For over a decade, Windows has been the gold standard for operating systems on PCs. It’s usability, stability and security features have made it a cut above the rest. With the release of Windows 7, Microsoft further secured their position at the top of the pile. Now, Microsoft is looking to up the ante again with the newest version of Windows, codenamed Windows 8. Windows 8 will have a tough game to live up to with such strong players as its precedents, but Microsoft is apparently confident that its new features will entice consumers to upgrade to the new operating system. So what are these exciting new features that will draw us in like bees to honey? Let’s take a look at a few of them.

• New and Improved Task Manager – The task manager has long been an important Windows tool to use when your applications just aren’t behaving like their supposed to. The task manager has been largely unchanged over the years, and many are hailing the redesign as a welcome change. The same basic functionalities will stay the same, but will be presented in a more streamlined package with some additional options. The current task manager found in Windows 7 allows for a lot more control than the task manager found in Windows XP, including more access to source directories, root files and an easier bridge between the active program and the registry entry behind it. This allows for easier troubleshooting, virus cleanup and unwanted program disabling. Windows 8 promises to offer a better interface streamlining the same updates, by adding a more user-friendly interface and easier controls. One notable problem is the lack of the ability to scroll between the directory; this can cause a lot of confusion to most people.

• “Portable Workspace” feature – This is an uber-cool feature that will allow the user to transfer and boot the entire operating system from a USB key by taking a “snapshot” of the current settings and functions which are then stored as a binary. Binary files are used as a compression method that includes no interfacing or graphics, just compressed “source files” that the USB file can store and provide as reference on the source machine. Too bad it will likely only be available in the Enterprise edition…

• Ribbons instead of Toolbars – While they have already been introduced in many Microsoft programs such as Word and Paint, ribbons as a way of navigation within an application have yet to infiltrate Windows Explorer. With Windows 8, that will change. Will the snazzy new interface be a help or a hindrance to users? A potential problem that I can see as a major issue is forcing the general public to once again adapt, as what was done with Windows Vista. Radical change has not been Microsoft’s forte, as it lends to more issues and more frustrations with things that people may have already gotten used to.

• Built in ISO support – This handy little feature will allow users to mount and burn ISO files without installing a third-party ISO application. It might render these programs useless, but it will make the average user’s life a tiny bit easier.

These are just a few of many new features that will be a part of the Windows 8 experience. Some seem a bit gimmicky while others can be genuinely useful. Will they be enough to push Windows 8 into the top slot for operating systems? Only time will tell…