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Windows 8

Supported Product

The official release date for Windows 8 was October 26th, 2012. On October 17, 2013, Microsoft released Windows 8.1, a major free update which addressed many complaints from users about Windows 8 on launch.

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) supports Windows 8.1 for its clients, including off-campus students. Windows 8, without the 8.1 update, is not supported.

General

Analysis

Arguably, Windows 8 marks the biggest change to the user-facing portions of Windows since Windows 95, and perhaps all the way back to the original Windows 1.0. The default interface, previously code-named "Metro" and now designated "Modern" or "Windows 8", is optimized for touch, with large finger-friendly tiles and various swipes to activate and manipulate. Users of Windows Phone 7.x/8.x and other Microsoft consumer devices such as the Xbox will find this interface to be somewhat familiar, though not identical.

It should be understood that there are two interfaces in Windows 8: the new "Modern" user interface and the classic Windows desktop, familiar to users of Windows 7 or Vista. The classic desktop itself is merely another tile within the Start screen, and the Start screen (shown to the left) shares only its name with previous Start menus. Signs of this major interface transition pervade Windows 8. For example, there are two versions of Windows Internet Explorer 10: one that works within the Modern interface and one that runs within the classic desktop, and they do not share the same range of capabilities. Another example is that basic preferences are manipulated within the Modern interface, while detailed preferences require an exit to the classic Control Panel.

The biggest behind-the-scenes change is the addition of ARM-licensed processor support, which should allow lightweight tablets with excellent battery life. ARM-based systems will not be backward compatible with almost all older Windows applications — they will only run applications written for the Modern interface.

Compatibility at Penn

Many University applications function as expected in Windows 8, including AirPennNet, XpressConnect, Online Directory, Exchange, and Zimbra.

For further information

Microsoft's main Windows 8 page.

Microsoft's Building Windows 8 blog.

lynda.com training for Windows 8 is available to many of Penn's Schools and Centers. For more information, please see the University's lynda.com page.

Microsoft has announced four separate versions of Windows 8:

Windows 8

The "consumer" version of Windows 8, roughly analogous to Windows 7 Home Premium, available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Windows 8 Pro

The "professional" version of Windows 8, roughly analogous to Windows 7 Ultimate, available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. ISC believes this version of Windows 8 is the appropriate choice for most University users. Windows 8 Pro also includes downgrade rights to Windows 7.

Windows 8 Enterprise

For customers with Software Assurance agreements, essentially Windows 8 Pro with some additional enterprise-oriented features.

Windows RT

The tablet-only version of Windows 8 for ARM-based systems. Windows RT includes touch-optimized versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote but does not have the ability to run most Windows applications. Windows Media Center is no longer a separate version of Windows, but instead is an extra cost add-on available to Windows 8 Pro users.