Windows 8 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft as part of Windows NT family of operating systems. Development of Windows 8 started before the release of its predecessor, Windows 7, in 2009. It was 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 for general availability on October 26, 2012. Windows 8 Pro is comparable to Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate and is targeted towards enthusiasts and business users; it includes all the features of Windows 8. Additional features include the ability to receive Remote Desktop connections, the ability to participate in a Windows Server domain, Encrypting File System, Hyper-V, and Virtual Hard Disk Booting,Group Policy as well as BitLocker and BitLocker To Go. Windows Media Center functionality will be available only for Windows 8 Pro as a separate software package. Features It Plays as Hard as it Works Windows 8.1 gives you the power to quickly browse, watch films, play games, polish your CV, and pull together a great presentation — all on a single PC. Now you can organise up to three apps on your screen at once in a single view. The Start Screen Personalize your Start screen with your favourite news, friends, social networks, and apps. Customisable colours and backgrounds and four different sizes of tiles make your device as unique as you are. The Apps you Want In addition to great built-in apps for email, people, photos and video editing – you can also download thousands of popular apps from the Windows Store. Security Stay up to date and more secure with Windows Defender, Windows Firewall, and Windows Update. Speed Windows 8.1 starts up faster, switches between apps faster, and uses power more efficiently than previous versions of Windows, including Windows 7. Your Familiar Desktop From the Start screen, you are just a click away from the familiar Windows desktop you know so you can do the stuff you’ve always done. Multitasking Made Easy It’s easy to do more at once. Snap multiple apps side by side in a single view for easy multitasking. Mouse, Keyboard—and now Touch Windows 8.1 works harmoniously with various types of devices, including touch, mouse-and-keyboard, or both. Whatever kind of device you have, you'll discover fast and fluid ways to switch between apps, move things around, and go smoothly from one place to another. Your files, Everywhere Stay connected to your photos and important files and access them on your phone, tablet or PC with SkyDrive. By signing in with your Microsoft account to any of your PCs running Windows 8.1 and you'll immediately see your own background, display preferences, and settings. You Keep all your Files If your PC is running Windows 7, your files, apps and settings will easily transfer to Windows 8.1 Pro. You Keep Familiar Programs Programs that run on Windows 7 will run on Windows 8.1 Pro. Your Office. Your Way. Experience Office at its best on Windows 8 devices. Discover new and better ways to create, edit, and browse—using a keyboard, pen, or touchscreen. Don't forget: Office is not part of Windows 8. Some features require Windows 8.1. Update available through Windows store for Windows 8 users. Internet access required; fees may apply. Don’t forget, Office isn’t included in Windows 8. System requirements 1 GHz processor or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 2 GB RAM 20 GB available hard disk space 1366 x 768 screen resolution DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver To use touch, you need a PC that supports multitouch Internet access (fees may apply) Microsoft account required for some features Watching DVDs requires separate playback software Windows Media Center licence sold separately
