Downloading Windows 8

Since the time it came out, and even for a long time before its release, Windows 8 garnered a lot of attention. Everyone was talking about the new Windows operating system, and there were ads wherever you looked. However, this did not exactly help the sales much, though there were many people trying to figure out, if and how a Windows 8 upgrade was doable in their case.

Here is a brief outlook on the over-hyped Windows 8 OS, to help you decide whether to download it or not.

Why do it, and why not?

By now, everyone knows that Windows 8 is not an all-in-all OS, and neither does it work equally well on all devices. Decide what kind of computing experience you want while using your machine, like if speed is the only reason you are leaning towards an upgrade, or there is some problem with installing applications on the OS you currently use.

If what you have now is Windows XP, then you should stick to it; you probably even want to. Unless you are using a Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine, an upgrade is not the answer for you. You could buy a new computer instead, which comes with Windows 8 installed. There is a high chance you can run Windows XP on it too. Just do not try running Windows 8 on a machine with under 1 GB RAM.

And if you did not know already, Windows 8.1 is not something new that you have to buy separately. Its part of the package you get when you do an upgrade.

Compatibility with Windows 8

It is easy enough to download Windows 8, but you need to know if your computer can handle it. Microsoft has a tool, which lets you find out exactly that, called the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. It is available for download from the Microsoft website, and can be installed and run to check if your computer meets the requirements for Windows 8. It is mainly the hardware components that are checked, and you will get recommendations based on the test.

The main requirements for Windows 8 are as follows:

• 1 GB of RAM for 32-bit, or 2 GB RAM for 64-bit
• 20 GB of free hard disk space
• Graphics to make Direct X9 installable

You need to remember all this before making the leap to Windows 8. For more information on how to download and install Windows 8, check out other posts here.

Windows 8.1 Addressing Some Of Basic Windows 8 Issues

Windows 8 was by far the most anticipated operating systems developed by Microsoft. However, it did not leave up to its expectations at all. Windows 8 was considered a failure by many experts and users alike. There are varied reasons for its downfall though.

One of the main reasons was the revolutionary changes brought in with Windows 8. Windows 7 and Windows 8 have a few things in common when it comes to the user interface and inbuilt features. When Windows 7 was such a huge hit, Windows 8 should have been something like an improvement on Windows 7 rather than a drastically different operating system.

The whole modern, metro-ized, and advanced user interface was very new for most users. Some interface features were confusing and difficult to absorb. Besides that, some of the basic features in traditional Windows platforms were absent in Windows 8. This was another most disturbing thing in the new OS.

There is no Start button or a Start menu in Windows 8. People became used to accessing applications through the Start menu. The new avatar, Start Screen, though offers easy navigation to pinned applications, was a lot puzzling to adjust with quickly. This seriously annoyed users who performed Windows 8 upgrade.

Windows 8.1 was Microsoft’s attempt to resolve some of the glaring problems with Windows 8. Microsoft says that things are pretty much simplified with Windows 8.1 update, and it adds many new features in its predecessor OS. Unlike Windows 8 upgrade from previous versions, users can install the new update from Windows Store just as installing a Service Pack.

Windows 8.1 is very similar to Windows 8, retaining all the applications on the desktop. This way, users need to worry about reinstalling the applications again after upgrading to Windows 8.1. However, it brings along some changes to the OS, aimed to rectify the issues with Windows 8.

The omission of Start button was one of the biggest criticisms of experts and users alike. That is why the first thing Microsoft did with Windows 8.1 update was attaching a Start button on Windows 8 desktop. Another improvement noticed was in the gaming department, as Windows 8.1 supported high-end games like none of the operating systems ever did before.

However, no matter what the changes and new features added to Windows 8 are, the tiled-based interface still keeps users away from adopting it. Let us hope that Microsoft soon comes up with something, and regains its fame in the market, as it had some time ago.