Windows 8: Introduction, Versions & Upgrade Paths

Windows 8: One OS to Rule Them All

Microsoft’s latest and eagerly-anticipated Windows 8 operating system (OS) is scheduled to be released to the general public on October 26. Before it does, here’s what you need to know about what is undoubtedly Microsoft’s most radical operating system yet.

Now, Windows is by far is the world’s most widely used operating system. The last iteration of Windows - Windows 7 - was reported to have sold over 600 million copies. Combined, the last three versions of Windows - Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP - have sold billions, and together, they made up roughly 67% of all operating systems (including mobile OSes) being used in the world.

You’d think that Microsoft has struck some kind of a winning formula, and that it would be unthinkable for them to rock the boat, and make radical changes to their new OS. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. Because Windows 8 is the most radical update to the Windows OS family Microsoft has ever put out.

Born in the 'post-PC era' where there’s an increasing emphasis on touch, mobile and cloud computing, many aspects of Windows 8 have been designed from the ground up to meet these new challenges and requirements. Of course, under the hood, Windows 8 is built on the foundation of Windows 7 (the subtext here is that desktop apps that run on Windows 7 will continue to run on Windows 8), but it has been improved on all fronts. You got a new user interface replete with touch gestures, much improved cloud-connected services, a renewed focus on apps, a slew of new security features, and a whole lot more.

But it gets better. Windows 8 is designed to work swimmingly not just on desktop PCs, but on laptops and tablets as well. And regardless of the screen size, the Modern-style interface will scale accordingly to give you a consistent experience.

Before we go through what you can expect from Windows 8, let’s first talk about the basics such as system requirements.

Minimum System Requirements

Windows 8 is designed to be light on the foot and it is not surprising to see that it has rather modest system requirements. In fact, Microsoft says that Windows 8 will work great on the same hardware that powers Windows 7. But what exactly does that mean? At a minimum, these are what you need:

Based at these requirements, it looks like Windows 8 will run on many old systems, which is good news for those who aren’t looking to upgrade or change their hardware in the near future. In fact, the requirements aren't that much different from those of Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Three years ago, we tried running Windows 7 on an early Pentium 4 machine, and it performed beyond our expectations. We believe there's a good chance that Windows 8 will work just fine on it this time round too - that is, if we can find it in our storage room. In any case, many of the Microsoft Windows OS project managers have mentioned several times that Windows 8 doesn't require any better minimum system requirements than Windows 7. The slowest system we've tried to-date is an old Pentium Dual-Core E2160 based system with 4GB of memory and it was snappy enough for most casual usage needs.

Obviously, a faster CPU will make for a snappier Windows 8 experience, and if you're shopping for a new PC today, chances are, you'd be getting one running an Intel third generation Core processor, codenamed 'Ivy Bridge'. To learn more about it, check out our Intel Ivy Bridge Tech Guide. The other platform you might be considering is AMD's new desktop Trinity APU, but local market availability is only estimated to be in November. Secondly, drawing from our past experiences with Windows, if there’s only one upgrade you can afford, it has to be either the RAM or an SSD (depending on your needs).

Of course, in order to use touch, you need a tablet or a monitor that supports multitouch. A minimum screen resolution of 1,024 x 768 pixels is required to access the Windows Store, and to run Modern-style apps. To snap apps, a minimum screen resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels is required.

Windows 8 Editions

Windows 8 will be offered in four different versions - Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows RT, and Windows 8 Enterprise. This is much less compared to Windows 7’s bewildering six different versions.

For consumers using x86-based (both 32-bit and 64-bit) PCs and tablets, there are two editions to choose from: Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. As the name implies, Windows 8 Pro is more for tech enthusiasts and business users. In addition to the new, basic Windows 8 features such as the Start screen, updated File Explorer, Task Manager, better multi-monitor support, Internet Explorer 10, and Windows Store (among many others), it also sports features for encryption, virtualization, PC management, and domain connectivity.

