WINDOWS 10
Operating System
WINDOWS 10
Processor 1GHZ
Harddisk 16GB
Display 1024X768
Ram 1GB
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
This new OS is crowd-full of fresh features.
Some of them are: a lean, fast Internet Explorer replacement called Edge; Microsoft's Siri-like
voice-controlled virtual assistant, Cortana; and the ability to stream real-time games to users
desktop from an Xbox One in another room.
Windows 10 Bridges The Gap Between PC and Tablet
But Windows 10 is also the end of a long, awkward road that began with the release of
Windows 8 in 2012, when Microsoft tried to convince a world of keyboard and mouse wielders
that touchscreens were the way to go -- or else. Ironically, in 2015, the PC hardware for that
touchscreen future is now here -- everything from 2-in-1s such as the Lenovo Yoga line to
convertible tablets with detachable keyboards, like Microsoft's own Surface. And Windows 10
smoothly lets users transition from "tablet" to "PC" mode on such devices like never before.
The Start menu, inexplicably yanked from 8, is back and working the way users expect it to.
Those live tiles from the Windows 8 home screen still exist, but they've been attached to the
Start menu, where they make a lot more sense. And the extremely hidden Charms bar has
been modified into the more straightforward (and easier to find) Action Center.
A Fresh Start
The Start menu is back; it's almost funny how relieving that is. That humble Start button has
been a fixture on the lower left corner of the Windows desktop since the quiet days of
Windows 95, offering speedy access to apps and settings. Press it on Windows 10, and users
will see the latest step in a long conversation about the state of the PC industry.
The past sits on the left: a neat column with shortcuts to users most used apps.
Press the "All Apps" button and users will get an alphabetical list of all of the apps installed
on users PC. There are folders in there too -- press them, and extra options will fly out, just
like they always have.
The future -- or at least, the future as Microsoft anticipate it -- sits on the right side of the Start
menu. These are the colorful, animated live tiles that debuted in Windows 8, pulling double
duty as app shortcuts and informative widgets.
Users can resize these live tiles, drag them about to arrange them into groups and pin as
many apps as users had like -- the entire Start menu can be shrunk or expanded to suit users
liking. It's essentially a miniaturized version of the fullscreen Start menu we saw in Windows
8. Users can also unpin them to excise them from their computer, leaving with the narrow
column of frequently used apps known for so long.
One step back, two steps forward
The Start menu in Windows 10 is admission that Windows 8 maybe have been a bit too
forward thinking. But Microsoft hasn't abandoned that vision of unifying all manner of devices
under a single operating system: Continuum in Windows 10 is the latest attempt to bridge the
gap between touch and non-touch devices, and this time it doesn't force users to relearn
how to work with PCs.
To start, there's no divide between the Windows 8-style "Modern" apps users get from the
Windows app store, and those users install the old-fashioned way. Everything exists as a
traditional windowed app, sharing space on the desktop. If users are on a two-in-one device
like Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 , pop the keyboard off and Windows 10 will switch to tablet
mode. The Start menu and users apps will stretch to take up the entire screen, and all of the
miscellaneous apps and shortcuts on users taskbar will disappear, to give users finger fewer
obstacles to hit.
Reattach the keyboard, and everything slots back into place. It's an rapid, seamless
process. It's also entirely optional: users can disable the feature and switch to tablet mode
manually, or forget that this whole touch concept exists at all.
This is what Windows 8 always should've been: an operating system that bridges the divide
between touch and non-touch, without alienating folks who fall into one camp or the other.
Like it or not, the future belongs to devices with touchscreens. But Microsoft (finally)
understands that users will all get there at own pace, and Continuum makes the transition
painless. And now that there are so many hybrid devices to choose from, making the switch
to touch without abandoning the interface know is more important than ever.
Learning new tricks
Microsoft hasn't stopped at making touch make sense on a Windows PC. With Windows 10,
just about every facet of the OS has been tweaked and updated, and a few new features have
been rolled in. In typical Microsoft fashion, there's a dizzying array of keyboard shortcuts and
touch gestures for each of these features, giving you no fewer than three ways to access the
things you're trying to get to. No need to memorize them all -- just use whatever suits you
(or your device) best.
Virtual desktops
Click the new Task View button on the taskbar and users will get a bird's-eye view of all of the
apps they have got open. Drag one of those apps onto the "new desktop" button, and it'll be
moved to its own independent workspace. Users can keep one workspace focused on work,
a separate desktop for gaming forums, yet another workspace for the new camera lenses they
checking out; there's no limit to the amount of virtual desktops users can create, and each
one is treated as its own little private island.
Virtual desktops are far from a new development, and they have been available in past
versions of Windows thanks to third-party apps. But it's nice to see Microsoft catching up here. The
feature could still use some work: desktops are numbered, but if users create a lot of them it
can be hard to keep track of where everything is. The "traditional" Win32 apps users might
download and install from a website are happy to open a new instance on any desktop, while
clicking the shortcut on an app from the Windows store will yank users back to whatever
desktop they used it on last.
Users can move apps across virtual desktops -- just drag them, or right-click to shunt them
over -- but there's no way to reorder the virtual desktops themselves, which would be really
useful for staying organized.
Windows Snap
The Snap feature introduced in Windows 7 has gotten a bit of an upgrade, too. Drag an app to
the left or right side of the screen, and it'll "snap" to fill that space. The new Snap Assist
feature will then chime in, showing users little thumbnails of any other apps that are currently
open -- click a thumbnail, and it'll fill up the remaining space. Users can also snap an app into a
corner of their display and fill their screen with up to four apps, divided equally across the
screen -- this could prove useful for folks with massive monitors.
