12 Things You Need to Know About Windows 8

Windows 8 is already considered by many to be the most radical change to Microsoft’s operating system ever. Microsoft is charging head-first into a healthy market owned by its rival – Apple's OS X Lion. Microsoft knows that Mac OS X has the edge when it comes to gesture controls on the trackpad, but Microsoft is going to try to top that by making Windows 8 more touch-friendly, classier looking, and available for both tablets and regular desktop systems. And, the big news… apparently it’s great! Early reports say that Windows 8 is stable, fast, and functions very well.

Some things you might want to know:

1. Microsoft has rebuilt Windows 8 for a touchscreen and tablet world with ‘swipe’ navigation. Expect to see bigger tiles and unlocking screens similar to smartphones.

2. Windows 8's Metro interface is completely HTML5 - no proprietary Silverlight or Flash here. HTML5 plays a huge role in Windows 8, both inside the "web", and out.

3. Windows 8 will be backwards compatible, so you will be able to run all your current software.

4. Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8 will be easy and seamless.

5. In a world of tablets, we are spoiled when it comes to boot up times. Microsoft recognises this, and has put a lot of work into making sure Windows 8 boot fast.

6. Windows Explorer is getting a facelift with the ribbon interface from Office 2010, making better use of wide screen displays.

7. A new Windows 8 file-copy interface will allow you to pause files being transferred. It will also offer better ways to handle duplicate file names with more options to replace and rename files.

8. Microsoft has built Windows 8 to run on standard Intel and AMD processors as well as ARM processors (those used to power tablet devices).

9. Similar to iCloud, Microsoft’s free online storage service called SkyDrive will automatically sync all documents, pictures, and other content online with the cloud. This means your settings and files will be accessible across your Windows desktops, laptops, or tablets.

10. Windows 8 will follow Apple's lead and also offer its own app store called "The Windows Store." Users can download applications for both the new Metro interface, and the traditional Windows interface in this store, and developers can easily share their applcications with every single Windows 8 user easily.

11. For Windows 8 to run, you will need a 1 GHz processor, a 1 GB RAM DirectX 9 graphics processor, and 16 GB of spare hard drive space. To enjoy touch functionality with Windows 8, you will need a multi-touch screen with a minimum resolution of 1024x768.

12. Something to watch for… the taskbar has been completely revamped and that may not sit well with all users. Be prepared for this change.

One thing can be sure; when Windows 8 becomes available, sales of touchscreen-enabled desktop and laptop computers are going to go through the roof. My prediction: Christmas 2012 will be a touchscreen Christmas.