![]() ![]() A single app is highlighted with a large image, and next to it is a grid of nine recommended-for-you apps, all of which, in our case, seemed at least marginally interesting. In the new store, thus far, there isn't a huge change in the style and quality of the apps offered (although Microsoft now says there are more than 100,000), but there's clearly a sharper eye on presentation and curation. Even the highly hyped exclusive Halo game for Windows 8 is essentially an iPad-style game. Steam, GoG, and other PC gaming download sites and apps seem to be able to offer everything from A-list modern games to casual games, but the Microsoft app store, perhaps in an attempt to make sure every app can run on nearly every machine, offers nothing more taxing than Angry Birds, Jetpack Joyride, and other phone/tablet/browser-level games. Editorial curation, the hallmark of Apple's app stores for both OS X and iOS, was virtually nonexistent, and app shoppers were left with a handful of prime-time apps, such as Netflix and Halo: Spartan Assault, and a hard-to-sort pile of shovelware, including, for example, a dozen-odd unlicensed Super Mario Bros. ![]() Its layout, tiny slivers of apps, lined up row after row, made any kind of visual browsing unsatisfying. One of the features of Windows 8 long cited as the biggest hype with the weakest delivery is the Microsoft app store. The greatly improved app store makes it easier to find decent software optimized for Windows 8. Have you ever tried to check the battery life remaining on a Windows 8 tablet or laptop? How about seeing what programs are running, or what Web pages are open in your browser? All require swiping and clicking, not an optimal situation, especially for an on-the-go tablet that you might be one-handing while moving through a busy sidewalk, warehouse, or office. Without a touch screen, many of its basic navigation functions are laughably difficult to use, requiring unintuitive mouse or touch-pad gestures and swipes, and keeping relevant information off the screen in favor of a streamlined, low-information view. The tile interface, originally called Metro, isn't flexible enough for many of the more traditional PCs still being made and sold. You still have an OS that's afraid to fully commit one way or the other. In the end, Windows 8 didn't fully align itself with either the traditionalists or the growing tablet/touch movement, and Windows 8.1 does little to fix this underlying problem. How to prepare your Windows 8 PC for Windows 8.1.Microsoft's Windows 8.1 arrives: A look back, and ahead.Meet the new Windows 8.1: Same problems as the old Windows.Best tablets, hybrids, laptops, and all-in-ones for Windows 8.1.In some cases, that's because of a poor initial hands-on experience, but more likely because of bad word of mouth, or just because the tile-based interface doesn't fit their existing definition of how a computer should work. ![]() Unfortunately, many who know the name have a negative association with it, and only know it as something to be avoided. From the perception side, Microsoft has managed to earn Windows 8 wide-reaching name recognition, an important goal for any consumer brand. The problems with Windows 8 are many, in both perception and execution, so it's understandable that Microsoft would like a reroll on its grand experiment. And finally, if you've been holding off on a new PC purchase hoping Windows 8 gets "fixed" to your satisfaction, this isn't going to turn you into a fan, but Windows 8 has already the default on nearly every new PC for the past year, so you're only delaying the inevitable. If you have a legacy Windows 7 system and haven't taken the Windows 8 plunge yet, there's still no reason to. If you're looking for the executive summary, it's this: Current Windows 8 users should grab this free (for current Windows 8 users, $119 if you don't already have Windows 8), and useful, update without delay. That said, the current generation of available hardware - laptops, hybrids, tablets, and even touch-screen desktops - is markedly better and more diverse this time around. What you're left with is an OS that still feels like an awkward compromise between the traditional "desktop" Windows and the touch-centric, tablet-optimized future that looks and feels exactly like Windows Phone. ![]()
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