Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last three or four decades, you know what Microsoft Windows is. That said, every few years Microsoft comes out with a new version of their Operation System (OS), and we all have to decide if we’re going to upgrade or not. 

Sometimes the “upgrade” isn’t much of an actual upgrade; you know, with real advantages and stuff. So how do you determine whether you should switch your OS? Over the years, upgrading hasn’t been that big of a deal because the changes have usually been pretty minor when it comes to the user interface; not so much with Windows 8.

Some people (lots of people) hate the Windows 8 version of the OS. It is so wholly different than what Microsoft users had come to expect. Add to that scenario the fact that the new interface wasn’t very user-friendly, and you can bet that Microsoft was going to rethink their product.

The Windows 8 Debacle

In 2012, Microsoft decided it was going to jump on the app bandwagon. Users of smartphones and tablets love apps. Apps are convenient and user-friendly; you can easily organize them and find them when you want to. 

But Microsoft made a big mistake in thinking that this interface was right for every device. The first version of Windows 8 was great for tablets but was a massive flop for a regular desktop computer. 

The reason for this: It wasn’t user-friendly at all, especially if you didn’t have a touchscreen device. Also, users had come to expect that the basic operation of their Windows OS wasn’t going to change. Each iteration of the software was so like its predecessors that we never worried about learning to use a new version. And frankly, we weren’t complaining.

Eventually, Microsoft realized that they’d made a mistake. So, they came out with Windows 8.1, in which you can decide to use the tile interface or go back to the tried-and-true desktop screen. This version is the one we will concentrate on in the Windows 10 vs Windows 8 debate.

Moving On From Windows 8

In 2015, Microsoft moved on from Windows 8. Even though they tried to fix it and get people on board with the 8.1 version a year after it’s original release, users never fell in love with it. So Microsoft decided to go with a hybrid version of their platforms.

Windows 10 is a combination of the tile interface merged with the iconic desktop we all know and love. The desktop looks mostly how it always did in legacy versions before Windows 8, but the tiles are still featured when you click the Start button.

If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 yet, you’re going to want to do so quickly. Support is limited for the Windows 8 version OS. Mainstream support ended back in January 2018, and extended support is only slated to last until January 2023. In the meantime, more and more applications will fail to be compatible with Windows 8, and security updates are scarce.

Windows 10 VS Windows 8

We’ve compiled a list of the key distinctions between these iterations of the operating system so you can prepare for the switch. Below, you will find the information you should know when considering Windows 10 vs Windows 8.

Main Screen

If you’ve been using the original version of Windows 8, then you know that your PC main screen is the Metro version –  the one with all the tiles. 

You can shift these tiles around to different pages, place them in different layouts, and even change their sizes. Some tiles are “live,” which means they feature photo slideshows, excerpts, headlines, etc. depending on what application it is. 

With version 8.1, you can choose to use the original style desktop rather than the Metro mode. Metro mode is pretty convenient for tablets, touchscreen laptops, and hybrid model devices like the Microsoft Surface. 

Are the tiles user-friendly for the regular desktop PCs? Not so much.

In Windows 10 your main screen is simply the regular desktop interface we’re used to seeing. Tiles are a part of it, but you don’t have access them right away. To get to your tiles, you click on the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard.

When the menu pops up, you’ll see tiles in a section off to the right of the main list of applications. This section is essentially the same as the Metro interface on Windows 8. You can move the tiles, and some are live, etc. 

You can see that Microsoft decided to go with a mashup of their old interface and the new app-based interfaces dominating Androids and other smart devices. 

I don’t ever use the tiles to be perfectly honest, and I think many longtime Windows users are probably with me –  it doesn’t even occur to me to look at them. But if you liked the tiles in Windows 8 then you might consider using tablet mode since this is the biggest difference in Windows 10 vs Windows 8. 

Logging In

Windows 10 has a new login feature that allows you to unlock your computer by merely looking at it. While Windows 8 needed a password, pin, or swipe pattern, Windows 10 will enable you to set up facial recognition.

You’ll need a specialized camera compatible with Windows Hello, Microsoft’s Biometric Facial Recognition software, but other than that it’s simple to use. Once you’ve set it up, you only need to look into the camera to quickly unlock your device for use.

File Explorer

In Windows 10 the File Explorer GUI (Graphical User Interface), changed a little. The Favorites section from Windows 8.1 was replaced with a Quick Access section.

