Windows 8
has many interesting new features, but the most important has to be the
Store. It's now easy to enhance your PC with a host of powerful apps -
games, multimedia, tools, productivity and more - and these can then
automatically be installed on all your other Windows 8 systems in a
click or two.
You'll have to find them first, of course, which is
something of a challenge, since the Windows Store now has thousands of
apps competing for your attention.
But don't worry, we've been
scouring the latest releases for the hidden gems, so if you'd like to
save time and jump straight to the Store highlights then read on for our
guide to the best Windows 8 apps currently available.
1. Metro Commander
One
immediate advantage of the Store is it makes it very easy for
developers to plug whatever gaps Microsoft might leave. So don't waste
time wondering why Microsoft hasn't provided a file manager for the
Start Screen, for instance - just install Metro Commander, instead.
The
program provides a dual-pane interface on your files and folders,
provides easy access to all the usual core functions - View, Rename,
Copy, More, New Folder, New File and more - and offers integrated
SkyDrive support, too.
Explorer remains far more powerful, of
course, but if you need something simple and more touch-friendly, then
Metro Commander should do the job.
2. musiXmatch Lyrics :
Another
advantage of the Store is it means PC software isn't isolated any more,
somehow apart from your other devices. If you use the musiXmatch Lyrics
app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device, for instance, then good
news: it's now free to use on your Windows 8 system, too.
If
you're new to musiXmatch, the app makes it easy to locate the lyrics for
just about anything in your music collection. And we really do mean
anything - the database now holds lyrics for around 6 million songs.
But
if you're just feeling bored, you can alternatively browse the latest
US and UK hits, listen to them, and watch the videos via YouTube.
3. Reversi Free :
This fun version of the classic strategy game Othello is simple,
straightforward and easy to use, yet still has more than enough power to
keep you entertained for many hours.
And so there are three
difficulty levels, for instance. You can go first, or second. And while
the AI won't be too challenging if you're skilled at Reversi, if you get tired of the computer then there's an option to engage a human opponent, instead.
All
this is presented in an appealing interface, nicely designed to look as
though it's pencil-drawn. And this even extends to the sound of a
pencil shading in pieces as they change colour (surprisingly, we didn't
find this annoying, although if you do then you can turn it off). No
bells and whistles, then - just the gaming basics done very well indeed,
and that's fine with us.
4. Norton Satellite :
Easy
integration with online services such as Facebook is a plus point for
Windows 8 - but you need to keep an eye on your security. And the free
Norton Satellite can help.
The program uses apps to scan your
Facebook links and Dropbox files, for instance, alerting you to threats
before they have a chance to infect you. And if your worries lie
elsewhere, then Satellite can scan particular files or folders on
demand.
You don't get real-time protection for your whole system
here, and so Satellite is no substitute for a full-strength antivirus
package. It's simple, lightweight and easy to use, though, and will add a
welcome extra layer of security to any Windows 8 system.
5. TuneIn Radio :
Internet
radio has always been a great way to keep yourself entertained, and
TuneIn Radio shows off the technology with real style.
The app's
huge database (more than 70,000 stations) means you're sure to find
something you like, for instance. You can browse by music, sport, news,
comedy, chat, language, country, or even just find a local station
(assuming you've enabled the app to access to your location).
The
program can also maintain a list of your favourite stations, for easy
access later. Or you can even pin some to your Start Screen, so you can
begin listening at any time with a click.
6. Fractal Photographer
If you've not come across the Mandelbrot Set before, then Fractal
Photographer makes an excellent first guide, slowly revealing the
fascinating infinity of gorgeous fractal patterns.
The app is
perfect for tablets, its multi-touch support enabling you to zoom in or
rotate to get the best possible view. But the authors haven't forgotten
mouse users, either: you can click to move focus, scroll the mouse wheel
to zoom in and out, and everything works just as you'd expect.
The
program can also use multiple colour schemes to create new effects. If
you find a particularly interesting point then you can bookmark it for
easy access later. And a Save option enables you to save HD versions of
your best patterns, ready to be shared with others.
7. Multimedia 8 :
If
you're missing Windows Media Centre, then fear not, the Store does have
some interesting alternatives - and Multimedia 8 is one of the best.
The
program makes it easy to browse your music, video and playlists, for
instance. In a click (or a touch) you can access files on a media
server, or the web.
And a host of bonus features includes 3D video
support; the ability to convert videos to MP4 or WMV; playlist
creation, DLNA media streaming, subtitle support (SRT/ WebVTT), video
stabilisation, video and audio capture, and more.
8. News Bento :
Whatever
your view on the introduction of the Windows 8 Modern interface is,
there's no doubt that its apps can look fantastic, and News Bento is a
perfect example.
