Windows 8 and Windows 10, as can be seen on first use, have two types of user interfaces, one is the classic desktop that Microsoft has become used to since Windows 95 came out, the other is the Start screen from which you can start programs and applications.
The new Start screen is therefore not only a program launch menu, but also contains the Windows 10 and 8.1 apps that can only be installed from the official Windows App Store
As is the case with Android tablets, iPhones and iPads, applications can also be downloaded to Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, optimized for touch screens and different from traditional programs for at least two features: they are integrated into the system and therefore share the menu of settings and open in full screen.
In addition to the pre-installed applications such as Internet Explorer, Swiss Post, News, Videos, Photos, Music, Skydrive etc., you can download for free or buy other applications from the Store.
With the release of Windows 10 you can make the list of the " best apps for Windows 10 and 8.1 ", the indispensable ones, free, more comfortable, simple and quick compared to traditional programs .
READ ALSO: App for Windows 10 that is worth installing
Among the 50 essential applications to start with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, both for PC and for Surface tablets, to download for free from the App Store we have:
1) Skype for Windows 10 is really a great application, the first one that needs to be installed in the Microsoft operating system. Skype App is completely different than the program and seems more similar to Skype for Android, with the ability to chat and phone contacts at any time. From the Skype for Windows 10 app, you can also exchange files with other people. Windows 10 thus becomes the perfect interface to turn your computer into a video phone.
2) OneNote is the Microsoft application for taking quick notes in an orderly way, which can be synchronized and saved online in SkyDrive so that they are also available from other PCs or smartphones. The OneNote application can be downloaded for free on Windows 10 and 8.1 without any need to have the entire Office suite. Onenote also has the OCR function to convert scanned sheets into documents to be written
Alternatively there is also Evernote, very popular and appreciated.
3) RainbowDrive to open Dropbox, Skydrive and Google Drive together in Windows 8 is a great app already described in another article. RainbowDrive is much more useful and with more functions than the official Dropbox application, sparse and without the possibility of uploading files to the internet.
4) Google Search : as Windows 8 starts with Internet Explorer and the integrated Bing search engine, Google has developed an application to change the search engine and which adds the box to access all Google products. In addition to searching, the Google Search app is a small browser from which to access the main apps: Gmail, Google Drive, Translator, Google Reader, Calendar, Youtube etc. Voice search is also possible, ideal for tablets. Note that Google Chrome browser can also be started as a Start application: from the three lines menu at the top right, you can restart Chrome in Windows 8 mode.
5) Rai.tv is the official application to watch RAI live from the computer: RAi 1, Rai 2, Rai 3, Rai 4, Rai 5. You can also listen to RadioRai and you can access Rai Replay, to review programs already sent. The Rai app works really well, with a smooth and clean streaming of excellent quality. Note that you can keep TV viewing active while working or surfing the internet by moving the Rai app to the side (move the cursor up, hold, move left or right)
5) Video Mediaset is instead the application for Windows 10 to review pieces of broadcasts and TV shows broadcast on Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4; however, there is no possibility to watch live streaming of these channels.
6) TuneIn Radio is the great application for listening to all online radio streams via the internet. You can find Italian radio stations that broadcast in FM as well as web radios.
7) Official Facebook App for Windows 10 and 8.1 described in another article.
8) Facebook Messenger for Windows 10
9) MediaMonkey is another app to organize and hear music from the Windows 8 Start screen
10) Tasks is, for now, the best app for organizing even complex activities and things to do, creating reminders for appointments and deadlines of all kinds.
11) QuickLook is an app to preview a file: just select a file in a folder and press the Space bar on the keyboard to open it in preview. The app supports videos, PDFs, photos, music, documents and more.
12) FlipToast is the best application, for now, to connect to Facebook from Windows 10 . Although among the predefined apps you can use the Contacts app to connect to Facebook, Fliptoast is certainly better designed and easier to use, to perform all operations from your computer.
13) Fotor is the best photo editing app I mentioned in an article about photo editing in Windows 10.
14) Perfect365 is the program to touch up your face in photos and improve it which I have already talked about in another post
15) Wikipedia is the app to read the famous online encyclopedia directly from the Start screen and you can search the Italian or international Wikipedia from the search box on the right menu.
16) Telegram, the official Telegram chat app on Windows 10
17) TeamViewer touch to connect remotely to other computers using a screen optimized for touch screens, excellent even on a normal PC.