The Favorites section of File Explorer allowed you to pin your favorite folders and locations to it. In Windows 10, the Quick Access section enables you to do this too but it also automatically features the most often and most recent locations and folders.

This feature makes it easier to pick up where you left off the last time you used the PC. For example, if you were working on a document in your Winter Expenses folder, this folder will show up in the Quick Access list.

You’ll find the Quick Access List at the top of the column to the left side of the File Explorer. It is shown above the list of other locations like OneDrive, Homepage, and This PC.

Another key difference within File Explorer is the start page. In Windows 8.1, when you opened File Explorer, the main start page was This PC. In Windows 10, the application opens to the Quick Access folder.

If you prefer the File Explorer default page to be This PC, you can switch it. Go to View>Options>Folder Options>General>Open File Explorer to, then select from the dropdown menu.

Lastly, there were some menu changes within File Explorer in both the dropdowns and the ribbon. There is also a new share button which allows you to share information with other people via a compatible app. The application icons themselves were tweaked but essentially look the same.

Cortana

Cortana is the name of the Microsoft personalized digital assistant, and she can be used for a variety of different functions. 

Cortana is in the taskbar. If your taskbar is hidden, hover your mouse over the bottom of your screen to make it appear. In the bottom left corner, next to the Windows icon, there is a search bar featuring a circle to the left and a microphone symbol to the right. 

Click in the box to start typing or click on the Windows key and do the same. If you click the microphone icon (and have a compatible microphone installed), you’ll be able to speak directly to Cortana.

Cortana uses plain English (or whatever language you speak). You don’t have to use keywords or phrases to get what you want. Simply say it as you would to another person.

You can search with Cortana for applications, folders, files, and more, but you can also use her for other things. Tell her to set a reminder or use her to manage your calendar. You can ask a question like, “What day does Christmas fall on?” or “What’s the weather like today?” 

You can also tell her to do things like play music, track your flight, perform calculations, or send emails. To get a list of everything Cortana can do type or say, “Help me.” This feature is really impressive and is the feature most like a smart device. I find it more useful than the tiles ever were.

Windows 10 Tablet Mode

In Windows 10, you have the option of setting it to tablet mode. Tablet mode makes the device go back into the full-screen Windows 8 interface. You’ll have a full screen of tiles (apps), and each one will open to be a full screen when you use it.

This feature is super convenient and useful if you’re actually using a tablet or a hybrid device. A hybrid device is one where you can detach or flip the keyboard out of the way to use it as a tablet and vice versa. Likewise, you can switch the device out of tablet mode if you want to use it like a regular desktop or laptop computer.

Windows Store Apps

All the Windows Store apps (although there aren’t as many as we’d like) are still available. Unlike the apps in Windows 8, however, the apps available are now more supportive of the regular desktop interface. Many of the full-screen apps can open more like a traditional window app when the device is not in tablet mode.

Virtual Desktops

Windows 10 finally brings virtual desktops to their system. Previously, only machines that ran operation systems such as Linux had this. Now, Windows users can enjoy the same features and benefits of having multiple virtual desktops.

A virtual desktop is actually being able to access more than one desktop from a single PC. Much the way you might have different users login to their own account and see different desktops, now you can seamlessly jump between your desktops on one screen.

One instance this might be useful is if you want to keep your personal stuff separate from your business information. With virtual desktops, you don’t have to make separate logins, and you can easily share data across them because they are physically located in the same space on the computer.

To make a new desktop hover over the taskbar, click the task view icon (or hit Alt+Tab) and then click + New Desktop.

The Action Center

In Windows 8, notifications would pop up on your screen. If you missed them though or didn’t click on them, they were gone. There was no place that these notifications were stored so that you could refer back to them. It defeated the purpose. 

In Windows 10, you have what’s called an Action Center. This area is where all your notifications are stored and managed. You’ll still get notifications that pop up on your screen, but now if you miss one, it will be accessible from the Action Center.

To open the Action Center hover over your taskbar and click on the message icon on the far right. If the notification icon is blank, you have no new messages. If it has horizontal lines that indicate writing, it means you have new notifications. There will also be a number on the icon showing you how many notices you have. 

Clicking on the icon will bring up your messages in a semi-transparent menu on the right side of the screen. There are also other menu items within this area, such as turning on/off tablet mode, airplane mode, and getting to network settings.