Launch the app and a group of tiles show you
constantly-updating news photos and headlines from top US sites. A host
of others are available via the "more news" link, and Google Reader
support combined with RSS search provides easy access to your other
online favourites.
Choose a source and story summaries are neatly
displayed in various panels. And most conveniently, clicking any of
these (for the sources bundled with the program, anyway) displays its
content within the app, so there's no irritating switching to and from
an external browser.
9. Free Books :
There's more to ebooks than Amazon and Kindle: no, really. And by way
of evidence, look no further than Free Books. This attractive app
offers more than 23,000 free books (mostly old classics), neatly
organised by category and author, with an interesting selection of
"Featured" books if you just want to browse.
Double-click any book
to download it to your library. Double-click again to read it; tap
right or left to turn the appropriate page; and of course the app
remembers your current page, so if you leave it and come back later then
you'll be able to carry on where you left off.
Some people may
feel the app is a little too basic, and it would certainly benefit from
settings to adjust text size, colours and so on. The simplicity does
mean Free Books is very simple to use, though, and on balance it'll be a
great addition to most systems.
10. Dredd vs Zombies :
Mega-City
One is in terrible danger of a zombie invasion. And even though this
game has been a hit with iOS and Android users, they still haven't saved
the day - which means that now it's your turn.
After equipping
yourself for the battle ahead (there's your trusty Lawgiver pistol,
assorted other weapons, body armour and more) this fast-paced top-down
shooter throws you into 30 levels of hectic, challenging combat.
This
isn't really a game for PCs, unfortunately - the mouse interface is
relatively poor, making it hard to recommend for a conventional desktop.
But on a tablet (or anything else with a touch interface) Dredd vs Zombies proves to be an entertaining game that offers plenty of zombie-killing fun.
11. OneNote MX :
Microsoft's
excellent freeform notetaking app makes it easy to build documents from
photos, (handwritten or typed) text notes, pictures, drawings, audio
files and more.
The ability to tag items on the page adds a little
flexibility. Add "To Do" tags, say, and your items will gain checkboxes
that you can click when they're complete. You can create multiple
notebooks, each with as many pages as you need, then save them to the
cloud for access from any of your devices (or perhaps to collaborate on
with others).
And of course the program works with Windows 8
Search, making it easy to find the note you need. Even if it was written
on a PC, and you're now on your mobile device.
12. WeatherBug :
Launch
this comprehensive weather app and you'll immediately gain access to
detailed information on your current weather conditions, as well as
what's coming your way in the next few days.
A powerful Maps
module gives you the big picture, with satellite imagery, humidity,
temperature, pressure, wind speed and more. Live Tile support keeps you
informed about conditions from your very own Start Screen, and you can
also have WeatherBug raise a custom notification to warn you about rain,
snow, fog, freezing temperature and more.
On the down side, the
ads can be annoying, and we had some issues animating the radar maps.
But this is still a very powerful and configurable weather app.
13. Daily Wallpapers :
Windows
8 comes with some attractive and eye-catching images for the lock
screen, but let's be realistic - you'll be bored with them before long.
And that's where Daily Wallpapers comes in. This app can customise your
system with images found in local folders, on Facebook, SkyDrive, or
perhaps that you've just taken with the system's camera (if you have
one).
The real fun is to be had in the "Today's Wall" and
"Trending Images" sections, though, where you can browse a host of
gorgeous images (with new examples added every day), and set up your
favourite to be displayed on the lock screen.
And many of the
images are so beautiful that you can waste plenty of time just browsing
them in Slideshow mode (although the ads sometimes spoil the atmosphere,
since they can be a little intrusive).
14. Wikipedia :
While
it's a fabulous website, packed with essential information, Wikipedia
has never quite looked as glossy as the best print encyclopaedias. But
the Windows 8 app changes all that.
Launch it and gorgeous
"featured pictures" catch your eye immediately, for instance. Clicking
any of these drills down to the relevant article, carefully formatted
for better display on mobile devices.
Scroll to the right and
you'll find a similar set of "featured articles", a collection of events
that happened "on this day" and links to recently changed pages, all
useful as starting points for browsing. But best of all, once the app is
installed, you can search Wikipedia at any time from the regular
Windows 8 Search tool. And you just know that's going to be very useful
indeed.
15. SnagFilms :
There's
nothing on TV. Again. Annoying, but it doesn't have to be a problem -
not if you've installed the SnagFilms app. This simple tool provides
on-demand access to thousands of independent films, for free, whenever
and wherever you want (as long as your internet connection is up to it,
anyway).
Start by browsing the site's categories - Thriller,
Comedy, Drama, Family Friendly, Science and Nature and more - and you'll
find all kinds of offerings, from obscure shorts to major pictures with
big Hollywood names.
And you can then read more details about the movie, add it to your own movie library, or start watching in just a click or two.
