Chapter 1
Choosing Windows 8 Versions, PCs and Devices, and Hardware
In This Chapter
- Understanding the different Windows 8 product editions
- Understanding the differences between each version of Windows 8
- Choosing the correct Windows 8 version
- Understanding the differences between Intel-compatible PCs and ARM-based devices
- Choosing a machine type
- New Windows 8 hardware capabilities to look for
With Windows 8, you suddenly have a lot of decisions to make. Fortunately, Microsoft has simplified the product lineup such that there are basically just two retail versions of Windows 8 that upgraders need to think about, plus a third version, called Windows RT, that will be sold only with new ARM-based PCs and devices.
But choosing a Windows version is only the start of the decision-making process. Beyond that, you have various machine types to choose from, including not just stalwart desktop PCs and laptops, but also new leading-edge all-in-ones, Ultrabooks, tablets, and hybrid PCs.
And within those different classes of machines are a variety of new hardware capabilities that work in tandem with Windows 8 to provide the best computing experience yet. Of course, getting there will require you to do a bit of homework first. And that’s where this chapter comes in.
Picking a Windows 8 Product Edition
Over the past decade, Microsoft has become involved in a controversy of its own making. And no, we’re not talking about the antitrust issues that also dogged the software giant for much of the ...
