My Computer Mechanic

Windows 8 Changes the Landscape of PCs

Just as soon as we're getting comfortable with Windows 7, we're talking about Windows 8. And as much as I want to say that Windows 8 is a continued improvement over Windows 7, it doesn't appear to be that way. That's not to say Windows 8 will be a bug-ridden operating system. But one thing it WILL be is different. But just how different will it be? Let's take a quick look and find out.

Many users hate dealing with new programs and features. The switch from Windows XP to Windows 7 was difficult for some people, and the jump wasn't nearly as bad as when the industry moved from Windows 98 (or NT) to Windows XP. But just as soon as I write an article telling everyone to move on from Windows XP, now I have to tell everyone that the move to Windows 8 could get messy.

Let's take a look at a picture of the new Windows 8 "tiled" interface:

Microsoft appears to be betting the farm on touch screen interfaces. Phones and tablets are the future, says Windows 8. As you can see, gone is the traditional "desktop" as we know it. In its place is the tiled interface that Microsoft Phone 7 users might recognize. And before you say "yeah, but...," Microsoft has stated that this interface will be the default standard on ALL new Windows 8 PCs, touch-screen or not. You can clearly see the inclusion of Office 2010 icons, meaning older "legacy" programs will run. But the interface is going to change.

Bear one thing in mind: as I type this, the "legacy" interface of Windows 7 (called "Aero") will be available. It has to be available for these older programs to function. And from what I've read, users can switch between the two interfaces. But even if so, it's quite clear that "Aero" is being called the "old legacy" user interface. There's only one path for Aero, with that label: obsolescence. The new tiled interface is the future, and Microsoft will keep this new approach with future Windows releases. Windows 8 will include an app store where users can buy apps and have them installed. Microsoft is sending a clear message to the industry: this is the future of Windows.

This means a lot of changes for businesses. It means re-training, re-learning, and ensuring Windows 8 is compatible with current programs. With businesses just now making the switch to Windows 7, Windows 8 will take quite a while longer to adopt as the standard OS. I personally find the news rather disturbing, considering Windows 7 finally righted the way for Microsoft. Now that businesses are switching to Windows 7, we're being told that Aero will be old news. What this means is that if you're planning to replace Windows XP machines, get it done before Windows 8 comes out. Get your network on Windows 7 before Microsoft decides to kill off Windows 7 entirely. If you can do this, your network won't be left with a dinosaur Windows XP machine, and you won't be left making a hard decision with Windows 8. With the news we've seen, you don't want to have Windows 8 on your network until the OS has been out for at least a couple years. This will allow your printers and your programs enough time to work out all the Windows 8 kinks, and you can upgrade to Windows 8 on your schedule.