For devices such as tablets running on ARM chips, there's a version called Windows RT that will come pre-installed on the devices. So technically, you can't buy it. And obviously, you can't upgrade to it from any other version of Windows. The most important thing to note is that Windows RT doesn’t allow you to run legacy desktop software. Yes, there are some apps that run on the Windows RT desktop, such as Internet Explorer 10 and Office, but these are Microsoft apps. No third-party apps are allowed to run on the Windows RT desktop. In addition, Microsoft will include Office Home & Student 2013 RT on all Windows RT devices. For the most part, Office for Windows RT is a fully featured Office with complete document compatibility, and it certainly looks very similar to the non-RT version. But to fulfill security, reliability, and battery life requirements of Windows RT devices, some features have to go in Office for Windows RT, which you read more about it here.

At the other end is Windows 8 Enterprise. It includes all features of Windows 8 Pro, as well as addition features for PC management and deployment, advanced security, virtualization, and new mobility scenarios, among others. This edition is available to Software Assurance customers, as well as MSDN and TechNet subscribers.

Here's a table detailing the features of Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows RT (Source: Microsoft).

Windows 8 Enterprise will have all the features from Windows 8 Pro, but with added features that will aid IT specialists in PC management and deployment, advanced security features, and more.

For real tech nerds who want the most comprehensive breakdown of features in each Windows 8 edition, you can check out this table at Within Windows.

Windows 8 Upgrade Paths

In June, Microsoft rolled out a Windows Upgrade Offer to new Windows 7 PCs buyers. Anyone who has bought a Windows 7 PC that's preinstalled with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate, and has a matching and valid OEM Certificate of Authenticity from June 2, 2012 through January 31, 2013 will be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Professional at a price of S$17.99 on the day of Windows 8 launch. This offer should also be claimed no later than February 28, 2013.

The online registration for the Windows Upgrade offer is already opened at windowsupgradeoffer.com. Your 25-digit Windows 7 product key is needed as part of the registration process. Come October 26, Microsoft will email you promo codes, which you can then use during checkout within the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant.

Microsoft has also announced a US$39.99 (S$49.99) Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer for existing Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 users in 131 markets. And to sweeten the deal, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the ‘add features’ option in the OS after the upgrade.

The upgrade purchase is done online at Windows.com, and once again, Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant will take you through the purchase, download, and installation process. What's neat about the Upgrade Assistant is that it'll perform app and device compatibility checks, and highlight any issue to you. It also has a built-in download manager so that you can pause and continue your download at any time. In addition, you'll be asked what you want to bring over from your current Windows installation. You can check the table below for more details, but in a nutshell, since only personal files (which you can backup easily) are kept when you’re upgrading from a Windows XP or Windows 8 Release Preview installation, you might as well just do a clean install.

When the download completes, you can upgrade immediately or install later, either from your desktop, or by creating your own bootable USB drive or ISO DVD. Microsoft is also offering the option of purchasing a backup DVD for US$15 (S$25) plus shipping and handling. For those who prefer to pick up a packaged DVD version of the upgrade, this will be offered in stores for US$69.99 (S$89). Once again, both the online and retail upgrade promotions will run through January 31, 2013.

What about the full, non-upgrade version of Windows 8? Microsoft hasn't revealed any information about this yet, but Newegg - who is now taking pre-orders of the OS - did. According to the online retailer, the Windows 8 OEM System Builder version costs US$99.99, and the Windows 8 Pro OEM System Builder version costs US$139.99. Interestingly, Newegg seems to suggest that the Windows 8 Pro upgrade will cost US$199.99 after the promotion period.

Update (Oct 23, 2012): Microsoft Singapore has informed us that the packaged DVD version of the Windows 8 Pro upgrade has a usual price of S$289.

Update (Oct 28, 2012): Local PC components retailers have started selling the OEM versions of Windows 8. Check this news piece for more info.

