However, Windows 8 is so much more than that, and many of the other innovations have received undeserved attention. Here we go through the 15 biggest improvements in Windows 8 compared to Windows 7.
Account sinking
Windows 8 has a new feature that allows you to synchronize your user accounts between multiple computers. It allows you to sync your themes, wallpapers, account pictures, passwords and other settings across multiple computers.
Share with you more
Social networking features are built into Windows 8’s new interface. This means you can share images, links and documents between other apps in Windows 8, or directly to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.
Better support for multiple monitors
Windows 8 has received much better support for multiple monitors. If you have two or more monitors connected to your computer, there are now new options to set how the toolbar should be displayed and have different background images on different monitors.
New file copy dialog
When you copy files in Windows 8, you are now greeted by a new dialog that shows more information than before. It is now possible to stop a copy temporarily and continue later. If a file you are copying has the same name as a file in the destination folder, you can now choose to rename it without having to cancel the copy. During the copying process, more information about how long the copying will take is also displayed.
Restart from scratch or clean up
Many users tend to reinstall Windows on their computer once or twice a year to improve performance. In Windows 8, it has now become much easier with the help of two new functions called refresh and reset.
Refresh allows you to reinstall Windows 8 without losing your settings and documents. A simple solution if you have a problem with the operating system or a program that crashes.
Reset resets Windows 8 to a brand new installation. However, it requires you to back up all your documents and settings first so that nothing is lost.
Image password
Instead of using a regular text-based password, in Windows 8 you can use an image as a password. First, you select an image to be used for the function, then you can use the mouse or touch screen to mark which parts of the image to click on in order to log in. For example, if you use a picture of yourself, you can choose to click on the eye, nose and mouth (in that order) to be able to log in to the computer.
This of course means that you must always remember which sequence you chose, otherwise there may be problems getting into the computer.
Storage spaces
This feature has been taken from the first version of Windows Home Server and allows you to specify several different storage devices to act as a single drive in Windows. This means that if you have three external hard drives, you can combine them all in Storage Spaces so that they appear as just one drive. It makes it easier to organize your files and at the same time expand with multiple hard drives or other storage media.
Change window colors automatically
This is a fun feature that gives you some extra eye candy while you work. By setting automatic window colors, the color of the bars in all windows will adapt depending on the background image you have. If you have a golden sunset as a background image, the window frames will be adjusted so that their color matches your background.
Faster start times
Windows 8 has what Microsoft calls a hybrid system that should speed up boot time dramatically compared to Windows 7.
New disk check (chkdsk)
Disk Control has been updated and can now check a disk drive that is active, something that was not possible in Windows 7. This means you can check your boot device without having to boot from a CD first. However, if the device needs to be repaired, you must restart the computer.
File history
In Windows 8, Microsoft has replaced Backup with a new tool that should make the work with backup and recovery easier. With File History turned on, the tool backs up all your files and also remembers older versions of various files. This means you can go back in time and restore a particular file or folder on your hard drive.
Quick access to settings
In Windows 7, you are forced to go to the Control Panel every time you need to change something or make a setting. In the new interface in Windows 8, you always have access to basic settings. However, more advanced settings that have security and power saving features still require the Control Panel.
More powerful searches
The search box in Windows 7 is quite powerful and allows you to search for programs, documents and folders. In Windows 8, the search function has been improved so that it can be used to search apps that support the new function. This means in practice that you can search for current news in news apps or by name of apps in the Windows Store.
Personal customization
For most users, customization means placing certain programs on the taskbar or changing the wallpaper. In Windows 8 can customize far more things. You can add and remove tiles in the new interface and also adjust the size of each individual tile.
There are basically no restrictions on what information you can have in the tiles. You can dynamically update the tiles with information such as news, weather and Facebook and more.
Safe start
Thanks to a new startup process in Windows 8, it’s now harder for viruses and other nasties to infect your computer. At each startup, Windows 8 will check different parts of the operating system using cryptographic signatures. If Windows detects something wrong, you will be notified immediately.
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