Whenever a new version of the popular Microsoft operating system is released, there are two different camps. One camp is sure to upgrade and will sing the praises of the brand new operating system while the other will condemn and claim it is the spawn of evil, or something to that effect. The truth however is that most of these operating systems, with the exception of a few, have come into their own after a few service packs. This was the case for Vista, though many do not want to admit it, and it has been the case for Windows 7. Now however we come to Windows 8, and there are many questions surrounding this brand new NTFS based operating system. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons:Pros
Metro: The new Metro interface is a more simplistic way of using your favorite operating systems, and a number of different applications have been written specifically for this standalone interface.
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Touchpad Optimized: The very nature of Windows 8 and Metro have necessitated touchpad functionality, which makes the operating system extremely easy to use on your tablet system.
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Faster Boot/Shutdown: The world, especially the business world is extremely fast paced, and with that being the case we need fast access to our computers. Windows 8 provides that whether you’re booting or simply bringing it out of sleep mode.
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Lightweight: This is an aspect which is purely a matter of opinion. Some will agree that Windows has become lightweight and others will call it bloatware. In any case, it comes with the apps you need, with some retailers including a demo of the latest Microsoft Office.
Cons
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Metro: We listed metro as a pro, but there are some cons that accompany it. For one, Metro was clearly designed for a touch interface, making it inconvenient for some. In addition to that, the Metro-only apps cannot be used on the standard Windows desktop, making it necessary to install two different applications if you wished to use the Windows Desktop environment.
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Lack of Start Menu: Though the desktop environment is still available, you will not have access to the start menu unless you are willing to install a third party extension. While this does work, there are some who claim it sucks up system resources, making the experience less than enjoyable.
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Touchpad Insanity: On some laptops there is a function that allows you to switch to the Metro interface by simply swiping the touchpad, which can be useful, but on most days is simply annoying.
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Hidden Items: In previous Windows incarnations it was easy to predict where the hidden items were, especially considering you had to make them. In Windows 8 the Metro interface is ever present and you may run across it accidentally. Moving your mouse to the upper right and left and corners of the screen will give you access to various features, some of which are very frustrating on a touchpad mouse.
In the end it’s up to you, so weigh the pros and cons and try to decide whether or not Windows 8 would be a good fit for you!