The new version of Windows is all about performance, multitasking, security, built-in applications, user interface, and more. You can easily make a transition to this new world without a hitch. Listed below are a few differences that make Windows 8 an amazing experience for the users:

The Anatomy of Windows 8

Faster Boot

You can startup your Windows 8 desktop in some 20 seconds, bypassing that old start-up sequence of Windows Vista. All you see is a splash screen and redesigned Windows logo, and you can get started from there. If you have logged in for the first time, you will be asked to sign into your Microsoft account… If your Microsoft account uses SkyDrive storage, you will get automatically logged into SkyDrive. You can connect to the cloud through your Microsoft account on any Windows 8 device. You can also choose which settings needed to be synced across all your Windows 8 devices.

Security

Security is the cornerstone of Windows 8 development. When it comes to security, Windows 8 has given users much flexibility in the form of safer browsing, account protection, and parental controls. Besides a user-defined password, you can use a four-digit numerical pin to access your device. A more interesting way to implement security is to use a picture password. By making funny gestures and patterns on a specific picture, you can easily sign into your account.

Revamped Start Screen

The eighth major release of Windows has marked the end of Start button and what you see instead are the Windows Phone-esque Live Tiles. The finger-friendly Live Tiles are a replacement of fly-out menus that used to appear once you hit the ‘Start’ button in Vista and previous versions. You will still be able to locate the ‘Start’ button by hovering your mouse over the left-hand portion of the screen. Overall, this is similar to a tablet-optimized Start screen, where you can run the applications at full screen and cannot resize them as on your traditional desktop.

Universal Search

When the Start screen appears, you can instantly start searching for items without having to find the search bar. The search results get displayed in three categories: Apps, Settings, and Files. This offers an impressive category-wise display of items to make your search simple, fast, and convenient.

Charms Bar

The Charms bar is there at the right side of the screen and gives you quick access to the Start screen, settings menu, sharing, search, and some connected devices. It is inclined to give you a smooth experience like that of a smart phone or tablet. You can easily reach your sharing and settings menu by swiping in from the right side. And on the left side, you have all your open Apps managed by a feature called ‘Switcher’. When you place your cursor onto an App, the associated program slide covers the whole desktop area.

Though Windows 8 has been designed on the rock-solid Windows 7 foundation, it has some of the best improvements over the previous versions to leave you stunned. Acquaint yourself with all these new features to enjoy a streamlined Windows 8 experience.

Author Bio: Oliver is an enthusiastic contributor at Microsoft Help community and loves exploring everything about Tech. You can also find him on Google + & Facebook.