Action Center
The new Action Center replaces the "Charms" introduced in Windows 8, and is another nod to
mobile operating systems. Click the Action center icon on the taskbar to bring up a panel that
houses all of users app notifications, and offers quick access to a few important system
settings, like toggling their Wi-Fi network or switching in and out of tablet mode -- users can
choose the options that turn up here in the settings menu. If users are coming from Windows 7
and have no idea where to find some of the settings they are used to, there's a good chance
users will find them here.
Wi-Fi Sense
Wi-Fi Sense presence in Windows 10 should have been a welcome addition: Wi-Fi
Sense connects users devices to trusted Wi-Fi hotspots.
Wi-Fi Sense doesn't share users actual password, so it theoretically eases a social transaction
(the sharing of Wi-Fi connectivity) without necessarily compromising users network security.
Windows Hello and Windows Passport
Microsoft is also beefing up security with Windows Hello. The feature will use users Windows
10 devices' camera or a fingerprint scanner to turn their body into a password. Once they have
authenticated theirself with Windows Hello, Windows Passport will then give users access to
a number of third-party sites and products, without forcing users to log in all over again. This
should make it a bit more convenient to log in to their devices, so users don't skimp on
traditional measures, like having a robust password. The only catch is that Hello isn't widely
supported on a lot of existing hardware users will need a device sporting Intel's RealSense
camera, or a fingerprint scanner.
Chatting with Cortana
Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana isn't exactly a new feature, as she's been on Windows
Phone for just over a year. But the company's answer to Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa and
Google Now has made the transition to the desktop with Windows 10, taking over the
OS' search functionality, while also handling quite a few housekeeping duties. Users can have
Cortana trawl through their email and calendar, and keep users notified of any upcoming
flights they are taking, or packages they are expecting. She can set reminders and track stocks,
and users can even dictate email messages for her to send to their contacts. Cortana can
also be set to listen for users to say "Hey, Cortana," and can be trained to recognize several
different voices.
She's not especially useful here. Windows 10's Voice recognition is rather accurate, but if users
have to send an email message and users at their desk, they can just going to use their email
client. She'll offer recommendations for places to eat or things to see, but that'd be a lot more useful
when users are out and about than at their desk.
Cortana will be making her way to Android and iOS devices later this year, which should clear
up most of these issues -- provided most of her functionality crosses platforms without issue.
Microsoft Edge Rethinks The Browser
Microsoft has added a brand-new browser into Windows 10, and it's called Microsoft Edge.
Introducing a new browser in a world that already has Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and
Apple's Safari is a pretty bold move. Doubly so when users previous effort was Internet
Explorer -- once a juggernaut in the space, now the Internet's favorite punchline.
Edge is a fast, modern browser that offers quite a few commendable features. Cortana is
integrated right into the browser, and she'll offer detailed information on things like the
weather or flight statuses while users are typing into the browser's address bar. Navigate over to
a bar or restaurant's website, and Cortana can pull up a little sidebar full of useful information,
like reviews or directions. The webnote feature lets users scribble on webpages and share
their annotations to OneNote or via email, and users can use the Reading view option to strip a
website down to its bare essentials. Edge has also been built with tighter security from the
start, to hopefully circumvent some of the headaches that erupted from Internet Explorer.
Getting your game on
Windows 10 adds and tweaks a few things in the entertainment department. The Xbox Video
and Xbox Music apps have been renamed to Movies & TV and Groove Music, respectively.
Their function is identical: any music and video files on users device can be found here, but
it mostly serves as a means to convince users to buy or rent content from Microsoft's stores.
users have got plenty of streaming services to choose from, for music and video.
If users are a gamer, the Xbox app will prove far more interesting. It's a window into their Xbox
Live feed, letting users see what their friends are up to and send them messages, browse
recordings people have made, compare achievements, and all of the expected ways of
interacting with the social network. But if users own an Xbox One, they can stream activity from
their console to any device running Windows 10.
It's awesome. No, it's not a game changer, and certainly not a reason to run out and grab an
Xbox One. But it's still awesome: if someone wants to use the television, Users can just plug an
Xbox One controller into one of their PCs and continue plugging away at the Xbox One version
of The Witcher 3 . The quality of the experience is going to be dependent on their network.
Handy tools for shutterbugs
The new Photos app isn't going to replace something like Adobe Lightroom, but if users take a
lot of photos and are looking for a simple tool to keep things organized, they will do well here.
The Photos app scans users devices and OneDrive account for photos, and automatically
arranges them into albums. Users can use the app as a way to keep track of their pictures,
but it also offers some basic editing tools too. If users prefer a hands-off approach, Photos
will automatically enhance all of the photos it finds, wrangling red eye and sorting out
exposure levels -- it works on RAW files, too. But don't worry: the edits Photos makes are
non-destructive, so users can undo any changes it makes, or prevent it from altering their
photos altogether.
Windows, everywhere
Windows 10 has finally arrived, but this version of Windows is fundamentally different from
any that have come before it. It will truly be an everywhere OS, a concept Microsoft will be
pushing with Windows 10 Mobile , and Universal Apps. Apps developed for Windows 8 and
Windows Phone 8 could share much of their code, which was supposed to make it easy to
create a single app that ran everywhere.
Microsoft's universal apps share an identical codebase: the Excel client on users desktop, for
example, will be the exact same client as the one on their phone, with elements adjusted to
make sense of the different display, and the lack of a keyboard or mouse. Users can currently
get a taste of this on the latest version of Windows 10 Mobile.