You can customize the Action Center in the Systems app under Notifications and Actions.

Gaming

One feature of Windows 10 that you’ll particularly enjoy if you’re a gamer is the ability to play your Xbox (Microsoft’s game console) on your PC. You can stream video games from the Xbox console to your PC. 

There is also cross-platform gaming support, meaning you can play an Xbox game from your PC against someone who is playing on a regular console and TV. This is an entirely new concept for Microsoft and gamers in general who have long had to choose between PC and Video Console games.

Microsoft also incorporated an Xbox app. The app allows you to chat with friends, look at and track your gaming stats, and view your activity. Again, this is an integration of PCs with gaming consoles that many gamers are going to enjoy. Rather than having to switch from one platform to another, you can simply do everything from one device.

Lastly, Windows 10 offers one more perk for gamers. PCs with Windows 10 have built-in game recording. Best of all, you can record yourself playing any game at all on the PC, whether it is a PC game or an Xbox game. Pretty cool for when you want to show off your mad skills to your gamer buddies in the Xbox app.

Conclusion

There you have it. These are the key distinctions in the faceoff with Windows 10 vs Windows 8. Windows 10 seems to be much more user-friendly than Windows 8 was, especially for traditional desktop users. That said, if you own a tablet or convertible laptop, Windows 10 still has everything you need to use your device comfortably. 

Check out some of our other articles to learn more about laptops, tablets, PCs, software, and more. 

The data leaking problem is one of the most popular subjects of the moment, as many people saw how their data has been stolen from websites and social media platforms. If you thought all the new privacy policies would solve the issue, you were wrong. A security researcher discovered a quiz app popular on Facebook accessed a lot more data than it should have.

Facebook deals with another privacy concern

If you wanted to find out what you did in a past life or which Star Wars character you are, you might have unknowingly given access to way too much of your personal data. One security researchers discovered the popular quiz app called Nametests exposed private information on over 120 million people. Even after the deletion of the app, the problem persisted, so the problem was really serious.

This shows Facebook is still dealing with privacy issues even after the scandal with Cambridge Analytica. In fact, this company used a personality quiz, too, to obtain all the data on 87 million users. Back then, it accessed the info without their knowledge, and the Nametests quiz app did the same.

The quiz app leaked information on over 120 million people

However, this time, it’s not entirely Facebook’s fault. This privacy concern had nothing to do with Facebook’s privacy policy, as the website of the quiz app was the one with faulty coding. Fortunately, Facebook acted quickly to solve the problem.

The platform published an official post informing users of the vulnerability of the quiz app. However, both the Facebook and the Nametests developers worked together to solve the issues and prevent further data leaks.

The company revealed it acted on the issue as soon as the security researcher made the data public. He said he understood something was wrong when he saw all his private info being loaded on the quiz app website without any security measures. Then, he realized people could access the data if they had the link to his result.

Image source: Pixabay

Everyone hates going online before watching the last episode of their favorite show, since it’s full of spoilers. Facebook knows it and is now giving you the chance to run away from them. With the new feature Keyboard Snooze, you can select the information you want to know nothing about and keep it from appearing on your news feed.

Keyword Snooze is a method of filtering the news feed

Today, you might think it’s really hard to stay uninformed. The internet is full of news and, with the rise of social media, you get them even when you don’t want to. However, Facebook understands some people might want to avoid reading information on a certain topic, so it has just presented its new feature.

The platform will start testing Keyword Snooze, the tool that will filter posts based on the information they present. Most probably, the feature is meant to keep people from getting spoilers for their favorite movies and TV series. Also, it you find a topic disturbing, you can introduce the keywords related to it and Facebook will help you avoid this type of news.

The feature lets you block content for a period of 30 days

If you want to test the Keyword Snooze, here is how it works. Whenever you stumble upon a post you don’t like, you can tap the icon in its right corner. There, you can tap the Keyword Snooze feature that will pull keywords directly from the text of the post.

From all these words, you can select the unpleasant keywords and snooze them from your news feed. For the next 30 days, Facebook will block any post containing the keyword from appearing on your feed. Once these 30 days pass, the posts will start reappearing, but you can just snooze keywords endlessly.

Facebook has explained the Keyword Snooze feature is not about keeping people uninformed. On the contrary, this is an attempt to keep the platform as peaceful and friendly as possible. Therefore, when people stumble upon something they find unpleasant, they can just block this content from further disturbing them.

