Two months with Windows 8 review
Other notable improvements in Windows 8
It's not my goal to discuss every single change in Windows 8 in this review, but here's a brief overview of some of the more notable changes in this new operating system.
Windows now once again ships with a built-in antivirus scanner. Windows 3.1 came with a simple antivirus program from Microsoft and the new Windows 8 features malware protection based on Microsoft Security Essentials. The new Windows Defender is implemented as an anti-virus solution of last resort, it will be automatically activated when there's no other antivirus installed and when an antivirus subscription has expired. Among other enhancements, Windows 8 also debuts support for Secure Boot, a UEFI protocol that prevents malware from messing with your boot process.
Windows 8 offers two new repair and recovery features that are great for cases where you just want to start with a clean slate or perform a reformat because a system has been hit hard by malware. The first repair method is a "refresh", this means the operating system will reinstall itself while preserving all user profiles, settings, files, and apps. For a more thorough cleaning you can select "remove everything", this feature will format your disk and reinstall the operating system. Interestingly, both features do not require Windows 8 install media.
Windows 7 will receive portions of the DirectX 11.1 runtime, but not all. The WDDM 1.2 with native support for stereoscopic 3D will remain a Windows 8 exclusive.
A new continuous data protection feature that automatically makes backups of files stored in Libraries and user-specified folders so you can go back in time and recover previous versions of those files. File History is disabled by default and requires an external storage medium, such as a USB flash drive, a NAS, or a secondary HDD.
Windows 8 has received native support for USB 3.0, this should result in increased performance and better energy efficiency.
Windows 8 Pro now comes with Hyper-V, a more powerful virtualization solution previously only available in Windows Server 2008. You can use this program to virtualize Windows XP or Linux distros, to test programs in a sandbox environment, etc.
A storage virtualization solution with support for thin provisioning. Among other things, this tool lets you merge multiple physical storage disks into a single virtual disk.
Explorer now offers built-in support for the mounting of ISO and VHD files. These files are mounted into a virtual drive.
Currently only available in Windows 8, the new version of IE offers better support for HTML5, CSS3, a built-in version of Adobe Flash, and enhanced hardware acceleration.
This feature is reserved to users of Windows 8 Enterprise, it enables you to create a bootable USB flash drive with your Windows 8 system, including all your programs, settings and user files, so you can transfer your workspace to another PC.
With the focus on tablets and mobile devices, it shouldn't be a surprise that Microsoft made efforts to reduce the power consumption of its operating system.
Another change versus Windows 7 is that the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) received a makeover, it's now more user-friendly but contains a much less detailed error message. In the two months I've been using Windows 8, I haven't had the pleasure to experience the new BSOD screen though. Like Windows 7, Microsoft's new operating system is very stable.
Conclusion
When news came out about the user interface changes in Windows 8 I thought I would hate Microsoft's new operating system but to my surprise, my experience with the new operating system has been very positive. I'm not a big fan of the new direction that Microsoft is pushing its operating system into, but as a desktop-user you can pretty much ignore the new apps and use the operating system in the same way as Windows 7. In the two months that I've used Windows 8, the lack of a Start button has never bothered me, I quickly accepted the change and never looked back. Despite all the negativity surrounding Windows 8, it really isn't that bad; it contains several nifty new features and it feels faster/snappier than its predecessor. The low pricing makes Windows 8 a worthwhile update for Windows 7 users, and in case you're still using Windows XP/Vista on half-way decent hardware I highly recommend you upgrade asap because you're missing out on a lot of great features. You can buy Windows 8 at the Microsoft Store for $39.99.
The Good Stuff
- Very stable
- Several great improvements versus Windows 7
- Better performance and faster bootup
- Cheap upgrade offers
- Good usability for power-users, lots of new schortcuts
- Better security
- Great for systems with touchscreens
- Better multi-screen support
The Bad Stuff
- Microsoft risks alienating desktop/laptop users
- No boot-to-desktop setting
- No built-in option to return the Start Menu
- Weird location of shutdown/restart buttons
- Poor multitasking with Modern UI and desktop
DV Hardware awards Windows 8 with a 8.75/10 and our Editor's Choice award.
Previous Page (3/4)Added: December 31st 2012
Product reviewed: Two months with Windows 8
Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
Score: 8.75/10
Page: 4/4
