With the release of Windows 8, everyone, both the technicians and journalists of computer magazines, and ordinary mortals and simple enthusiasts were able to download the Microsoft operating system that happens to Windows 7, with many new features and differences compared to Windows 7 which is interesting to talk about. READ ALSO: Download Windows 8.1 in Italian from Microsoft, without product key
First of all, remember that installing Windows 8 is very easy for anyone, even the less experienced, especially if you choose to download Windows 8 as an update.
Several things change in Windows 8 and here I would like to focus on the best differences, the best features that have been added and that are missing in Windows 7 and earlier.
1) The difference that you notice immediately is that the PC with Windows 8 turns on and loads faster .
If you perform a dual boot installation of Windows 8 with Windows 7 and time the boot time, you will notice a very obvious difference with Windows 8 that starts 4 or 5 times faster than Windows 7. Microsoft, between the various changes made, he implemented the Hybrid Boot, a sort of hibernation where, when the PC shuts down, the programs are closed normally but the system remains saved in RAM which therefore does not empty completely as it happens in today's computers.
In Windows 7 this can only be done using a trick and an external program, turning off the PC with restart and automatic hibernation.
2) Access without password .
This function is among the best in Windows 8 because you can log in with a photo password from your computer. You can then take a photo and then indicate as a password a movement with the mouse over that photo. Facial recognition can also be enabled if a webcam is connected to the PC. If you don't like it, you can certainly use the usual procedure of entering the computer, with a written password.
3) Dynamic desktop
The Windows 8 desktop is double: on one side there is the normal one with icons and windows, on the other the Metro interface with buttons and dynamic widgets that show information and notifications with automatic update (see article Getting started with Windows 8: Desktop, Start Menu, Windows and Start Programs)
Windows 8 Metro is similar to the graphics of a Windows Phone smartphone, with tiles that are not only icons for launching programs but also information panels where you can preview the emails received, the weather, the latest news of the day, the articles of Navigaweb.net and so on.
4) Windows Live password access and synchronization of your settings between multiple PCs .
The first time you meet Metro, you will work hard to configure the buttons and boxes according to your taste and needs. The nice thing is that, if you have multiple PCs with Windows 8, you can synchronize all the settings and the desktop so that all the computers are identical, with the same history, the same graphics and identical Metro panels. This is possible by accessing the PC through your registered Windows Live account what you need to date to get into Hotmail, Messenger or other Microsoft web applications.
5) Programs close automatically if you need to free up memory .
Traditionally, Windows has always left the user to manage the execution of programs, so that he can launch as many simultaneously as he wants without complaining. However, when, with 5 or 10 programs open together, the available RAM memory ends which is occupied in its entirety, the PC almost kneels and drastically slows down every operation because it does that swapping to disk using the notorious paging file. Windows 8 is fortunately a little different, at least when running Metro applications. If you run out of resources, the open program that has not been used for the longest time is automatically closed. Obviously, before closing, the application saves the changes, nothing is lost and you can restart that program continuing from where you left off.
6) Management of the network band
The new Task Manager of Windows 8 finally indicates a history on the use of the internet bandwidth by the programs used so as to understand which ones exchange more data and therefore to optimize the internet speed.
As seen in another post, for Windows XP and Windows 7 you can manage the network bandwidth of programs with an external tool.
7) Automatic backup
Windows 8 includes a File History feature to view file history, which automatically backs up any folder you want, at the specified frequency. This could be a full system backup to a network drive or just one way to save a copy of only some data on a USB stick.
To do this in Windows 7 in a simple way, you have to use an external program to automatically make a safe copy of important files.
8) Safer downloads
Internet Explorer SmartScreen Filter is a useful technology that controls downloads from the Internet and blocks downloads from sites considered dangerous. With Windows 8, SmartScreen is integrated into the operating system itself so it doesn't matter if you use Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or another browser, the downloaded applications will still be controlled by this filter when you try to run them on your computer.