Universal apps will lead to their own challenges, as developers will have to weigh creating
rich, robust apps that can run on a mobile device, against developing apps that can make use
of all of the power a full PC can bring to bear. Microsoft is already drafting a solution using
Continuum. Microsoft has demonstrated Continuum for phones: plug a Windows Phone into a
display, and the interface will one day morph to mimic the PC-based version of Windows.
Users will see the desktop, desktop-versions of Windows Store apps, and get full mouse and
keyboard support. There's no word on when Continuum for phones will be available, or what
devices it'll run on, but it offers a tantalizing glimpse of what Microsoft has in store.
Getting ready for what's next
The Windows Update process will be key to getting everyone on board with Microsoft's vision
of the future of Windows. It'll also prove to be one of the most contentious elements: if users are
running the standard Home version of Windows 10, updates are automatic and can't be refused.
This is a great thing. Windows' Achilles' heel has long been its nigh-ubiquity, which makes it a
prime target for malware and other digital nastiness. A computer that's kept up to date is a
happy computer, as it will offer users the best chance of avoiding viruses and other unpleasant
things.
This is also a terrible thing. Many of us have encountered software updates that don't quite
work out, occasionally breaking more than they fix. One of the last updates to the
Windows 10 preview has been triggering software crashes, a recurring reminder that things
occasionally don't work out as intended.
WINDOWS 8
Operating System
WINDOWS 8
Processor
1GHZ
Harddisk
16GB
Display
1024X768
Graphics
DirectX
9
Getting started
It's all about the cloud
The whole boot-up sequence takes not a minute, but just 20 seconds in some cases.
We can remember when we first started using Windows 7 the start-up sequence wasn't that
different from Vista, which in turn wasn't unlike versions of Windows that came before that.
The chain of start-up screens could be long, sometimes taking more than a minute to
complete. Depending on how slow the system was, it could have taken a while longer for the
desktop to fully load. Here, booting Windows feels like turning on an Android tablet, or some
other mobile device. The whole process takes not a minute, but just 20 seconds in some
cases -- a short sequence marked by a brief splash screen and redesigned Windows logo.
From there, getting set up is a quick, painless affair. When users first boot up Windows 8
they will be prompted to sign into their Microsoft account.
Yes, the same one they might already be using for Hotmail, SkyDrive and Xbox Live.
That means that every time users sign into a Windows 8 PC, their settings and custom twist
will follow users to that new device.
Additionally, because their Microsoft account is linked to their SkyDrive storage, users will be
logged into SkyDrive on any Windows 8 device where they have logged in using their
Microsoft ID.
So, because Office 2013 backs up to SkyDrive by default, it means any document
users edit on their Windows 8 device it will automatically upload to the cloud.
If users didn't already have a Microsoft account, they can create one while they're setting up
their PC.
Users can link their account at any time, really, and they also have the option of
disconnecting it.
Naturally, too, people can add multiple user accounts, as they could on previous versions of Windows.
If users like, they can also cherry-pick which settings do and do not get synced across their
various Windows 8 devices.
Go into the settings menu, for instance, and users can use on-off switches to sync their
settings for desktop personalization, accessibility, language, app and browser settings.
Users also have the option of syncing their lock screen, account picture and
other Windows settings, like those relating to File Explorer or the mouse.
Security options
Obviously, if users log into Windows 8 for the first time using an existing Microsoft account,
they have already got a built-in password for their PC.
But in addition to a standard password, users can use a four-digit numerical pin to unlock the
device.
What's more, with Windows 8, Microsoft is also offering a new "Picture password" option that
allows users to pick any photo and make a series of gestures on it.
Users can make as many gestures as they want, but they do have to be taps, circles or swipes.
In addition to the order, though, users will have to remember where on the picture they are
supposed to make each gesture.
User interface
Redesigned Start Screen, and the end of the Start button
The new, mobile-inspired Start Screen looks wholly different from anything as seen on
previous versions of Windows.
What's more, users can't even interact with these apps the same way they run at full-screen,
and can't be minimized or re-sized like the windows they're used to.
In short, these tiles are the cornerstone of the Windows 8 experience, and they're impossible
to avoid, even if users plan on doing much of their work in the traditional desktop.
As users have probably heard by now, the Start button is no more. Well, it's there,
but users will have to hover with users mouse in the lower-left corner to make it appear.
So, it's exactly where users would expect it to be it's just hidden until it's clear they need it.
Users device will almost certainly have a dedicated Start button, the same way every
Windows-compatible keyboard has a Start key.
Users can also find a shortcut to the Start menu in the Charms Bar, which users expose by
swiping in from the right side of the screen.
Not being able to click on the Start button is an adjustment, to be sure, but we're also
confident users will fall into a rhythm pretty quickly.
When Windows users say they wish Microsoft hadn't axed the Start button, what they're really
nervous about is the fact that the Start Menu is presented so differently.
When users hit the Start key, they will no longer see a stack of fly-out menus instead, they will
be whisked away from the desktop to a full-screen assortment of finger-friendly Live Tiles,
which users scroll through from left to right. In other words, that minimal, unfamiliar screen is
the new Start Menu.
Universal search
If users make the same pinch-to-zoom gesture users would use to zoom in and out of web
pages, they can shrink the Start Screen so that they can see all their pages of apps at once.
As users can imagine, that's useful if users have a large collection of apps and don't want to
page horizontally through eight home screens.
Additionally, once users bring up the Start screen they can start typing to search for something.
The results will immediately pop up on the right side
of the screen. From within the search results pane, users will see the results are divided into
files, settings and applications.
