Apple, Microsoft and Windows 8

I’ve been using Windows 8 for my main work laptop since slightly before it came out and wanted to share my experience and opinion of this new operating system with everyone.

I think this is going to be a great operating system if you have a touchscreen, tablet or mobile device.  I have recently seen some of the cool new devices that support it from HP, Dell and others and I love how light and portable they are.

There is no doubt in my mind that Apple has had an irreversible impact on our daily home and business lives.  Windows has been the dominant way that most people interact with computers and the Internet up until a few years ago.  Today you have many more options.  You can check your tweets on your phone in the subway, text your wife while driving home (bad idea, but you can), surf the internet from your phone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Google Nexus 7, Laptop, TV or even your desktop.  There are many more options to stay connected and get your work done.

Windows 8 from Microsoft is now part of this trend and is a leap forward for Microsoft.  It is much faster on my traditional laptop than Windows 7 was because it is optimized for laptops and other systems that don’t have the power of the latest Intel CPU and tons of memory.  The Start Screen (formally called Metro) is a better way to interact with your touch screen device than the traditional Windows desktop is.  The old Windows desktop is still available so you still have that option for your laptop or desktop that do not have a touch screen interface.

HP, Dell and other companies have also developed new hardware to take advantage of Windows 8.  They have slim, light and powerful Ultrabooks with touchscreens that are simply amazing.  I have also seen some laptops with touchscreens that have detachable displays that turn them into a tablet-like device.  This is a refreshing and interesting option for a new computer rather than the familiar computer that is “the same as the one I had before but faster.”

Apple started all of this with their iPad and MacBook Air.  Now we have many more options and can work anywhere, anytime and with cool new systems. Are you currently utilizing any of these new technologies? What are your thoughts?