Win8 new features win over XP
According to a previous survey data, there are still nearly 50% of notebooks using Windows XP, and the global XP share is still 20.36%. But is this really reasonable? After 13 years, the old XP system has fallen behind in the entire era of functionality, and it has shrunk significantly compared to the latest Windows 8.1.
The lack of a new ecosystem in the entire Windows 8
A new ecosystem in the Win8 system has to be mentioned, that is, the interface that was first called "Metro"; that is, the current "start" ;interface. Developed on top of the ARM architecture, the new system is well-compatible with mobile devices and can download over 100,000 apps and games in the Windows Store app store.
Win8 new ecosystem
This aspect can't be achieved by XP or Win7. One system also takes care of two ecosystems. The richness of this system is also beyond XP. .
Touch Operation Experience
Since the Win8 system takes care of both the desktop and the mobile, the entire system supports touch screen operation and is equipped with a virtual keyboard program. This experience of operating with a finger on the screen is not possible on XP. Due to excessive dependence on keyboard and mouse operations, the XP system is no longer in line with the needs of the times.
Support for touch operation
Account synchronization function
The mobile Internet era is also a cloud era. Now cloud services are very common, and even the entire operating system can use cloud synchronization. In Win8, users can synchronize all system settings to the cloud through a Microsoft account, so that they can restore their own settings on any Win8.
Setting the cloud synchronization function
This function is completely missing on XP, because in the era when XP was born, there was almost no such demand, and the network status did not allow such operation.
Unbelievable boot speed
Win8 boot speed can be said to be a miracle, under normal circumstances, Win8 only takes a dozen seconds to start, and if equipped with SSD, this time can be compressed to a few Seconds. At this point, XP is completely blasted, short of tens of seconds, and a few minutes of boot speed can not meet the fast-paced needs of people now.
Win8 switch speed is XP times
Win8 boot fast is that when the user clicks "Shutdown", the system will store the current status and memory contents in the form of mirror on the disk. Medium, and reload this part of the mirrored data into memory the next time the system is booted. In this way, the effect of reducing the amount of data loaded at system startup is achieved.
Common Features After Upgrade
Let's look at some of the features and system elements that have appeared in XP but are more complete in Win8, including the taskbar, task manager, file manager, and more.
Taskbar
In XP, the taskbar can only be used as a tool for task switching. Although some commonly used programs can be fixed to the taskbar for quick startup, there is only a small area on the left side. After the icon is over, it will even be folded and hidden. It can be said that XP's taskbar is extremely inefficient.
XP Taskbar
In contrast to Win8's taskbar, we can fix a large number of quick launch icons on a whole bar, and also can view the real-time status of the task through the preview window when the mouse is hovered over the icon. . Since the open programs are stacked directly on the icons, the space in the taskbar is also saved, which greatly improves the utilization.
Win8 taskbar
Task Manager
In fact, look at the comparison of the two images below, XP's task manager and Win8 are not a product of an era. In XP's Task Manager, there are only five tags for applications, processes, performance, networking, and users, and in Win, seven blocks of process, performance, application history, startup, users, details, and services are added. .
XP Task Manager
Win8 Task Manager
In various projects, Win8 Task Manager also provides more detailed data and content Say, the Win8 icon gives more references and real-time data.
File Manager
Win8's file manager greatly enhances usability, and the various feature settings in the menus such as "Tools" and "Files" are presented in a more intuitive way. At the top of the window, this is not to say XP, even Win7 did not.
In order to find the option to show hidden files & rdquo; in a long list below. In Win8, we only need to click “view”, and then check in the "hidden items" check.
Upgraded Operation Center
Although there is already a prototype of the operation center in XP, its function can only be to remind the system to turn off the firewall, turn off automatic update or not activate. The Win8 operating center is given more meaning, such as security alerts.
Win8 Operation Center
When the security protection software is not enabled in the system, the operation center will issue an alarm, in addition to the security of user control, SmartScreen, network access protection, Microsoft account, etc. And maintenance items are monitored to alert and respond to problems as they arise.
The gap between DX9 and DX11
For gamers, the pursuit of picture quality is never endless, so it is obviously difficult to meet the needs of today's games in the XP system of Direct X9.
Win8 perfectly supports Direct X11.1 with full functionality, which means that the best game visual effects are only available in Win8 system. After the free upgrade of Win8.1 in October, DirectX 11.1 will also be upgraded to DirectX 11.2, which will bring more powerful graphics performance, including powerful Tiled Resources technology.
DirectX 11.1 Games
More importantly, from the beginning of this year, there are already a lot of masterpieces that no longer support the old Windows XP system, so users who want to play certain games can only choose to upgrade the system. .
Installing the system in a USB flash drive
Another breakthrough feature of Win8 is Windows to Go. With this technology, users can directly install the system into a USB flash drive and plug it into any computer. The U disk can use the Win8 system in the U disk. That is to say, the era when the system only exists in the computer has passed, and now Win8 can take it with you.
Windows to Go
Of course, XP is unlikely to have this feature, so it is once again abandoned by the times in portability and freedom.
In terms of all aspects, Windows XP is at least a few orders of magnitude behind Win8. It is undeniable that in the past ten years, Windows XP has changed the world, and the contribution to mankind is immeasurable. But the times are always evolving. At the dawn of the mobile era, when the cloud era was opened, it was impossible to meet the current needs of the system ten years ago. XP is destined to be a system that will be abandoned by the times.
But abandonment does not mean forgetting, XP has entered the "Hall of Fame", and now the era belongs to Win8.