Admittedly, this method of search isn't obvious to new users, but again, they only need to
learn it once. After that, it's quite convenient.
Charms Bar
The Charms Bar is at its best when users have some sort of touch device at their disposal.
We already mentioned the Charms Bar, which appears when users swipe in from the right
side of the screen.
Here, users will find shortcuts for the Start Screen, settings menu, a list of
connected devices, search and sharing.
Lingering on that last point, sharing works much the same as it does on other mobile devices,
which is to say if users have got some piece of content say, a Word document or a batch of
photos users can share them in all sorts of way.
This includes email, as well as Facebook, SkyDrive, Twitter and any other applicable service
users have linked to their Microsoft account.
What's more, it's nice that all of these sharing and settings menus are easy to reach with users
thumbs, even if you're using a large 11-inch tablet or a 13-inch convertible PC. The Charms
Bar is one example of this: users can reach the settings and sharing menus while still cradling
their tablet in a natural position.
Moving on to the left side of the screen, users can swipe in from the left to toggle through
open apps -- a feature known as Switcher.
Each time users swipe, a different program slides into place, taking up the whole screen.
Users can also expose the Charms Bar using a mouse, though it's a less smooth experience.
They will want to hover on so-called hot corners at the upper- and lower-right portions of the
screen. This can be frustrating, and definitely has a learning curve. If users are using a PC
without a touchscreen, there's a good chance the trackpad has fresh drivers that allow them to
replicate key Windows 8 gestures, like swiping in from the right to bring up the Charms Bar.
One other, potentially confusing thing: the Charms Bar holds the shortcut to system settings.
If they are inside an app and want to see some options specific to that program, they will need to
perform a different gesture entirely: swipe the top or bottom of the screen to bring up that
menu.
Multitasking
When it comes to switching apps, users can use that Switcher gesture, but there are other
built-in features designed to make multitasking a bit easier.
For starters, Snap allows users to dock a window or app so that it takes up either a third or two-thirds
of the screen.
That leaves room for a second app, which users can snap into the remaining space.
That's actually quite similar to Aero Snap from Windows 7, except here the dimensions are in
thirds, instead of half the screen.
As in the Win 7 version of this feature, users can't manually re-size these
windows: once they snap into place they're going to take up a predictable amount of space.
Also, in Windows 8 users can mix up the proportions by sliding the border of a window across
the screen.
Say, for instance, users are working on a Word document on two-thirds of the screen,
with IE 10 sitting off to the side. Users might be spending most of their time typing in Word,
but if they need to do a web search, they can just put theur finger on the border between the
two windows, and drag it over so that now the web browser takes up more space.
It's also worth noting that you can mix and match traditional desktop programs and Modern (formerly known
as "Metro") apps.
Snap is a trick users can pull off if they are using a touchscreen device or a traditional mouse and
keyboard.
Whether users are using their finger or a cursor, they need to drag down on the app
from the top of the screen before it can be docked into place.
If users are using a mouse, they also hover in the upper-left corner of the screen to expose
open apps.
What they will see isn't a list, but a series of preview thumbnails miniaturized versions of
whatever's going on in that window.
From there, users can click on a thumbnail to switch to that app, or they can right-click to close
one. Like so many other features in Windows 8, this feels less clumsy with practice, though
even after months of testing, we find the swiping Switcher gesture feels smoother, more
intuitive.
Personalization options
To some extent, users can control the look and feel of Windows 8. No, there's no bringing back
the Start button, but they can select different color themes for their Start Screen. Toward the
end of the Windows 8 development process, Microsoft added so-called Personalization
Tattoos -- essentially, Start Screen backgrounds with patterns and borders. So long as they are
signed into their PC using a Microsoft account, this, too, will follow users to other Windows 8
devices they might log into.
Get another Win 8 PC down the line, and it will show userss paisley background as soon as
they sign in for the first time.
Lock screen
In addition to the Start Menu, users can customize the look and feel of the lock screen. This
includes the background photo, as well as which notifications are displayed. For instance,
even without entering their password, users can see upcoming calendar appointments, as well
as a peek at how many unread messages or emails they have.
In the PC settings, users can also choose to display detailed information for one of two
things Their upcoming calendar appointment, or the weather forecast.
Desktop
For the most part, the desktop should feel pretty familiar to Windows 7 users, especially
compared to that redesigned Start Screen. Still, there are some differences here, too. For
starters, the Aero UI is no more, which means windows no longer have a transparent border.
Everything here is flat and two-dimensional, not unlike those new Live Tiles.
In a move that will please power users, Windows 8 also improved multi-monitor
support, with the ability to display different desktop backgrounds on multiple displays, as
well as have a single picture span those various screens. Users also have the choice of
expanding the Taskbar across those monitors, or setting it up so that a pinned program only
appears on the same screen where that app is running. All told, it's a welcome improvement,
though it would be nice if users could run Modern UI-style Windows 8 apps on more than one
monitor at a time. Also, if users do have a multi-monitor setup, they will find it's trickier than
usual to pull up the Charms Bar using a mouse.
Other Changes
Windows Explorer is now called File Explorer, and bears the same Ribbon UI
already used in Microsoft apps like Office and Paint.
There's also now a File History feature, which stores versions of files similar to Time Machine
in Apple's OS X.
The Task Manager has also received a makeover so that when users first launch it, all they see
is a list of open apps.
Nothing about processes or memory usage just a list of programs, and an "End task" button.
Click "More details," though, and users will see a half-dozen tabs, showing them everything from
performance graphs to CPU usage to running processes.