It is very similar to the Teamviewer desktop program, although simpler and more immediate.
18) Amazon and Ebay are the applications to connect to the major internet stores, search for products and buy online easily and quickly.
19) Toolbox is a multipurpose app inside which is located: a web browser, a calculator, a very powerful unit converter, Facebook, tool for recording voice notes, clock, weather and drawing tools.
20) Music Maker Jam, a nice application to create and mix music in an easy and fun way.
READ ALSO: Windows 8 app to be kept open on the side of the screen
21) Latermark is a client for the Pocket application on Windows 8, to re-read and review the links saved with Pocket (read it later).
22) Twitter is the official Twitter application to send and read tweets from all over the world on Windows 10 and 8.1.
23) Tweetium is a not free app to use Twitter, much better than the official app.
24) Instagram for PC is the official Windows 10 client made by Facebook.
25) Your Phone, the app to connect your smartphone to the Windows 10 PC.
26) Ear Trumpet is the app to improve the audio management of Windows 10, described in another article.
27) ShareX is the best application for Windows 10 that captures screenshots and creates GIFs of the screen or parts of it, and allows you to share them quickly.
28) Gmaps is the unofficial application to open Google Maps on Windows 10.
29) Music DJ is the best application to replace the default Music one in Windows 10 and 8.1. You can organize the playlist of the songs that are listed by title, by artist or by album.
30) Photoshop Express is a free app with many features to quickly edit photos on your Windows 10 PC or tablet. There are basic tools to crop, straighten, rotate, flip, remove the red-eye effect, then also brightness, exposure and shadow adjustments, color and contrast controls. In addition to this, there are also several free filters and effects applicable with a click. Photos cannot be saved, but only shared on social networks.
31) TranslucentTB is the app that makes the Windows 10 taskbar transparent .
32) IM + app for chatting on Google networks, on Yahoo Messenger, Facebook, Skype and many others.
33) Dailymotion is the official app to watch streaming videos from Dailymotion.
34) Search Deflector allows you to select your preferred search engine (Google) when searching from the Start menu.
35) Trip Advisor is the magnificent application for looking at reviews of hotels, restaurants and any other place to travel, also useful for booking flights and hotels.
36) Multimedia 8 (for Windows 8) is an excellent application for viewing videos of all kinds from the Start screen, without resorting to programs on the desktop.
37) Accuweather is an alternative to see the weather forecast and the weather.
39) Metro Commander to explore files and folders without opening the desktop.
40) Adobe Reader also for Windows 10, application to open PDF files.
41) Modern File Explorer is another app program for browsing files and folders.
42) MetroTube application to watch Youtube videos
43) Amazon Kindle to read Ebooks from your Windows 10 and 8.1 PC or tablet and buy books from the Kindle Store.
44) News Republic to read the latest news in a personalized way.
Alternatively, Pulse News is also excellent
45) Skitch Touch to draw on the computer
46) NextGen Reader is an RSS Feed reader that also integrates with Feedly.
47) Kayak app to search for air flights and travel around the world.
48) Sumatra PDF is one of the most popular and used PDF readers in the world, free, fast and essential, in an app version for Windows 10.
49) LastPass to manage web account passwords on the PC
50) Bing translator to instantly translate even offline
51) Fresh Paint is the best app for drawing on the computer in Windows 10, optimized especially for tablets and Microsoft Surface.
53) Rainbow Drive is an app to open Dropbox, Google Drive and Onedrive together
54) Vimeo is the app to search and watch videos from Windows 10 and 8.1 with Vimeo.
55) Writeplus is a minimal application designed to write texts without distraction on the computer.
56) Here Maps is an alternative to Bing Maps to see the maps and maps which are those of Nokia and which also works without an internet connection.
57) WinDynamicDesktop is the app that changes the desktop background image based on the time of day.
58) TreeSize Free is the app to control how disk space is used, so you can easily find the largest files and folders that you can possibly delete.
59) PDF Reader is an excellent application for opening and editing annotated PDF files.
60) FalconX allows you to put icons on the taskbar in the center, a bit like on Mac.
Searching on the Store you can find many applications even if it is difficult to find your way due to the fact that the classifications and grades are often absent or too few to be trusted.
In the Store there are also some Italian applications to watch films and videos and some unofficial Youtube apps which, however, due to various limitations, are all of little use.