9) Mount ISO files
Windows 7 has added the ability to burn ISO images on DVD and CD discs but not the ability to mount ISO images on virtual CDs saving themselves from burning a disk. When you have an ISO file on Windows 8, just press it with the right button and mount it to see its contents in Windows Explorer, in the form of a virtual CD player.
On XP and Windows 7 there are several programs to install to mount ISO images.
10) Pause copying files
I say: "Why didn't you think of this very useful and trivial thing before"> How much time is wasted in Windows XP or Windows 7 when copying files is stopped, maybe on the USB stick and you have to start over. In Windows 8, copying files can be paused and resumed whenever you want.
11) Solve problems easily
If the PC is in bad condition, Winodws 7 allows you to restore the corrupt files but you always need the installation disk.
Windows 8 has the Reset Pc to reset the settings as default but above all the "Refresh PC" which does a reinstallation of Windows correcting the problems and errors, without having to use the installation disk. Reset removes all personal data, applications and settings and is in fact used to reinstall Windows. Refresh, on the other hand, is used to reinstall Windows while keeping all applications, data and customized settings.
12) Run other operating systems
Windows 8 now includes Hyper-V (to be installed as a Windows add-on from the application installation menu), a better virtualization platform than Virtual PC that allows you to install other operating systems on virtual machines and run them on the desktop.
13) Less intrusive Windows Update
Windows Update has always been a nuisance because it forces the user to restart the system to install updates or to postpone the restart several times. With Windows 8, Microsoft has mitigated Windows Update noise by requiring a restart only once a month. In addition, the reboot notice will give you the option to postpone it for up to three days. All this is part of the new perspective of Windows 8 so you can always leave the computer on, putting it only in stand-by.
Also for this reason it will be interesting to note how the shutdown button is hidden (see article on the keys to shut down Windows 8, restart the PC and log off)
14) Integrated antivirus
Windows 8 includes an integrated antivirus and you will no longer need to install a different one.
The antivirus is called Windows Defender and is practically the new name of Microsoft Security Essentials which can also be used on XP and Windows 7. Windows Defender is automatically deactivated if another antivirus is installed.
15) Absence of a player to watch DVD or Blu-ray in Windows 8
Windows 8 does not include support for DVD or Blu-Ray playback as it is present in Windows 7. The program for burning DVDs and Windows Media Center is also missing. Fortunately, you can download and install another free multimedia player like VLC, always capable of reading every video from any source.
16) Gadgets and 3D effects and Windows Aero no longer exist
Aero Glass was introduced with Windows Vista to improve the graphics of desktop themes. 3D effects are those that in Vista and Windows 7 allow you to switch from one window to another by pressing the Alt-Tab keys (which never uses anyone).
Gadgets, on the other hand, are the interactive panels of the desktop that have also been suppressed in Windows 7 and Vista for security reasons (they can no longer be downloaded (and in fact it is convenient to disable the gadgets in Windows 7 and Vista for computer security). for which the effects have been eliminated Aero is linked to the higher battery consumption they cause, on tablets and laptops.
17) Native support for USB 3.0 ports
In Windows 7 and other previous versions of Windows, a special driver must be installed to make the USB 3.0 ports work on your computer. USB 3.0 is a net improvement over current USB 2.0 technology and is now integrated into every new computer to transfer data from your PC much faster to a USB stick or external hard drive (which supports 3.0 speed). With Windows 8, USB 3.0 ports are automatically recognized.
18) Improvement of the Task Manager
In Windows 7 the Task Manager (or Task Manager) has certainly been enhanced but has remained graphically the same as that of Windows XP. Furthermore, it has always remained a little complicated to use for the less experienced. Now, in Windows 8, you will be able to see, in a completely redesigned window, all the running applications that can be terminated with a single click.
In another more updated article, Windows 8.1: Main functions of the operating system
