Recently I installed windows 8 on my laptop and yes,
it is the OS for everything. By word everything, I mean everyone and every
machine. Windows 8 was most awaited OS yet (not was, it is!). I have a windows
phone 7.5 and was eagerly waiting for windows 8. Windows 8 is different not
just in UI but in lot of other features including my favourite, Roaming.
Microsoft
recently revealed new look of outlook.com and the live ID will now be called as
Microsoft account. Outlook has a stunning UI and amazing set of features. I
just logged in to it using my old live account, which I was using on my phone
and it synchronised all the contacts from my phone, which were not only my
phone contacts but also my facebook contacts. When I signed up for Linkedin
using same Microsoft account, it automatically synchronised my Linkedin
contacts to my mail, phone and my windows 8 PC. Now, my facebook, twitter and Linkedin
accounts are permanently linked to my Microsoft account. These things may not
appear amazing as the task what they did is just syncing the contacts but the
core part of story is yet to begin.
Roaming
is the most amazing thing I found in windows 8. I recently attended sessions of
Raj Choudhary and Sanjay Shetty in PUG DevCon at Pune, where WinRT was stripped
to its core (WinRT is the new runtime Microsoft added in windows 8 along with
existing Win32/64). I was amazed by the fact that I can work on my apps, my
data, my settings from anywhere in the world without having my windows 8
machine with me. I can just sign in to ANY windows 8 PC using my Microsoft
account and my start screen will appear there! When I use my Microsoft account
on my windows 8 PC, all my app data, settings get stored on cloud and it will
keep track of all apps I have. When I sign in to other PC, just my start screen
appears. When I click on one of windows 8 app, it will get downloaded from
store (remember, windows 8 apps can only be downloaded from store). All my
data, settings will be downloaded from Skydrive and I can work on my app
instantly. If it is a game and I have completed 2 levels on my PC, I can start
from third level of same game on the PC I have signed in to!
Doesn’t it sound great? Roaming is the most important factor for all kind of gadgets and you can only carry with you, your phone, tablet or laptop sometimes, but never your PC. Windows 8 is an awesome solution for that. After all they are my devices, and they are my apps! I should be able to access any of my apps from any of my devices.
Microsoft
account is the future. You can have all your emails, events, documents, apps,
settings, social networks, contacts at one place. If you don’t have one, sign
up today. If you have one, use it smartly! You will have all the powers in the
world right at your fingertips!
Cheers!