You can not even forget the games for Windows 10 including, in the Store, you can download the famous Cut The Rope, Angry Birds Space and JetPack Joyride for free.
The new Start screen is therefore not only a program launch menu, but also contains the Windows 10 and 8.1 apps that can only be installed from the official Windows App Store
As is the case with Android tablets, iPhones and iPads, applications can also be downloaded to Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, optimized for touch screens and different from traditional programs for at least two features: they are integrated into the system and therefore share the menu of settings and open in full screen.
In addition to the pre-installed applications such as Internet Explorer, Swiss Post, News, Videos, Photos, Music, Skydrive etc., you can download for free or buy other applications from the Store.
With the release of Windows 10 you can make the list of the " best apps for Windows 10 and 8.1 ", the indispensable ones, free, more comfortable, simple and quick compared to traditional programs .
READ ALSO: App for Windows 10 that is worth installing
Among the 50 essential applications to start with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, both for PC and for Surface tablets, to download for free from the App Store we have:
1) Skype for Windows 10 is really a great application, the first one that needs to be installed in the Microsoft operating system. Skype App is completely different than the program and seems more similar to Skype for Android, with the ability to chat and phone contacts at any time. From the Skype for Windows 10 app, you can also exchange files with other people. Windows 10 thus becomes the perfect interface to turn your computer into a video phone.
2) OneNote is the Microsoft application for taking quick notes in an orderly way, which can be synchronized and saved online in SkyDrive so that they are also available from other PCs or smartphones. The OneNote application can be downloaded for free on Windows 10 and 8.1 without any need to have the entire Office suite. Onenote also has the OCR function to convert scanned sheets into documents to be written
Alternatively there is also Evernote, very popular and appreciated.
3) RainbowDrive to open Dropbox, Skydrive and Google Drive together in Windows 8 is a great app already described in another article. RainbowDrive is much more useful and with more functions than the official Dropbox application, sparse and without the possibility of uploading files to the internet.
4) Google Search : as Windows 8 starts with Internet Explorer and the integrated Bing search engine, Google has developed an application to change the search engine and which adds the box to access all Google products. In addition to searching, the Google Search app is a small browser from which to access the main apps: Gmail, Google Drive, Translator, Google Reader, Calendar, Youtube etc. Voice search is also possible, ideal for tablets. Note that Google Chrome browser can also be started as a Start application: from the three lines menu at the top right, you can restart Chrome in Windows 8 mode.
5) Rai.tv is the official application to watch RAI live from the computer: RAi 1, Rai 2, Rai 3, Rai 4, Rai 5. You can also listen to RadioRai and you can access Rai Replay, to review programs already sent. The Rai app works really well, with a smooth and clean streaming of excellent quality. Note that you can keep TV viewing active while working or surfing the internet by moving the Rai app to the side (move the cursor up, hold, move left or right)
5) Video Mediaset is instead the application for Windows 10 to review pieces of broadcasts and TV shows broadcast on Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4; however, there is no possibility to watch live streaming of these channels.
6) TuneIn Radio is the great application for listening to all online radio streams via the internet. You can find Italian radio stations that broadcast in FM as well as web radios.
7) Official Facebook App for Windows 10 and 8.1 described in another article.
8) Facebook Messenger for Windows 10
9) MediaMonkey is another app to organize and hear music from the Windows 8 Start screen
10) Tasks is, for now, the best app for organizing even complex activities and things to do, creating reminders for appointments and deadlines of all kinds.
11) QuickLook is an app to preview a file: just select a file in a folder and press the Space bar on the keyboard to open it in preview. The app supports videos, PDFs, photos, music, documents and more.
12) FlipToast is the best application, for now, to connect to Facebook from Windows 10 . Although among the predefined apps you can use the Contacts app to connect to Facebook, Fliptoast is certainly better designed and easier to use, to perform all operations from your computer.
13) Fotor is the best photo editing app I mentioned in an article about photo editing in Windows 10.
14) Perfect365 is the program to touch up your face in photos and improve it which I have already talked about in another post
15) Wikipedia is the app to read the famous online encyclopedia directly from the Start screen and you can search the Italian or international Wikipedia from the search box on the right menu.
16) Telegram, the official Telegram chat app on Windows 10
17) TeamViewer touch to connect remotely to other computers using a screen optimized for touch screens, excellent even on a normal PC.
It is very similar to the Teamviewer desktop program, although simpler and more immediate.