In the processes tab, in particular, there are four columns showing CPU, memory, disk andnetwork
usage, with the resource hogs highlighted in a darker color.
One thing that hasn't changed : the keyboard shortcuts. The same ones users relied on in
Windows 7 will work here, which should take some of the sting out of getting used to a new
user interface.
Built-in apps
Setting up the Mail app is easy
If the Microsoft ID users use to initially sign in is tied to Gmail, or some other service not run
by Microsoft, it automatically prompts users for their email password.
In the case of Gmail, it had the option of syncing Google contacts and Calendar as well.
There are also easy setup options for Hotmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo and AOL, though users can
add accounts from other services too.
Even if users don't link a Hotmail or Outlook account, the Mail app will import all their folders
and labels everything, really, but their starred items, in Gmail.
Those folders take up just a narrow pane on the left side of the screen.
Calendar
As promised, when users chose to sync our Google contacts and Calendar, their appointments
all promptly showed up in the built-in Calendar app.
The default view is by month, which is a bit too busy for tastes users can only see two
appointments per day, even if there are many more.
If users are creating an appointment from scratch, they will have the same
options as if they were doing this online everything from date to time slot to reminder alerts.
People
The People app doubles as an address book and a one-stop shop for social networking
updates. Using the settings menu in the Charms Bar, users can link all sorts of accounts things
like Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Obviously, the more of these services users
connect, the more contacts will pop up in their People Hub.
All told, it works similarly to the People Hub in Windows Phone, which is to say everyone they
know gets a contact card that pulls in all available forms of contact everything from email to a
Twitter handle.
When users open People Hub they will see their contacts arranged in alphabetical order, and
they scroll from left to right to move through the list.
As with the Start Screen, users can use pinch-to-zoom to shrink a long list. In this case, users
won't see every contact onscreen just a tile for each letter of the alphabet, making it easier to
jump to a certain part of their list.
IE 10
In Windows 8, users get not one, but two versions of the IE 10 browser: one for the desktop,
and a more touch-friendly one that lives on the Start Screen. Both versions have a
Chrome-like setup, with a single bar for URLs and web searches. The two also sync with each
other, which wasn't the case in earlier builds of the OS.
There are, as users can imagine, some UI differences. In the desktop version, though, adding a
tab is as easy as pressing a plus sign. In the more touch-optimized version, users swipe from
the top of the screen to expose open tabs, or open a new one.
IE 10 also has a feature allowing users to either swipe or click an onscreen arrow button to
proceed to the next page, whether that's the next page of search results or the next page in a
news story broken up into nine pieces.
As far as content goes, IE 10 is HTML5-based, though the desktop version supports Flash and
Silverlight as well. In the touch-friendly version of the browser, only certain sites on the
Compatibility View list support Flash.
Flash exceptions list at least includes popular sites like YouTube and Vimeo.
And besides, with HTML5 being as everywhere as it is, users really shouldn't run into any
issues.
From a privacy standpoint, Do Not Track comes enabled by default, which means sites can
only track and collect users private data if they go out of their way to turn off
"Do Not Track."
Camera
Windows' built-in camera app is simple: a full-screen frame, with a few options always visible
at the bottom. These include a timer, video mode and a "change camera" toggle. There's also
a "camera options" icon, but from there you can only switch the resolution or choose another
audio recording option, if applicable.
Right now, at least, there are no photo filters, like sepia, and nothing in the way of HDR or
panorama mode. The camera app is also missing tap-to-focus, which can be a minor nuisance
or an unfortunate problem, depending on the tablet users are using.
SkyDrive
In addition to creating a dedicated SkyDrive app for Windows 8, Microsoft made over the
browser version of its cloud storage service. As ever, people signing up for a new Microsoft
account get 7GB of free lifetime storage. However, if you recall, folks who had previously
uploaded files as of April 22 of this year had the option of opting into 25GB of storage. If
users are already enthusiastic about Windows and the Microsoft ecosystem at large, chances
are this describes them.
Whether users log in online or use the Win 8 app, each folder or file takes the form of a tile.
When using the browser, these tiles sit as a grid, with the various thumbnails stacked on top
of each other. In the Windows 8 app, users scroll through them horizontally by default, though
they can also view them in list format. Whichever app they use, they can upload or download
files, as well as create new folders. With the web version, though, users can also create a new
Word document, PowerPoint presentation, Excel spreadsheet or OneNote workbook something
users can't do in the Win 8 app.
Messaging
Messaging is users native IM app. For now, users can link it with Microsoft Messenger or
Facebook chat. Though it would be nice to add Google Talk, the way users can add their Gmail
address in the Mail app.
Photos
Similar to the People app, Photos pulls in pictures from all sorts of sources: Facebook, Flickr,
SkyDrive and users PC's local storage. As a portal for viewing and sharing photos, it's great.
Users can run a slide show, and use the context-aware sharing feature in the Charms Bar to
easily upload pics to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other websites. Users can also pull in pics
from another PC they may own so long as they install the SkyDrive desktop client on that
system and select the checkbox next to "Let me use SkyDrive to fetch any of my files on this
PC."
Additionally, users can also share photos through email. It's also easy to select photos to
upload in batches just swipe the top of the screen to expose the app settings, and then hit
"Select all." If users want to remove an item from the list, just uncheck it. All in all, the app is
easy to use, though more editing tools would be nice.
Games, Music and Video
Through these apps, users can buy music, movies and Xbox Live games, with the additional
option of renting some movies. For now, Windows Phone games are not supported in the way
users can play some iOS games on both iPhones and iPads. It would seem logical of Microsoft to eventually
make its Windows Phone games available on Windows 8 devices, but for now, users will have to
download different sets of apps for their tablet and smartphone.
