GUI: Windows 8 and 8.1

One of the more controversial versions of Windows was released in 2012. Windows 8 sought to unify the tablet and desktop interfaces, but alienated many long time users in the process. The venerable Start menu was replaced by the "start screen" and many common tasks were now activated by mouse gestures more suited for a touch screen.

Installation:

First Run:

Upon first boot, and every additional boot until the 8.1 update, you are faced with the full screen start menu. The desktop may be accessed by selecting the "Desktop" tile.

Empty Desktop:

"Charms" Menu:

This menu was activated by moving your mouse into the upper or lower right corner of the screen, or by swiping from the right edge if on a tablet.

Desktop with Applications:

Notepad:

Wordpad:

Calculator:

Clock and Calendar:

Media Player:

Volume:

Mixer:

Sound Recorder:

Browser (Internet Explorer 10):

On Screen Keyboard:

Control Panel:

Appearance:

Display:

Keyboard:

Mouse:

Date and Time:

International:

Accessibility:

Application Manager:

A full list of applications was available by navigating to the start menu and pressing the down arrow.

File Manager:

Power Management:

Running Applications:

Notably absent is the start button. Navigating your mouse to the bottom left corner would pull up a button that could be clicked to access the start screen.

Task Manager:

Windows 8 introduced the simple task manager with a list of running programs. By clicking "more details" you could access information about running processes and system performance.

Help:

Search:

Search in Windows 8 was... interesting. The average user would have to just accept that disk cleanup was not an option based on these results.

Recycle Bin:

Run:

Command Prompt:

Boot Screen:

Login Screen:

From here, you would either click or swipe up to see usernames and enter a password.

Logoff and Shutdown:

Shut Down:

About Windows:

About Application:

Font Selection:

Open File:

Color Selector:

Wrong Password:

Windows 8.1 Update:
A damage control update was released for free in 2013. It included several revisions to the UI to make it more compatible with traditional desktop PCs.

8.1 - First Run:

A sleek setup screen gave reassuring messages and cycled through colors while the update was being applied.

8.1 - Empty Desktop:

A new default desktop was included, and the start button was brought back.

8.1 - Start Screen:

Shut down options were now available as a click menu on the start screen instead of just the charms menu.

8.1 - Search:

I think I might find what I was looking for this time.