With the Windows 8 release approaching quickly (it will be released this Friday!!),and every blog and their brothers giving it mixed reviews, we had to get our hands on the operating system to form our own opinions to see what the scoop really is. And, overall, the software greatly impresses, with awesome stylization options, intuitive desktop design and desktop apps. But, what else is new and is it enough for the evil Microsoft Corp to earn your hard earned money?

The short answer is, yes. While Microsoft attempted to introduce desktop apps with the release of Windows 7, the execution of the idea always felt lackluster. But, with Windows 8, Microsoft has finally hit the nail on the head. Ever since the release of Android phones and Google Play marketplace, I’ve wanted a computer to give me the same experience– functional apps that streamed information to your desktop, smoother application performance and better interface. This is exactly what Windows 8 does.

Apps

There are numerous Windows 8 apps available before the actual release date and a plethora of third party apps already out there and more in the making. One of the apps available from the get-go is an email app, which syncs with not just your hotmail/Live account, but your Gmail and Yahoo accounts as well. New emails are sent directly to your desktop. The interface is better than any third party software we’ve seen. That is pretty rare folks, when a third party is not able to compete with the way that Windows handles a program. Another impressive app is the Weather app. This app is beautifully designed, functional and is not a memory hog, which is what separates it from every other desktop weather apps. Web browsing is also available as an app (yes–you can use your preferred browser and are not forced to use Internet Explorer). I actually found myself reverting back to the start screen and using the browser that way, instead of switching to the desktop mode and browsing the way that I’m used to. Browsing felt faster when launched from the start screen. There is also a Bing Travel app, which impressively previews numerous travel locations and flight information/availability provided by Kayak.com right from your desktop (frequent travelers, rejoice!).