Top 10 Secret Features in Windows 8

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While I'm not too sure how "secret" these Windows 8 features are, some of them are pretty handy. I personally like the new screenshot feature.

Windows 8 is full of awesome features and handy shortcuts, but what you may not know is that it's got a lot of handy, lesser-known settings under the hood. Here are 10 of Windows 8's best kept secrets.
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whoops. looks like its the mobile links that aren't working as other articles doing the same, but works in desktop view.
 
I know the lampooning of windows 8 is in vogue right now, but if I try to be as objective as I can about it. I think I'm going to try it out. So far it looks fairly innocuous. I don't know what it really brings to the table besides the metro look and feel, but if it's windows 7 underneath, then the transition shouldn't be that hard since I really really windows 7 by leaps and bounds. Well, except for a couple of gotchas.
 
I am going to wait until I can get my hands on a Win 8 Pro tablet. I have been wanting the same OS across all my devices for a while. If they play well together, it would be nice to have seamless integration across the board. I might even switch to a Windows phone.
 
That screenshot feature is well over-due. My favorite new feature is the ability to set different wallpapers for different monitors. I'm not an Apple fan, but OS X has had both of those for quite some time.
 
I actually gave it a test run in a store last week, and can honestly say the whole "start button" idea is flat annoying. I'm sure I could get used to it, but as a corporate user, I really dislike the "whole screen" start button approach.
 
Been using windows 8 for a month as my work PC. Love it! Its very fast and runs great. People have been blowing Metro way out of proportion.
 
david_ said:
DX11, good SSD support and mas RAM. Pressing IMO.
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No shit, how do people underestimate this shit?

Also, I have been more than happy with the Snipping Tool... i considered the print screen + paste into paint issue solved in win7
 
When I saw that article, I was pretty disappointed. Lifehacker usually finds some pretty substantial stuff when they post a "x amount of hidden features." For windows 8, none of them are even special. Maybe that is partly my bias as a power-user, and maybe the everyday individual would find them more interesting. But still, "take faster screen shots?" That is seriously a "hidden" feature?

I really do not like the direction windows 8 is heading. There are a couple of upgrades in overall functionality and security, but nothing to make switching to Windows 8 to be worth it. I'll pass. Sticking with 7 and linux :).
 
Methadras said:
I know the lampooning of windows 8 is in vogue right now, but if I try to be as objective as I can about it. I think I'm going to try it out. So far it looks fairly innocuous. I don't know what it really brings to the table besides the metro look and feel, but if it's windows 7 underneath, then the transition shouldn't be that hard since I really really windows 7 by leaps and bounds. Well, except for a couple of gotchas.
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People here and everywhere in general hate change. I am downloading it right now from MSDN. Never tried the previews but I am not afraid to try something for more than 5 minutes before concluding I hate it. I am sure within a few days, I will become used to it. I have held out this long because I don't want to install everything all over again but I have heard the upgrade path from Win 7 have been going pretty well so I decided to give that a shot.
 
I bet it's cool if you have a touchscreen.. 'not buying a new computer any time soon though. Not sure how I would be able to justify messing with my '7 computers...

I want to but I am not convinced it is worth it.
 
hardware_failure said:
I cant wait to take advantage of windows 8 picture passwords on my desktop.
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thatsap.gif
 
sigh...I was hoping not to see a statement like that here.

W8 is like Packard Bell and AOL joined forces to develop an OS.
 
I have an asus ep121 tablet that I think I will put windows 8 on and see how it flies. Shouldn't be to difficult.
 
Don't know if it was Sandy or the [H]ord that brought their server down, I think the latter, but I can't get the page to come up!
 
Methadras said:
I have an asus ep121 tablet that I think I will put windows 8 on and see how it flies. Shouldn't be to difficult.
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It should run well, better than Windows 7 on that device. I've been running it on my EP121 for months now, the only issue is the accelerometer is a bit flaky, but there may be newer drivers I've not yet tried.
 
DizConnected said:
Don't know if it was Sandy or the [H]ord that brought their server down, I think the latter, but I can't get the page to come up!
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Gawker, Huffington Post and Buzzfeed were served by Datagram which has a flooded basement and bad fuel pump on their generator. HuffPo is erratic, Buzzfeed is going through Akamai and all of Gawker is dead.
 
Waiging for a much needed service pack 1 update befote I decide to get it.
 
Teenk9 said:
There wasn't a pressing reason to upgrade to Win7 either, but I bet you did.
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Homegroup and aero snap?

8 doesn't have anything like this, just some junky interface and a shitty store with rubbish phone applications...
 
DeathPrincess said:
Homegroup and aero snap?

8 doesn't have anything like this, just some junky interface and a shitty store with rubbish phone applications...
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Hyper-V, streamlined and simplified recovery tools, the ability to run on superlight and battery efficient hardware efficiently in not only ARM but Clovertrail. And yes, the ability to not be totally confined to a mouse and keyboard and have devices that are substantially more mobile and flexible than clamshell laptops.
 
SonDa5 said:
Waiging for a much needed service pack 1 update befote I decide to get it.
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Microsoft is starting to step away from doing Service Packs and is starting to do cumulative updates instead. A perfect example is the updates to the Modern apps they had waiting on windows update for launch, and how the 'Blue' update is being called a point release by some internally. They may even do like Apple and charge for each one, but at a reduced price.
 
heatlesssun said:
Hyper-V, streamlined and simplified recovery tools, the ability to run on superlight and battery efficient hardware efficiently in not only ARM but Clovertrail. And yes, the ability to not be totally confined to a mouse and keyboard and have devices that are substantially more mobile and flexible than clamshell laptops.
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If you missed it we were listing useful stuff that isn't already easily availible elsewhere. Are peoples parents really going to upgrate to Windows 8 for Hyper-V? Are you if you don't use it already (then why the hell upgrade)? Battery efficiency is debatable and flimsy, who cares about ARM unless they have an ARM device (which are all bottom end tablets and junk phones).

The only way you are "confined" by a control scheme is if you lack coordination, therefore I suggest some kind of excercises or training. But 7 could have multi touch/pen whatever, pretending it's some amazing new feature is a little silly. A device being flexible means it's of poor construction, or made of rubber. If I had a laptop and made it so you could control it with a beer pong game would it be even more flexible than all the junky overpriced tablets? :p

So you have yet again made 0 valid reasons to sidegrade to windows 7 Service pack 2 for $45? If Windows 8 was so absolutely amazing, why are they selling it like some cut price crap? Don't bother with the "becoz people fear teh change", because thats not true.
 
heatlesssun said:
the ability to not be totally confined to a mouse and keyboard and have devices that are substantially more mobile and flexible than clamshell laptops.
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Translation: Removed input devices and tripled price of netbook class hardware to appeal to tactile-obsessed subgroup of Microsoft OS customers.
 
If tablets/touch interfaces are going to really move to the next level, the UI has nothing to do with it. Heck, how fast, cool or light it is has nothing to do with it. How awesome the screen has nothing to do with it.

The first touchscreen that won't smudge from fingerprints will be the game changer. I love my iPad. It's very useful. But if I have to wipe smudges constantly off of something I use as often as, say, my work computer it's not much fun anymore. This is with a somewhat chronic obsession with handwashing.
 
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