s – search, sync and share, which form a strong base to hold the system wonderfully in place. Search is very spontaneous and provides for a breezy stroll through apps and files on your system. Sync helps coordinate almost everything on your system from history to settings to applications. Share allows you to comfortably share information across applications due to the new innovative Share API. Evernote is an example of an application that requires just two taps to create a note.
What may turn out to be really frustrating for new users is learning how to use the Metro interface on Windows 8. Not everyone will be aware of the Charm bar sliding out from the right side or the zoom feature which enables an in-depth discovery of various applications. The new interface, though simple, can be a tad confusing initially with the layers of information and applications that can be accessed. Sync features here too, as this version doesn’t include syncing the Start screen tile or the picture passwords. However, Microsoft promises the same in the final verson. For the ease of the layman, the desktop mode has been retained. While it is hoped that users get used to Metro, jumping to the desktop “app” is jarring.
Finally, the OS is great but there hardly any apps to judge it on that front. The basic applications that have come to define Windows 8 are all there; with a few updates for increased functionality, along with a handful more third party apps which include Evernote and Slacker Radio. Microsoft needs to seriously make more applications available in the Windows 8 Store if it wants the platform to succeed, and it doesn’t have much time till the official launch date.
June 26, 2012 at 12:47 pm
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