A new authentication method allows users to sketch in three
different places over the picture to login, instead of typing a password.
Windows Explorer now
uses a ribbon interface, similar
to those used in Microsoft Office applications. Another feature expected to be
introduced in Windows 8 is USB
3.0 support.
Windows 8 will come with Windows
Store, an online market place for buying, selling, and advertising applications.
Windows 8 can be run from a USB-connected drive, such as a flash
drive. This feature is called Windows
To Go.
The Developer Preview comes with two new recovery functions. Namely, Refresh and Reset,
which both make a complete restore easier than a re-installation. The former
keeps all the settings and files of the user intact and only reverses all
changes to Windows files to its original state while removing all installed
programs and apps. The latter deletes all files and effectively re-installs
Windows, but without any additional user input such as agreeing to license
agreements or selecting a hard disk required. After a reset completes, the user
will be asked for the product key and will then proceed to account creation.
One big change is that user accounts do not have to be local-only
anymore but can be linked up to one's Windows Live ID. This has the advantage
that users will not lose their settings and files as they move from their home
computer to their work laptop or to any other computer also using Windows 8.
Other new features include a new Welcome screen, a new packaged application model
called AppX that is based on Silverlight, and Open
Packaging Conventions, as well as
a setting to automatically adjust window color to fit the wallpaper.
There is also a stripped down "Immersive" version of
Internet Explorer, similar to the mobile version of Internet Explorer, but using
the desktop Trident rendering
engine and a new "Hybrid
Boot" option that uses "advanced hibernation functionality" on
shutdown to allow faster startup times. The
Immersive Version of Internet Explorer 10 does not support ActiveX plugins, in
order to be a HTML5-only browser.
The Desktop version of IE10 does support ActiveX plugins.
