Stocks app in Windows 8

Continuing the deep look into pre-installed apps in Windows 8, we dive into the Stocks application.  The Stocks app in Windows 8 is very well designed and simple to use.  Watch the video to see what it’s all about.  Leave a comment to let us know what you think of this app, and subscribe for more Windows 8 coverage.

Twitter app in Windows 8

Windows 8, Microsoft’s upcoming upgrade to the Windows operating system, has a unique feature: apps.  For the first time ever, you will be able to download and run apps on your Windows PC.  One of the pre-installed apps in Windows 8 is Tweet@rama, which is a twitter client.

To see Tweet@rama in action, watch the video.  For more Windows 8 coverage, subscribe to our channel and check out our Windows 8 playlist, a complete collection of our Windows 8 videos.

What do you think about Tweet@rama in Windows 8?  Leave a comment to let us know.

News app in Windows 8

One of my favorite new features in Windows 8 is the ability to download apps.  While Microsoft is not allowing developers to test the app store just yet, the developer preview of Windows 8 comes with several pre-installed apps.

In our Windows 8 series, I will be highlighting some of the apps that Windows 8 is loaded with.  Let’s start off with my favorite pre-loaded app, News.  News is an RSS reader that stylistically displays stories loaded from the RSS.  News gives you several RSS options to start off with.  You can also add a custom RSS feed to monitor just about any site with an RSS feed.

News reminds me of Pulse for iOS: it intelligently displays the news headlines in small cubes.  When you click a cube, it expands the story on a very clean, black-on-white design.  The News app has quickly become my favorite means of keeping up with the latest posts that my favorite websites are making.  Speaking of favorite websites, one of those, Lockergnome, wrote an article on the News app and if it will change the way we read news.  To be honest, News has already changed the way that I read news.  I haven’t opened Pulse or Flipboard on my iPad in the past few days.

However, to fully grasp the concept of News, you have to watch our corresponding video.

We will be highlighting many more apps that come with Windows 8, so make sure to stay tuned for those!  Also, let us know what you think about the News application by leaving a comment.

Set up Wi-Fi in Windows 8

With all of the user interface changes in Windows 8, some common tasks may feel unfamiliar.  For example, the network settings panel has been redesigned.  To see what the settings panel looks like now, watch our next video in the Windows 8 series, “Set up Wi-Fi in Windows 8“.

Stay tuned for more Windows 8 how-to and demonstration videos.  Leave a comment to share your thoughts on Windows 8.

Windows 8 Bootup Speed is FAST

A common complaint among Windows users is the slow bootup speed.  Windows 8 seems to drastically improve bootup speed.  In my tests, Windows 8 fully boots up and logs in all in under 30 seconds.  Granted, bootup time will vary from PC to PC and will grow slower as more apps and programs are installed.  However, under 30 seconds is pretty good for a developer preview.

Watch the corresponding video to see Windows 8 boot up.  Follow our Windows 8 series for more Windows 8 content and sneak peaks.

Are you impressed with the Windows 8 bootup time?  Let us know by leaving a comment.