Windows 8 preview - in pictures

It starts here: installing Windows 8 Photograph: Tim Anderson

Choose a colour: the first action after installation Photograph: Tim Anderson

The Start menu after a new install. Note the app at bottom left: that is your Windows Desktop Photograph: Tim Anderson

Once Desktop apps are added, the difference between Metro live tiles and the icons for old-style apps is painfully obvious Photograph: Tim Anderson

Search is the quick way to use the Start menu, especially if you have a physical keyboard Photograph: Tim Anderson

The All Apps view in the Start Menu preserves groups, but only as headings in a long list Photograph: Tim Anderson

The split view in Metro shows two apps side by side Photograph: Tim Anderson

Internet Explorer supports Flash content even on the Metro side, but only for major sites Photograph: Tim Anderson

Windows 8 Mail is stripped down but performs basic mail functions well with touch. If you need more features, try a Desktop app Photograph: Tim Anderson

A social operating system? Windows 8 prompts you to link accounts including Facebook, Twitter and Google, to show aggregated information in its contact and messaging apps Photograph: Tim Anderson

Contact details in Windows 8 includes a What’s New panel with social media status updates Photograph: Tim Anderson

Head to the Windows Store for Metro apps. Currently everything is free. The choice is limited, but some are well done Photograph: Tim Anderson

Tap 'N' Pop is an addictive Metro game Photograph: Tim Anderson

The Weather app is among the best, well designed and with detail available if needed Photograph: Tim Anderson

Amazon’s Kindle already has a Metro app Photograph: Tim Anderson

Like beekeeping? Put in this or any term you can think of, and Bing news makes a magazine on the fly Photograph: Tim Anderson

The Banned Books section from the Free Books app Photograph: Tim Anderson

The Xbox Companion is a preview of Xbox SmartGlass, which works as a smart remote for the Xbox 360 Photograph: Tim Anderson

Use your Windows 8 tablet as an Xbox remote with the Companion preview app. Your finger becomes a mouse for the Xbox dashboard Photograph: Tim Anderson

The Windows 8 Desktop is familiar but different. In particular, there is no Start button, though if you put your mouse in the bottom left corner it appears Photograph: Tim Anderson

A major new feature in Windows 8 is Hyper-V, an excellent hypervisor Photograph: Tim Anderson

The new Copy dialog is able to display progress for multiple concurrent copy operations Photograph: Tim Anderson

The Windows 8 Explorer has a ribbon in place of pull-down menus Photograph: Tim Anderson

The new Task Manager has a rich graphical display Photograph: Tim Anderson

Windows 8 File History keeps multiple versions of your documents Photograph: Tim Anderson