Image source: PxHere

You might have noticed how Snapchat has been experimenting with gaming features in its app but found nothing strange about it. According to some rumors, there was a serious reason behind this attempt, showing the platform has big plans for the future. It turns out Snapchat wants to build a gaming platform inside the app with titles developed by real publishers.

Snapchat hints at an in-app gaming platform

In the past, Snapchat inserted some mini-games within its app which allowed users to have a little more fun than usual. These elements weren’t too complex, so users didn’t think they could hint at something else. Now, some new rumors have arisen claiming that Snapchat is preparing to launch a gaming platform of its own.

This time, Snapchat has big plans, as the games won’t just be small in-app elements you can interact with. The company wants something a bit more elaborated this time, so it will start a collaboration with a series of developers.

Snapchat has been preparing to win back its users

The gaming platform will be part of Snapchat and will contain games that will only work within the app. To play these games, people will have to download them from the app store. Then, the games in question will open directly into Snapchat.

It turns out Snapchat has been preparing the gaming platform for a year. For this, it used the help of PlayCanvas, a UK company known for developing mobile games. Snapchat has acquired this company and, together, they created a special platform for developers where they can log in with their Snapchat accounts.

This gaming platform could be an attempt to restore the user number. Not a long time ago, Snapchat rolled out a redesign that left people quite disappointed, and this was immediately reflected in the decreasing number of users. Now, the company hopes these games will help them regain their popularity and bring some of these users back.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Some time ago, Microsoft released a facial recognition tool that was supposed to detect you in photos. However, the algorithm wasn’t flawless, as it had difficulties in recognizing people with darker skin tones. Now, the company has revealed it has improved this tool, reducing most of its inaccuracies.

The facial recognition tool had trouble with darker skin

Microsoft’s facial recognition program, called Face API, was a bit racially biased. This means it was perfect at identifying people with whiter skin, but it faced several difficulties when it came to darker-skinned people. Now, the company has finally decided to address these problems and fix them.

This new version has a much smaller error rate when it comes to identifying people of all skin colors. The facial recognition algorithms for dark skin are now better, but the system has greatly improved its capabilities when it comes to women.

Microsoft fed the algorithm with a bigger amount of data

To achieve these improvements, Microsoft fed the algorithm a much larger amount of data. It selected special samples belonging to all skin tones, ages, and gender. Also, it focused on achieving good results regardless of all these differences, so the engineers made sure the data was as diverse as possible.

There is one specific factor that defines the quality of an AI algorithm. It’s not the code behind it, but the type of data it uses. Before, Microsoft didn’t provide it with enough data to cover the entire population. Therefore, its results when it came to darker-skinned people were poorer. The company identified the weak points of the mechanism and fed it with suitable data.

However, the new version of the facial recognition tool doesn’t only account for different skin color. Microsoft knows many other elements might be present in a photo, so the new data trained the system to recognize different hairstyles, jewelry, or other accessories. Therefore, from now on, the tool should be a lot better at spotting faces in photographs.

Image source: Pixabay

After many years of living in the shadow, Google Earth is ready to make a comeback. All these years, Google kept developing the service which has now got a new series of updates. The changes are already available for web and should get on Android this week. iOS should receive it as well, but it’s not clear when this happens. This update involved an area measurement tool that might try to bring Google Earth’s popularity back.

Google Earth makes a comeback with a new update

Several years ago, Google Earth was the top mapping system everyone used. If you needed to see a satellite image or 3D representations of buildings, this was the perfect platform you could use. Gradually, Google Maps received these features as well, so the Earth app seemed no longer useful.

However, Google didn’t want to give up on it, so it kept adding features more or less silently. Now, it decided to announce a new update for Google Earth, namely an area measurement tool. To use it, you have to indicate a specific surface and then the app will measure it for you.

The area measurement tool can be really useful

This is far from being unique, since Google Maps already had a similar feature. Maps contained a ruler that allowed you to find the distance between two points. However, the area measurement tool is a lot more useful. It can accurately calculate the actual surface of an area and can have different uses. For instance, it can be great for architecture students.

The announcement is pretty exciting, as it might really bring Google Earth back into the spotlight. However, it also shows us how similar these products are. There are many Google products on the market, and they all serve different purposes. Despite this, there are clear similarities between them, as these features often overlap.

Image source: Flickr