Out of the box, Microsoft's Music app includes free, ad-supported streaming, available in 15
markets to start. Though the games compatibility is still somewhat compartmentalized, this
music streaming feature will work across Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox. Obviously,
Microsoft has been in the business of selling music for some time, so by now its catalog is
quite voluminous at 30 million songs. If you like, you can purchase Xbox Music Pass, an
ad-free subscription, for $10 a month. Under this plan, your songs will follow you from device
to device, just like the rest of your settings. Here, you'll also get the option of downloading
music and listening to it offline, which you can't do with the free, ad-supported service.
Similar to iTunes, too, Music includes a matching feature that takes music you already had
stored on your computer and finds the cloud-based version.
Though it's not installed on Windows 8 machines out of the box, you can download
Microsoft's SmartGlass app, which lets you stream music and video to an Xbox, using your
Windows 8 device as a remote. All told, it's not unlike Apple's AirPlay, though SmartGlass has
the added benefit of not being limited to multimedia playback. You can also use it with
Internet Explorer, in which case you also have the option of using an on-screen keyboard
within the app.
Bing Apps: Search, Map, News, Sports, Weather, Finance and Travel
Peppered around the Start Screen, users will find a handful of Bing-powered apps: Search, Map,
News, Sports, Weather, Finance and Travel. Starting with search, the screen is so minimal that
users have to tap to expose the search bar. At the bottom of the screen are a handful of trending
topics users can always click more, and then scroll through them from left to right, as users
would with anything else in Windows 8. Maps has aerial and road view options, with a street
traffic option. By default, it will show users current location, though users can of course search
for any point of interest they like. There are also turn-by-turn directions, which appear as a
banner at the top of the screen that users can scroll through from left to right.
Scroll from side to side in the travel app and users see featured destinations, panoramic
photos and travel-related news stories. If users want more personalized information, though ,
users can swipe down from the top of the screen to choose a specific destination, or focus on
a different part of the travel-planning process, like flight- or hotel-booking.
The weather app is a geek's heaven, with a mix of hourly forecasts, maps and graphs. Users can
add a location manually, or let the radios on users device figure it out. Finally, Bing Finance
does just what users would expect it shows top market news, along with overviews of the major
indices, though users can also create a personalized watchlist making it easy to check on their
stocks at a glance.
Windows Store
Navigating the store feels like using any other Windows 8 app users will start off by seeing
recommended apps, along with tiles for new releases and the top free apps. Keep scrolling to
the right and users will see apps broken down by category, such as social or entertainment. If
users are less in the mood to meander and more in the mood to find something specific, users
can search in one of two ways users can swipe the Charms Bar and select the Search option,
or they can just start typing. Yep, in the same way users can start typing to find something on
the Start Menu, they can start typing to look up an app. If it's in the app store, it'll show up in
the search results as a recommended pick. As convenient as that is, though, users can only do
it on the main page of the Windows Store. Select a page like "Top Free Games" and that search
method no longer works usersll have to use the Charms Bar instead.
System requirements
Windows 8 requires 1GB of RAM and 20GB of free disk space. Other system requirements
include a 1GHz processor that supports PAE, NX, and SSE2 1,366 x 768 resolution and
DirectX 9 graphics. If users re upgrading their current machine, they can be running an OS as
old as XP with Service Pack 3.
Microsoft warns that if users upgrading from XP or Vista, they will need to re-install
their apps.
What's less clear is whether users current laptop's trackpad will support Windows 8 gestures.
Some existing PCs will benefit from updated drivers that let users perform all the Windows
8-specific motions from their trackpad.
Pricing and versions
Finally, though this is a review of Windows 8, the new version of Windows for traditional,
x86-based PCs, it's worth acknowledging Windows RT for ARM-based devices, and also
summarizing the differences.
In short, the two operating systems have the same look and feel, with the same UI, gestures
and native apps. The chief difference is that Windows RT can't run apps written for x86-based
PCs. Additionally, not all the apps in the Windows Store can run on both Win 8 and RT devices.
Fortunately, all Windows RT devices come with a version of Office 2013 modified for
Windows RT.
WINDOWS 7
Operating System
WINDOWS 7
Processor
1GHZ
Harddisk
16GB
Display
1024X768
Graphics
DirectX
9
As the release candidate of Windows 7 beckons, take a look at some of the best features we can look forward to in
Microsoft’s new operating system.
The windows 7 has important business features that will be coming to the operating system (OS), but
now look some of the most compelling overall end-user features that will make a difference to users on the desktop.
Some are small, and some are major, but taken all together it makes for the most exciting upgrade for Windows users
since the arrival of Windows XP.
Speed
Even aside from incompatibilities and other issues that many people had with Vista, one of the most straightforward
was speed – it just felt too sluggish compared to XP, even on pumped up hardware. Windows 7 brings a more responsive
and sprightly feel and Microsoft has spent a lot of time and effort getting the Start Menu response just right.
Microsoft has also recognised the need for improved desktop responsiveness, which gives the impression that the
computer is responding to the user and that they are in control – something that was often lacking with Vista.
Users can also expect faster boot times. And the boot sequence is now not only prettier than it was with Vista, but
it’s speedier too.
Compatibility
In simple terms, compatibility on Windows 7 will be far better than it was with Vista. Many programs that
individuals and companies used on Windows XP did not work immediately and required updates, but with Windows 7
almost all applications that work on Vista should still run.
In essence, Windows Vista has done most of the hard work for Windows 7 in this respect.
