Windows 8 review

PERFORMANCE AND SECURITY

These annoyances are frustrating, as underneath it all Microsoft has done a good job rewriting Windows, making it faster and more responsive. Boot times are impressive, with our PC booting from its SSD in around eight seconds. Resume from hibernation is much quicker too: if you’ve used a MacBook and have opened the lid to find out that the computer is ready for use in seconds, this is what you can also expect from Windows 8.

We generally found the OS more responsive than Windows 7. Our benchmark results seem to back this up. While the Image editing and Video editing tests are slightly faster than on Windows 7 (we’d put this down to better file system management), the Multitasking test is slightly slower. Our guess is that some system resources are kept in reserve to make the computer more responsive and to keep the Start Screen smooth. It’s this tactic that Apple uses on its operating systems, with the result that the its OS still responds quickly, even when the CPU is really busy. It’s a good decision, as we’d rather have computer that always responds, even if it means that really heavy jobs take a few seconds longer to process.

On our Core i5-2500K PC, Windows 8 was slightly faster in all but our multi-tasking test; we think that’s because it holds back system resources so it feels more responsive

Security has been beefed up, with SmartScreen filtering designed to detect unknown applications and prevent them from running, although it’s easy to override if you know an application is safe. Buying applications through the Store should also be safer, as they can be checked before they go live, giving you some more confidence. However, security software is still a must. Dennis Technology Labs, our security-testing division, has seen the preview edition of Windows 8 compromised by a virus, showing that it is possible. That’s to be expected, but with the right security software installed Windows 8 should be secure.

CLOUD

Microsoft sees the cloud as an incredibly important part of its OS, down to the fact that you can now log in to your Windows 8 computer using a Microsoft account. The benefit of doing this is that you can synchronise your wallpaper, settings, themes and passwords between all your computers.

SkyDrive lets you save files to online storage, but the app is pretty clunky

Windows 8 also comes with the SkyDrive app, which lets you upload new files and folders. SkyDrive is clunky, to say the least, however, and you have to revert to the web interface to do some simple jobs, such as sharing a file with someone. Our advice is to ignore SkyDrive and install SugarSync for your cloud storage and file synchronisation needs.

UPGRADERS AND SYSTEM BUILDERS

In terms of installing Windows, this is the fastest and easiest version we’ve ever installed. With USB3 support, you can install the OS from a flash drive in less than 20 minutes. Excellent driver support means all your hardware should work when the install has finished. We also found that Windows 8 worked with pretty much every bit of software that ran on Windows 7, with the only exception being the proprietary VPN software used to access our company network. In terms of upgrading, Microsoft now lets you install a fresh copy of Windows 8 using your upgrade disc. There were workarounds on previous versions, but none so easy as this.

Windows 8 is also the first version of the OS available for purchase as a download, and it can even perform an in-place upgrade on your computer online. All this means that it’s easier than ever to buy and install Windows.

EDITIONS

Microsoft has massively simplified the range of Windows 8 Editions. The standard Windows 8 version will include everything that home users will need, while Windows 8 Pro adds in BitLocker and some extra tools for corporate networks and Windows 8 Enterprise is just for businesses. In addition, there will be Windows 8 RT, which is just for tablets using the ARM processor architecture.

The simplification makes choosing an edition a lot easier than before and there’s no high-priced Ultimate edition to worry about. The only strange thing with all the Editions is that Windows Media Center is no longer part of Windows, although it will be offered for download separately.

WORTH BUYING?

Whether Windows 8 is worth buying is a tricky question. Windows 7 did such a good job and is so stable that many people won’t see the need to upgrade. Microsoft is combatting this with a very competitive $40 upgrade price (we expect it to be £40 in the UK) to take any previous version of Windows XP or 7 up to Windows 8 Pro – the highest version available. This is staggeringly good value and could well tempt a lot of people to upgrade. Even more tempting is the £15 upgrade price for those who have bought a Windows 7 PC recently and who register at www.windowsupgradeoffer.com.

If you don’t already own an OS and are going to be paying full price, there’s no denying that Windows 8 is an accomplished operating system. We found its two halves a little disjointed, but it didn’t take us long to get used to the Windows 8 way of working. With its faster boot times and more responsive interface, we think it’s worth buying to install on a newly-built PC; we don’t have a final price yet, but expect Windows 8 to cost around the same as for Windows 7. For people looking to buy a new PC before Windows 8 is launched, the upgrade offer means you shouldn’t delay just to get the new operating system.

Overall, Windows 8 isn’t perfect and there needs to be more seamless interaction between the Start Screen and Desktop, but the core improvements are a big leap forward. Microsoft’s new OS also makes the prospect of proper Windows tablets a reality and will help spur innovation among laptop manufacturers, which can only be a good thing.