Windows 8 is Released

Today, Microsoft proudly announced the release of the latest version of their popular Windows operating system -- Windows 8.  Windows 8 marks the greatest overhaul to the Windows interface since 1995.  Were the changes introduced longer overdue, or did Microsoft fix something that wasn't broken?

Microsoft released two main versions of their newest operating system: Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT.  The RT edition is designed for ARM tablets, and is consequently targeted at a more niche market.  I'll be looking at the standard Window 8, which is aimed at desktops, laptops, and x86-based tablets.  To start off with, I'll look at the Windows 8 system requirements:

These system requirements are surprisingly not drastically changed from Windows 7.  The hard drive capacity suggestion is higher, but otherwise the requirements are unchanged.

Windows installation has been a pretty painless process for many years now.  Long gone are the DOS-based installations of Windows 2000 and Windows XP, instead, the installation is a fully graphical process.  The Windows 8 installer, however, is even easier and faster than before.  An upgrade install can be done in just under half an hour, while a fresh install from DVD takes barely over ten minutes.  After installation, t he user will be greeted with a drastically revamped login screen:

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Upon first login, the user is shown a brief introduction tutorial.  This hints at the significant changes in the Windows 8 interface--a tutorial has not been included with Windows since XP was released back in 2001.  Upon completing the tutorial, the user sees the major change in Windows 8: the Metro UI

One of Microsoft's goals with Windows 8 was to create a single unified operating system that would work on "traditional" PCs (desktops and laptops) and tablets.  The end result is Metro: a user interface with large, touch-friendly icons (some of which can be set to animate).  Metro is the default interface that Windows 8 will boot to each time, although the "classic" desktop is retained, with a few changes:

Ignoring user complaints, Microsoft has completely torn out the start menu.  I personally believe that this was a terrible choice--even if the start menu came disabled by default, it should have been left as an option.  The Windows 8 default theme is also boxier than in any version since Windows 2000--part of Microsoft's attempts to give Windows a visual overhaul.

Perhaps the most pressing question about Window 8 is how does it perform?  While the new interface may be frightening, many people can be won over by performance numbers that show a convincing boost.  Fortunately, Window 8 is generally as fast as or faster than Windows 7:

Will I be buying Windows 8?  No.  I see the new interface as too much of a disruption, and I'm going to be sticking with the Windows 7 interface I love dearly.  However, Microsoft would clearly like Windows 8 to be the future.  Whether or not it catches on will have an enormous impact on the manner in which we use computers for work and play.