•Windows 8 is the current release of the Windows

operating system, produced by Microsoft for use on

personal computers, including home and business

desktops, laptops, tablets, and home theater PCs.

Development of Windows 8 started before the release of

its predecessor in 2009. Its existence was first announced

at CES 2011, and followed by the release of three pre-

release versions from September 2011 to May 2012. The

operating system was released to manufacturing on August

1, 2012, and was released for general availability on

October 26, 2012.

Windows 8

Pro Windows 8 Windows RT

Great built-in apps like Mail, Calendar, Messaging, Photos, and SkyDrive, with many more available from the Windows Store.

Includes Internet Explorer 10 for fast, intuitive browsing.

Keeps you up to date and more secure with Windows Defender, Windows Firewall, and Windows Update.

Runs programs you used with previous versions of Windows.

Provides enhanced data protection using BitLocker technology to help keep your information secure.

Comes with Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview preinstalled so you can do more out of the box.

Enables you to connect to your PC when you're on the go with Remote Desktop Connection.

Connects to your corporate or school network with Domain join.

The Start screen is the successor

of the Start menu. This feature is

present in Windows Phone,

Windows 8, and Windows Server

2012. The Start screen is

designed for touch interaction

and uses dynamic tiles instead of

static computer icons to represent

applications. Such tiles may

update the user of the status of

software. For example, the tile for

the Messages app can show

recent messages the user has

received.

Additional security features in Windows 8 include two new

authentication methods tailored towards touchscreens (PINs and

picture passwords), the addition of antivirus capabilities to Windows

Defender (bringing it in parity with Microsoft's Security Essentials

software) SmartScreen filtering integrated into the desktop, and

support for the "Secure Boot" functionality on UEFI systems to

protect against malware infecting the boot process. Parental controls

are offered through the integrated Family Safety software, which

allows parents to monitor and control their children's activities on a

device with activity reports and safety controls. Windows 8 also

provides integrated system recovery through the new "Refresh" and

"Reset" functions. Windows 8's first security patches would be released

on 13 November 2012, it would contain three critical (most severe as

per Microsoft) fixes.

The Windows Store is a digital distribution platform in Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows RT operating system. The platform can be used to provide listings for desktop applications certified to run on Windows 8, but is also the primary distribution platform for a new type of app called "Windows Store apps".

Special exceptions are given to web browsers classified as being "New experience enabled" (formerly "Metro-style enabled"), which can provide a special version to run within the "Metro" shell. Unlike other apps, they can be coded using Win32 code instead of Win RT (allowing the reuse of code from their desktop versions), permanently run in the background, use multiple background processes, and are distributed with desktop web browsers rather than through the Windows Store. Despite these looser restrictions, they can still take advantage of features typically reserved for Windows Store apps, such as the use of contracts to link to other apps. However, only the user's default web browser can be used in this setting.

The developers of both Chrome and Firefox both committed to developing versions of their browsers to run in the app environment; while Chrome's app simply back ports the existing desktop interface, Firefox's (which is currently available in development versions) uses a touch-optimized interface inspired by the mobile version of Firefox.

On February 19, 2012, Microsoft confirmed

that in Windows 8 the Windows logo will be

significantly updated to reflect the new

Metro design language. The logo was

designed by Pentagram partner Paula Scher.

The formerly flag-shaped logo has been

transformed into four window panes,

perspective was added, and the entire logo

will be rendered in a single solid color,

which will depend on the user's

personalization changes.

Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) is a version of

the Internet Explorer web browser

released by Microsoft in 2012, and is the

default browser in Windows 8.

On 12 April 2011, Microsoft released the

first "IE10 Platform Preview", which

runs only on Windows 7 and later. While

the second platform preview was also

available for Windows 7 and later,

subsequent platform previews run only

on Windows 8. The first preview release

came four weeks after the final release of

Internet Explorer 9. IE10 reached general

availability on 4 September 2012 as a

component of Windows Server 2012.

A preview of IE10 for Windows 7 was

made available for download in

November 2012.

The Ribbon in File

Explore on Windows 8

Windows Explorer, which has been

renamed File Explorer, now

incorporates a ribbon toolbar, designed

to bring forward the most commonly

used commands for easy access. The

"Up" button (which advances the user

back a level in the folder hierarchy) that

was removed from Explorer after

Windows XP has also been restored.

Additionally, File Explorer features a

redesigned preview pane that takes

advantage of widescreen layouts. File

Explorer also provides a built-in

function for mounting ISO, IMG, and

VHD files as virtual drives.