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Windows 8 Also Has Tools for Power Users

14.09.2011
Microsoft has spent so much time at the BUILD conference this week talking about how will operate like a tablet OS that you might feel left out if you plan to continue working on a desktop or laptop. But whether you're an IT manager, PC enthusiast, or professional just trying to get some work done, Windows 8 will have enough new features to make it worth your interest.

First, there's performance. Microsoft promises that Windows 8 will run on every machine Windows 7 runs on, but if our are any indication, it should actually run better. A clean boot of Windows 8 should use less RAM and CPU resources than Windows 7 currently does. The new Metro-style, full-screen, immersive applications suspend themselves when you can't see them, consuming no CPU cycles (though they still occupy some RAM).

Boot-up times are fantastic. The increased speed is most noticeable on new systems with the optimized ; but even if you have an existing system with no special hardware, you should see a massive reduction in the time it takes to go from pressing the power button to getting up and running.

Though the Start Screen is made for touch, it works just fine for keyboard-and-mouse users whose PCs lack touchscreens. Just start typing, and it instantly brings up the search interface, looking for applications as you type. The Windows key brings you back to the Start Screen from wherever you are, and keyboard shortcuts abound. Windows-D, for example, opens the traditional desktop interface. Move the mouse to the lower-left corner of the screen, and the five "Charms" of Windows 8 (Search, Share, Start, Devices, and Settings) pop up. The scrollwheel moves you left and right through your screens of tiles, but scrollbars also appear along the side and bottom when necessary.

I've used a keyboard and mouse with the , and while the arrangement certainly takes some getting used to, it doesn't feel like a slow, cumbersome way to operate a Windows 8 PC. The best results come from a combination of using the touchscreen when it is most efficient and turning to the keyboard and mouse when that's the quickest and most precise way to get things done.

We've all had to spend hours at some point reinstalling Windows, and then reinstalling all of our applications and user data, just to eliminate the malware, toolbars, messed-up file associations, and other junk that has filled our machines (or our parents', kids', or coworkers' machines). The new Reset and Refresh features in Windows 8 should eliminate much of that pain.