street, businesses and consumers will
have to decide whether to invest in the
latest Microsoft operating system, or
just stick with what they've got. Perhaps you're not fazed by the
Windows 8 Modern UI, or by Microsoft
embracing the touchscreen interface.
Even so, here are five reasons to
consider making the move to Windows
8: Modern UI and touchscreen aside, there are some
good reasons to consider Windows
8.1. Bargain Price Most people don't go out and buy
Windows. The preferred method of
upgrading for both small businesses and
consumers is to acquire the latest
operating system by attrition when it's
time to get a new PC. Of course, the price of purchasing Windows by itself—
even the discounted upgrade price—has
always been a deterrent as well. However, with Windows 8, Microsoft is
slashing the price to a mere $40 until
2013. For anyone still running Windows
XP, the upgrade to Windows 8 should
be a no-brainer. Those who have
already switched to Windows 7 have a reason to switch, too: Windows 8 performs better than Windows 7 even on existing hardware. 2. Staying in Sync Microsoft developed Windows 8 with
the cloud in mind. If you log in to
Windows 8 using a Microsoft account,
your apps and preferences are synced to
the cloud. When you log in to Windows
8 on another system, those settings and preferences are downloaded as well so
you get a consistent Windows 8
experience no matter where you are. 3. Refresh / Reset Have you ever re-installed Windows as
a troubleshooting tool, or just to try and
get back to the clean, barebones OS you
had before it got all bogged down?
Microsoft is making it much easier in
Windows 8. Refresh gets you a mostly fresh start. Your personal files and configuration
settings are retained, along with any
Modern UI apps from the Windows 8
app store. But, all other applications are
removed, and Windows 8 is otherwise returned to default factory settings. A list of the removed software is placed
on the desktop so you know what's
missing and you can begin the process
of re-installing them cleanly to try and
isolate which program might have been
causing you problems. Reset is more drastic. Reset is a feature
you might use if you want to
decommission a system to re-provision
to another user, or if you plan to sell or
donate the PC. Reset wipes out
everything and returns Windows 8 to the way it was "out of the box" so to
speak. 4. Storage Spaces Have you ever run out of space on your
hard drive? It may not be as common as
it once was thanks to 1TB and 2TB
drives, but it can still happen—
especially when storing mass amounts
of digital photos or video clips. Storage Spaces solves that dilemma by allowing you to group multiple drives
under a single logical drive letter. If you
start to run out of space, you could
simply throw another USB hard drive on
the system to expand your storage. Of course, if a USB drive storing crucial
data crashes, it could pose a problem.
Windows 8 Storage Spaces has a
solution for that as well. Microsoft
employs a software-based RAID system
to protect data and ensure that your data remains available even in the
event of a hardware failure. 5. File History Windows 8 has new tools to protect
your important data from corruption or
accidental changes or deletions. File
History periodically scans file locations
like Libraries, Desktop, Favorites, and
Contacts to identify any changes. File History stores a copy of the changed
file in an alternate location designated
by you. File History will maintain a
complete history of the changes made
to personal data over time. With File
History, you'll be able to go back in time and easily reverse any unwanted
changes Oh, and did I mention the bargain price?
The $40 price tag is a temporary offer
from Microsoft that's set to expire in
January. Even if you already have
Windows 7 and you're happy with it,
spend the $40 on Windows 8 while you can and just file away the OS until you
need it.
(c) tony bradley
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