Caveats

For users who are upgrading from Windows 7, take note that there are certain limitations and restrictions. For example, a 32-bit installation of Windows 7 can only be upgraded to a 32-bit version of Windows 8. The same restrictions apply for 64-bit users of Windows 7. Otherwise, nearly any Windows 7 user can upgrade directly to Windows 8 Pro, but Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate users cannot 'downgrade' to regular Windows 8. For Windows XP and Vista users, it is only possible to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro.

Here’s a table that sums up the possible Windows 8 upgrade paths if you're on Windows 7.

A New Design Language

To say that Windows 8 looks different would be a gross understatement. While previous versions of Windows were designed with the traditional keyboard and mouse input method in mind and with touch as a mere afterthought, Windows 8 was designed specifically for touch. As such, Windows 8 shares very few design cues from its predecessors.

Borrowing heavily from Swiss graphic design theories, Microsoft’s new Modern UI design language places an emphasis on the way content and typography interact. Animation also plays a large and crucial part to the overall look and feel of the user interface. On top of all that, the new design language must also make it easy for Microsoft's newly implemented touch gestures and also Snap multi-tasking feature, which quickly 'snaps' an application to the side of the screen such that it looks like a sidebar.

This is why the Start screen is now so different. And for anyone who has played an Xbox 360 or used a Windows Phone recently, Windows 8's new UI will be somewhat familiar. Rather than the regular plain 'desktop' that we have become accustomed to, the Start screen is now made up of many different tiles. These tiles are 'alive' in that they can display and update itself with information such as the weather, news, your latest email, and more. These tiles can also act as shortcuts to various apps. Clearly, it’s a radical and bold change from the Windows of old.

Windows Store

Windows 8 will also be getting its own dedicated app store known simply as Windows Store. Much like Apple’s Mac App Store, Windows Store will act as Microsoft’s digital distribution platform for both Windows 8 and Windows RT. The store will support both free and paid apps. Again, we can see Microsoft's new Modern UI design language at play, and there's a real uniformity in the way Windows 8 looks. For Windows RT users, the Windows Store will be the only means they can acquire new applications. This will allow Microsoft the chance to scan apps for security flaws and malware before being made available for users to download.

SkyDrive

To get connected to your files, there's SkyDrive. As its name suggest, it’s Microsoft’s own cloud storage service. With it, users can access their files such as photos and documents once they sign into a Windows 8 system with their Microsoft account. SkyDrive will even save your system settings so that even if you were to log in on another PC, you’ll be greeted by your own desktop personalization settings, including wallpaper and mouse settings.

Tying Everything Together

Windows 8 is also designed from ground up to provide deeper integration with Microsoft’s online services. Using their Microsoft account, users can synchronize their settings between multiple systems. Windows 8 also provides better integration with other Microsoft devices such as the Xbox 360, smartphones running the Windows Phone operating system, and the eagerly-anticipated Microsoft Surface tablets. For instance, the Xbox SmartGlass app is an application which allows Windows 8 or Windows Phone devices to connect with the Xbox 360, and lets them act as either secondary displays or remote controllers.

More to Come

As you have seen, Windows 8 is Microsoft’s most radical operating system yet. From a design perspective, the new design brings a uniform look and feel to Microsoft’s existing products. The new Modern UI is distinctive to Microsoft, as users of both Windows Phones and the Xbox 360 gaming console can certainly attest to. From a technical perspective, the new operating system is also Microsoft greatest attempt yet at tying together all its varied products and services while staying relevant to today’s changing computing landscape.

While previous editions of Windows have been evolutionary rather than revolutionary updates, Windows 8 is revolutionary in the way it looks, feels, and even works. All the way till October 26, we'll be covering different aspects of the new OS in greater detail. In our next article, we'll be touching on the Modern interface, the new Start screen, and how to go about navigating Windows 8.

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