18) Amazon and Ebay are the applications to connect to the major internet stores, search for products and buy online easily and quickly.
19) Toolbox is a multipurpose app inside which is located: a web browser, a calculator, a very powerful unit converter, Facebook, tool for recording voice notes, clock, weather and drawing tools.
20) Music Maker Jam, a nice application to create and mix music in an easy and fun way.
READ ALSO: Windows 8 app to be kept open on the side of the screen
21) Latermark is a client for the Pocket application on Windows 8, to re-read and review the links saved with Pocket (read it later).
22) Twitter is the official Twitter application to send and read tweets from all over the world on Windows 10 and 8.1.
23) Tweetium is a not free app to use Twitter, much better than the official app.
24) Instagram for PC is the official Windows 10 client made by Facebook.
25) Your Phone, the app to connect your smartphone to the Windows 10 PC.
26) Ear Trumpet is the app to improve the audio management of Windows 10, described in another article.
27) ShareX is the best application for Windows 10 that captures screenshots and creates GIFs of the screen or parts of it, and allows you to share them quickly.
28) Gmaps is the unofficial application to open Google Maps on Windows 10.
29) Music DJ is the best application to replace the default Music one in Windows 10 and 8.1. You can organize the playlist of the songs that are listed by title, by artist or by album.
30) Photoshop Express is a free app with many features to quickly edit photos on your Windows 10 PC or tablet. There are basic tools to crop, straighten, rotate, flip, remove the red-eye effect, then also brightness, exposure and shadow adjustments, color and contrast controls. In addition to this, there are also several free filters and effects applicable with a click. Photos cannot be saved, but only shared on social networks.
31) TranslucentTB is the app that makes the Windows 10 taskbar transparent .
32) IM + app for chatting on Google networks, on Yahoo Messenger, Facebook, Skype and many others.
33) Dailymotion is the official app to watch streaming videos from Dailymotion.
34) Search Deflector allows you to select your preferred search engine (Google) when searching from the Start menu.
35) Trip Advisor is the magnificent application for looking at reviews of hotels, restaurants and any other place to travel, also useful for booking flights and hotels.
36) Multimedia 8 (for Windows 8) is an excellent application for viewing videos of all kinds from the Start screen, without resorting to programs on the desktop.
37) Accuweather is an alternative to see the weather forecast and the weather.
39) Metro Commander to explore files and folders without opening the desktop.
40) Adobe Reader also for Windows 10, application to open PDF files.
41) Modern File Explorer is another app program for browsing files and folders.
42) MetroTube application to watch Youtube videos
43) Amazon Kindle to read Ebooks from your Windows 10 and 8.1 PC or tablet and buy books from the Kindle Store.
44) News Republic to read the latest news in a personalized way.
Alternatively, Pulse News is also excellent
45) Skitch Touch to draw on the computer
46) NextGen Reader is an RSS Feed reader that also integrates with Feedly.
47) Kayak app to search for air flights and travel around the world.
48) Sumatra PDF is one of the most popular and used PDF readers in the world, free, fast and essential, in an app version for Windows 10.
49) LastPass to manage web account passwords on the PC
50) Bing translator to instantly translate even offline
51) Fresh Paint is the best app for drawing on the computer in Windows 10, optimized especially for tablets and Microsoft Surface.
53) Rainbow Drive is an app to open Dropbox, Google Drive and Onedrive together
54) Vimeo is the app to search and watch videos from Windows 10 and 8.1 with Vimeo.
55) Writeplus is a minimal application designed to write texts without distraction on the computer.
56) Here Maps is an alternative to Bing Maps to see the maps and maps which are those of Nokia and which also works without an internet connection.
57) WinDynamicDesktop is the app that changes the desktop background image based on the time of day.
58) TreeSize Free is the app to control how disk space is used, so you can easily find the largest files and folders that you can possibly delete.
59) PDF Reader is an excellent application for opening and editing annotated PDF files.
60) FalconX allows you to put icons on the taskbar in the center, a bit like on Mac.
Searching on the Store you can find many applications even if it is difficult to find your way due to the fact that the classifications and grades are often absent or too few to be trusted.
In the Store there are also some Italian applications to watch films and videos and some unofficial Youtube apps which, however, due to various limitations, are all of little use.
You can not even forget the games for Windows 10 including, in the Store, you can download the famous Cut The Rope, Angry Birds Space and JetPack Joyride for free.
