Complete opposite to Thorburn I can access some stuff really easily using shortcuts/apps from the new start screen/menu, love the live tiles. The rest takes the same as before.
Been using the final release Windows 8 on my laptop since the end of August.
Everything works well, still spend a lot of time in the old environment, more apps are coming for the metro interface and if you have IE as your default browser, you can pin pages to the start menu and a lot of sites have already got their new logos ready for Windows 8, so I have a shortcut to Facebook, Pulse etc.
In general use all that has happened is your start menu is full screen. You can search using your keyboard to find an app quickly, once an old style app is open you go back to the Windows 7 environment but without a start button. You can still pin apps to the task bar.
Important Windows shortcut
Windows + x (same as right click in bottom right) gives you shortcuts to important system windows
Windows + C (charms, same as hovering top right or bottom right) gives you access to the charms which are extra options, buttons, settings for the app you are in.
Windows + I (settings tab, accessible by also going to the bottom of the charms) gives you access to wireless, sound etc. and the most important Power as this is the only way to turn Windows off with a mouse.
Odd things - hibernate is disabled by default and there is no clock on the start menu.
I am the complete opposite to Thorburn, I love it and I am looking forward to more and more apps in the new style, just been using the National Rail app for train times.
Underneath is Windows 7, so drivers are 99% the same and will transfer. The touchpad on my laptop needed the Windows 7 drivers reinstalling after the upgrade.
I think Microsoft Security Essentials is built into Windows 8 (you cant install it), so there should be no need for antivirus.
I use another machine for serving media and I use PS3, iTunes devices to play the media, so no experience in this area. It does have a Netflix app that works well.
The interesting thing that will change a bit over the coming months is printing. The new OS has not got printing in mind, for instance in the new built in PDF viewer there is no print option using the mouse, gestures, charms etc. you have to use Ctrl + P to bring up the printing charm.
The maps app has already been updated, adding the option to search under the right click, this was only able to be done using the charm before.
It works better on multiple monitors, I also like having the mail app open on 20% of the screen keeping an eye on emails and my old desktop on the remaining 80%, even maximising screens leaves my email sitting there.
Can't wait for iTunes in metro/new UI
We have left 1 computer on Windows 7 at the office, all the rest have upgraded and this is just for the what if, when we find something that doesn't work.
I love the new taskmanager, simple and does more. the start up section is great and I've got my start up down to 13 seconds from cold (no SSD).
If you just use a mouse and not keyboard to navigate with, you may find some bits are annoying, but using the keyboard shortcuts above, it is so quick. Windows 7 was already heading this way, it was quicker to find stuff by hitting the windows key and start typing before getting the mouse involved to launch the program
so neither are 'urgent'.
