Top 5 Windows 8 apps
If you've got your hands on Windows 8 you'll need some apps to go with it. Here are five great ones.
- Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
After months of waiting, you've finally got your excited fingers on Windows 8's new touch-based interface. But to enjoy it properly you're going to need some cool apps to use, right? I've picked out five of my favourites to help get you started.
MetroTwit
The first thing you'll want to do is tell all your friends what you think of the big, colourful Windows 8 tiles. MetroTwit is a free Twitter client that shows your timeline, mentions and direct messages in easy to read columns.
Skype
If 140 characters can't convey your ecstasy at having Windows 8 then grab Skype and video call everyone in your contact list so they can see just how happy you are. It's free, has a simple, elegant interface and has been given various tweaks to make it much more power efficient.
AutoDesk Sketchbook Express
Massive touchscreens with styluses are just begging to be used as easels and paint brushes. With Sketchbook Express you can create quick sketches or more elaborate digital paintings, only limited by your own skill. See if you can create anything as masterful as my depiction of Droidy and Clippy above.
Netflix
If you'd rather consume media than create it, then Netflix should be first on your download list. A modest £5.99 per month gets you access to the whole catalogue, which included gems such as Scrubs, Red Dwarf, Peep Show and the ever-amazing Power Rangers. The interface is simple to navigate and all your shows should look great on those big touchscreens.
iCookbook
After all that fun and excitement, you're bound to be totally starving. Satisfy your growling belly by cooking any of the recipes from iCookbook. This free cookbook app shows tasty looking images of all the meals with easy to follow instructions on how to make them -- just make sure you don't swipe around your touchscreen with sticky syrup-covered fingers.
You'll of course want to make sure you have the essential Windows 8 People, Mail, messaging and Photos apps as well as One Note and Xbox Smart Glass. The Windows 8 app store is becoming better stocked by the day, so make sure to keep checking the store page for great new releases.
Of course, if you're using one of the pro tablets like Surface Pro, the Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro or the Asus Vivo Tab you'll be able to install any desktop software you'd be able to install on any normal laptop.
What do you think to Windows 8? What are your favourite apps? Is there anything you really want to see in the store? Let me know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.