Lower Hardware Requirements
Vista gained a reputation for making even the beefiest hardware look rather ordinary. Windows 7, however, will run
well on lower end hardware, making the transition from Window XP less painful.
Microsoft is even pushing Windows 7 for netbooks. This could provide a modern replacement for Windows XP, which has
found a new lease of life as the OS of choice on netbooks, supplanting Linux. The downside is that Windows 7 Starter
Edition, as it will be called, will be limited to only three applications running at the same time.
Search and organisation
One of the best things about Windows 7 is the improved search tool, which now rivals Mac OS X’s Spotlight to be able
to find what users need quickly and easily. For example, typing ‘mouse’ will bring up the mouse option within the
control panel or typing a word will display it and split it up neatly into files, folders and applications.
Also introduced is the concept of Libraries, which takes the ‘My Documents’ concept a stage further. The various
Libraries, such as Documents and Pictures, will watch multiple locations which users can add theirself, so you don’t
have to keep everything in one place.
TaskBar/Start menu
At first glance, the task bar looks like nothing has much has changed since Vista. In fact, that’s not the case and
it’s a lot more powerful. Microsoft is now making best use of its aero technology. By default, taskbar icons are now
larger and items are grouped together and are not labelled with clumsy text.
If user have multiple Word documents or Windows Explorer windows open then users will see a stack appear on the task bar.
Hover the mouse over the app and each Window will be visible in a thumbnail. Hover over each thumbnail and it will
become visible, while all other open windows temporarily disappear, save for their outlines. Users can close each
document or Window down from the thumbnail directly or click on it to bring it to the front.
Even better, this works with individual tabs in Internet Explorer 8, though unfortunately not Firefox.
Right clicking gives a 'Jump menu', giving users speedily access to recent documents and users can pin apps of their
choice directly to the taskbar.
In the Start menu, a small arrow to the right of applications such as Word now expands to give a list of recent
documents and any can be pinned so users can keep one permanently on the list.
Aero-Shake
Our favourite new visual feature is called ‘Aero Shake’. If users have a multitude of Windows open but want to focus
on just the one you can all users have to do is grab it by the title bar (at the top) and shake with the mouse. This
minimises all the other Windows leaving just the one users have grabbed on the desktop.
Stacking
Another great touch is Stacking. Users simply drag a Window to the sides of their screen and it will stick
automatically to the side filling half the screen, making it quick and easy to view documents side by side. Move to
the top and it will maximise to the whole screen.
Peace from UAC
Vista’s User Account Control (UAC) was one of the headline annoyances in Windows Vista. In a reaction to malware
problems, the Windows designers introduced the UAC, a dialogue box that popped up every time you made any changes to
Windows when installing apps. It proved quite annoying, especially to power users who tended to turn it off straight
away, thereby negating any benefit it might have.
In Windows 7, a slider has been added, enabling users to tone down its nagging factor, making you less likely to
turn it off completely. It works too and one or two notches down should be enough for most. In this state it
actually gives more confidence that your OS is looking after you.
Gamma Curve
The display properties now boast a useful gamma curve feature enabling Users to calibrate their display. Set aside 10
minutes to go through it carefully and users can really give their monitor image a boost, which will pay dividends when
they are sitting in front of a screen all day. Think of it as a free monitor upgrade.
Touch
The most whizz-bang visual feature to come to Windows 7 is its touch capability. This of course will only be
available to those with a touch enabled PC, such as HP’s Touch Smart range, but for those suitably equipped it will
provide a new way of interacting with their PC.
The video will let users open apps from the taskbar, scroll up and down by flicking, and zoom and rotate pictures by
holding and turning. Tap and holding reveals ‘right-click’ context menus. At present, it’s mainly used for kitchen
based media centres but it could add a whole new wow factor to corporate presentations – at least until the novelty
wears off.
WINDOWS VISTA
Operating System
WINDOWS VISTA
Processor
800MHZ
Harddisk
15GB
Display
1024X768
Graphics
DirectX
9
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Although Windows Vista is only scheduled for retail release on January 30th, 2007, there are
already a lot of reviews for Windows Vista, or you can have a feel on Windows Vista by test
driving Windows Vista Business for evaluation, where you can play around the Windows Vista
desktop via a virtual console, just like you remote control a Vista machine. With sleek and
stunning graphic user interface and lots of new features and improvements, Windows Vista
has strives a more secure, more usable, more user friendly and more attractive operating
system. It’s no wonder the Windows Vista system requirements, especially premium version
will make your jaw dropped.
If you’re still unsure of whether to upgrade to Windows Vista, or still blur about what’s so
unique about features and functions in Windows Vista that not available somewhere else, an
article on vista-hq.com lists out the top 10 new features in Windows Vista that you cannot find
in other operating system such as Windows XP.
New User Experience, including Windows Aero
Windows Vista features four different levels of user experience—Basic, Windows Classic,
Standard, and Windows Aero. All controls are totally redesigned in Windows Vista and look
even better now. The Aero user interface is the top of the line and takes advantage of the
latest advances in computer hardware. On computers equipped with graphics hardware that
supports the new Windows Driver Display Model (WDDM), the Aero provides more stability
and smoother window handling. The main element of this interface is the transparent glass
design, with subtle effects such as dynamic reflections and smooth animations.
