Metro or not to Metro? A Windows 8 Review

Because I had to use Vista for a year, I am an absolute fan of Windows 7. When Windows 8 came out I downloaded and installed it the day it came out. Here is my assessment of Windows 8 from the perspective of a power user.

Downloading and installation

Downloading Windows 8 Developer Preview was quick for a 4 GB download (around 3 MB/s). The ISO mounted and minutes and the installation was easy, requiring minimal mounts of user input.

Main layout: Metro

Windows 8 utilizes the "metro" interface. Metro is the major visible change of Windows 8. It is optimized for tablets and touch-screens, with large clean buttons representing your commonly used programs (See Below).

The Metro UI present in Windows 8.

One issue with Windows 8 is that the Metro UI isn't present throughout the OS. The classic start menu and design can still be accessed (See below). 

The traditional Windows experience still is present in Windows 8.

Windows for the computer novice

From my perspective, it seems that Microsoft is following the lead of Apple and Google, in making something that appeals to the computer novice. Windows 8 has a simple interface that allows them to click on a big button to do productive things like check the weather, their stocks or their Facebook page. But because of the highly specialized interface, does Microsoft really expect businesses to adopt Windows 8?

Conclusion

Windows 8 provides a fresh UI and a new host of features. However, despite being useful for some, the Metro UI can be maddeningly annoying to power users, who enjoy the Windows 7 experience. But for the time being, I'm going to stick with Windows 7.