Some of you who are reading this article may not realize just how far Windows has progressed from its earliest beginnings. Below are some screen shots of Windows 3.0, showing how those earliest designers conceived the earliest operating systems. It was a vast improvement over the old DOS system.

This simple and plain design was the last operating system from Microsoft that limited the user’s input and shackled that user with a lack of multi-tasking abilities.

However, since at the time few people even knew what the Internet was nor even imagined how much the Information Superhighway would come to change our lives in the future, one can only be thankful that someone was able to create the foundation stone of the Windows programs that we use today.

Windows 3.0

On the road to our present system, though, we cannot forget the first major improvement to Windows 3.0, which was Microsoft Windows 95. This advancement in the development of Windows was like a breath of fresh air in the personal computer world while claiming to be a take off of Apple’s OS. It must also be noted here that this new operating system, Windows 95, is where many consumers began their journey on the Internet. However, for all those travelers, a whole new technology had to be understood. The screenshot below shows the new multitasking options that were, for the first time, made available to the everyday user.

Windows 95

With Microsoft’s new operating system, consumers were first introduced to the Start button, which brought up drop-down menus that allowed for easy access to a wide variety of programs. In addition, it also introduced the now familiar Taskbar that allows us to keep track of open programs and create and store program shortcuts for easier access. However, the biggest innovation was the Plug-n-Play (aka Plug-n-Pray) feature. Microsoft’s claim was that this feature would simplify setting up printers, scanners, or cameras. Fortunately for us who were in the computer repair business, however, it didn’t take long to discover that this new feature did not always perform to expectations and meant that we were still called to help our clients set up their new hardware.

So why is Windows 8 going to be the biggest change for Windows users since Windows 95 was introduced?

First, Windows 7 still uses some of the features introduced by Microsoft back in 1995, when Windows 95 was marketed. This will no longer be the case with Windows 8 when it comes to the marketplace. In fact, a pre-beta appetizer intrigues the viewer with a start-up screen that eliminates both the now familiar Start button and Taskbar, which makes one wonder how significant the other changes will be once we unlock some of the other hidden treasures in store for us with Windows 8.

As can be seen by the above screenshot, it appears that, unlike Windows 7, which provided mediocre performance and limited uses of touch technology, Windows 8 will treat the consumer to full touch screen support. In fact, Windows 8, with its Metro GUI, will be designed with the tablet first and foremost in mind. However, Microsoft is aware that the majority of us die-hard keyboard and mouse users will still be using Windows 8 on non-touch systems, meaning that it will continue to give full support for these components.

Another great feature that Microsoft has incorporated into Windows 8 is a new and advanced System Restore. The new process, dubbed Refresh and Reset Your PC, will make it easier to fix problems that one may encounter with the operating system.

As you probably inferred from its name, this feature has two parts. If the user chooses a system Refresh, the software will re-install Windows 8, but will keep all of the important data, settings, and Metro applications. However, if the user selects a system Reset, all user data, settings, and Metro applications will be deleted from the system and a clean copy of Windows 8 will be installed. What this will accomplish is that more consumers, especially novices of the Windows environment, will be able to repair or even do a clean install on their own systems. For the advanced users who read the posts here at LockerGnome, this may not seem like anything new since these features are already available in other versions of Windows.

Windows 8 will be the first Windows operating system to combine performance and energy efficiency together. To accomplish this, Microsoft has concentrated on giving the consumer a system with better battery life than ever before. Microsoft believes that by concentrating on both the hardware and software, it will be able to reduce the load on the battery that is currently required to support the operating system. It has also spent the time to scrutinize its application support for the Metro GUI in order to make sure that it is also energy-efficient in order to support longer battery life.

Last, Windows 8 will be installed on the new Lenovo Ultrabook YOGA 13, a thin laptop computer that can masquerade as a tablet with a flip of the wrist. This is going to be the first generation of computers that will offer us a do-it-all-mobile device. (Thanks to Jake Ludington for bringing this system to my attention.)

Tablet Touch Screen on One Side

Fully Opened to a Laptop

These new laptop combination tablets will feature the Intel i3 -i7 processors with SSD hard disks and have an expected battery life of up to eight hours, which is comparable to other tablet systems. However, what makes this product so attractive is that while it comes with the benefits of the new Metro GUI and associated applications, it will continue to allow the user to work within the familiar Windows environment that we have all come to use and trust. This combination means that consumers can be mobile while having a portable device that meets both their work and gaming needs. This will, in turn, make it difficult for other competitors to come up with a comparable device that the masses will flock to. To me, this means that Lenovo has struck gold and, with Windows 8 aboard, will soon own its own gold mine.

On the other hand, here are five reasons that Windows 8 will disappoint users.

Comments welcome.