As with any new version of an operating system, your first half-hour is critical. You'll want to learn the basics of navigation, how some important built-in applications work, and how to set up basic functions, including networking, backup, and user accounts. For this article, I'm going to assume that you now have Windows 8 running, and that you can see the Start screen and associated tiles. I'll also assume that all the current drivers, including networking drivers, are properly installed.

First, let's go over some basic navigation tips.

It's likely most early Windows 8 adopters will be using displays that lack Windows 8's ten-point multi-touch capability, though a few may spring for some of the that bring the touch interface to mainstream laptops and all-in-one PCs. So, we'll focus on basic keyboard and mouse navigation.

Now, you watch the one tip that Microsoft built into the setup process, right? What's that you're saying--you just clicked through the initial startup screens without reading them? Okay, most of us don't always read the text during the tedious setup. It's also likely that you skipped logging in to, or creating, a Microsoft account, opting instead for just a local account. That's okay too--though in a bit I'll touch on why a Microsoft account might be useful. But first, back to basic navigation.