Windows Sidebar
The Windows Sidebar can be positioned on the right or on the left side of users screen and its
associated with mini-applications called gadgets, that provide specific information. Like for
example, the gadgets can give users info on the weather, show users the calendar, games, a
calculator or all types of other tools. The Sidebar fits perfectly especially on widescreen
monitors. It can be easily customized and users can add different types of gadgets. Gadgets are
a new concept introduced in Windows Vista. They can connect to web services to deliver
business data, weather information, news updates, traffic maps, Internet radio streams, and
even slide shows of online photo albums. By default, the OS comes with a set number of
gadgets to get users started, but users can always download more from an online gadget
gallery.
The Instant Desktop Search
The Instant Search is a new feature that will help userd find whatever they are looking for. It is
available almost everywhere in Windows Vista, in the Explorer Dialogs, in the Start Menu,
pretty much in every system window. Using it, users can type a file name, a property, or even
text contained within a file, and it returns pinpointed results. Besides that, the Instant Search
also arranges the results depending on their current activity, whether it’s searching for music
files in Media Player, or looking over all users files and applications on the Start Menu.
On the Start Menu, the Instant Search box is located at the lower left corner, and instead of
going through all the programs installed in order to find the one users are looking for, users can
just type its name in the box and as they type, Windows Vista instantly searches file and
application names, metadata, and the full text of all files, and it displays the search results. It
searches through everything – Applications; Favorites/Internet History; Files, including
documents and media; and Communications, including email, events, tasks, and contacts.
Windows Defender
Windows Defender is a features that protects users computer from pop-ups, slow performance,
and security threats caused by spyware. It works by monitoring key system locations for
changes that signal the presence of spyware. The auto-update option will make sure that the
Defender has all the latest spyware definitions from Microsoft. The interface is simple and
easy to use, making daily tasks like as scanning, blocking, and removing unwanted software
easier than ever. It has a built in Software Explorer that determines which software and
services are running on users computer and stops or disables “rogue” software.
It works in co-operation with Internet Explorer with the “Scan on execute” feature. This
feature provides an added layer of protection, by scanning all downloaded files before they
are saved and executed, thus reducing the chance that spyware might be installed by accident.
Performance Center
The Performance Center is a brand new tool that gives information on the PC’s performance
characteristics and can manage and troubleshoot performance issues. The very interesting
thing here is the WinSPR, or Windows System Performance Rating. Depending on users rating,
users can determine if a given application can run on their machine. For example, if users have
some of the latest hardware, their rating can reach 4.2 and it that case, any software with
4.2 or lower WinSPR will run smoothly on their computer.
Backup and Restore
This new functionality makes it possible for users to keep their information safe from user error,
hardware failure, and other issues that can result in data loss. There are several layers of
protection to ensure maximum effectiveness. From the Backup and Restore control panel,
users can enable the auto feature which automatically caches previous versions of files to an
image-based backup of their entire computer. Later, users can browse and search for files to
restore from a backup.
Another great new feature allows users to access previous versions of files without even
having a backup. This is possible through the Volume Shadow Copy technology. If users want
to do that manually, then users will have to use the File Back Wizard in which users select the
types of files they want to backup, specify a storage folder and start the process at any point
users want. There is also an automatic scheduling function.
The system restore feature can reverse system changes, but still preserving users data in its
current state.
Network Map
The Network Map is a new feature inside the Network Center that displays graphically users
connectivity to the network and to the Internet. If a computer on the network loses Internet
connectivity, users can graphically see which connection is down and then use Network
Diagnostics to help determine the cause of the problem and find possible solutions.
This is especially useful if users have a network of wired and wireless PCs and devices. With
the Network Map users can increase the performance of the network and easily spot problems.
Windows ReadyBoost
ReadyBoost is a brand new technology that comes with Windows Vista. It’s a whole new
concept that will change the way people add memory to a system. With ReadyBoost, users
can use USD flash as RAM to extend system memory and improve performance. So instead of
buying RAM and opening computer, users can just plug the Flash. Plus, most motherboards
have just two RAM slots, which will be taken anyway.
Utilizing this technology is simple. Just plug the Flash in the USB slot and Windows Vista will
check to determine if its performance is fast enough to work with Windows ReadyBoost. If
that’s the case, then users will be asked if they want to use this device to speed up system
performance. ReadyBoost is reliable as well as secure. Users won’t loose any data, and the
system will restore to its original level of performance when the Flash is removed. There is no
wearing on the USB drive, because of the specifically optimized algorithms used.
Windows ReadyDrive
Windows ReadyDrive takes advantage of the latest hybrid hard drives to provide faster
boot-ups by writing data to the flash memory on the hybrid hard disk, which lessens the
amount of spinning for the mechanical hard drive, thus saving battery power. And also
increases the life of users hard drive. With a hybrid drive, Windows Vista can resume more
quickly from Sleep because data can be restored from flash memory faster than from the
spinning mechanical hard drive.
Windows Media Center
For a large number of users, the PC has become mostly a source of entertainment, that users
can enjoy by sitting back with a remote control in hand. That’s not something strange
considering the enormous amount of media files that users can download online. The
Windows Media Center enables users to enjoy live and recorded TV, music, photos, videos,
and online entertainment on a single device. It can also be connected to Xbox 360 allowing
users to transfer this experience in other rooms of their home.
It’s integrated in the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and also offers
built-in support for archiving TV shows to DVD. It takes advantage of the very latest
technologies including a support for widescreen and high-definition (HD) displays. There are
three separate sections – music, digital photos, TV and movies. In the Music section, users can
quickly browse their music by artist, song, or album title, as well as by genre, composer, or
year. Regarding the photos, Windows Media Center can turn their simple photo collection into
a cinematic slide show that can be shared on the television in the living room. On top of that,
WMC provides seamless experience when watching their favorite television shows and movies.
