Windows 8: All the information you'll need

The age of Windows 8 has dawned. It’s time to get to grips with a rather different PC operating system and there’s quite a lot to consider. It might be that you need some Windows 8 help; a glance at the best Windows 8 laptops, tablets and hybrid machines; or perhaps you’re just after the secrets to the Windows 8 upgrade program. Whatever it is you need that’s Windows 8 related, we’ve got it all here on Pocket-lint - including, of course, an in-depth and thorough Windows 8 review.

Windows 8 review

First things first. You might want to check that you want to buy Windows 8. It’s not going to be for everyone. There’s a whole new front-end user interface to get used to and the Start menu has completely disappeared from the desktop. Want to know more? Read this:

How to get Windows 8

So you want to be using Windows 8. The next step is getting it. There are a few different ways to make that happen - you can buy it fresh, you can upgrade to Windows 8, and then, of course, there’s the matter of just which version of Windows 8 you’re supposed to buy. Don’t forget about Windows RT. What, you don’t know what Windows RT is? Read this lot below for the required education:

Windows 8 computers & accessories

You can buy yourself a copy of the Windows 8 software - either as an upgrade from Windows 7, Vista or XP - or you can just say to hell with it, accept that you could probably do with a new computer anyway and buy yourself a machine with Windows 8 pre-installed.

While Windows laptops have been de rigueur for a couple of years now, the touch-sensitive Windows 8 Modern UI has added a different dimension to your hardware choices. Suddenly the idea of having a big screen or a laptop that also becomes a tablet is very appealing indeed. So here are the Windows 8 computers that we would recommend:

Windows 8 tips and more

Now you're up and running with Windows 8 on your computer, it's a question of getting the most out of the experience. We'll be adding more and more to this section of Windows 8 tips with everything from how to find the Control Panel on Windows 8 to how to install it on an enemy laptop.

Windows 8 ecosystem

Windows isn't all about the laptop. Microsoft is pushing the entire ecosystem with the arrival of Windows 8, so if you're looking to get even more out of it, it's time to start thinking Windows Phone and Xbox. Here's an idea of the kinds of things in which you might wish to get involved