The hyperbole in the blogosphere of the missing Start button notwithstanding, what better topic to write about than something that I get myriad questions about re: Windows 8 line up. Windows 8 device line up will daze and amaze you primarily because it is a clean break from the familiar user interface that we have come to expect from Microsoft for over two decades now.

First up is Windows 8 RT. This flavor is clearly focused on mobile and comes only as preinstalled on Arm powered devices. In layman terms, it is for tablets and other smaller screen form factors which give extended battery life. Some apps are in-built and some are available only in Windows Store. You cannot install 3rd party apps on RT devices. Innovative Samsung ATIV Tab and Surface RT  are some examples of Windows 8 RT based devices. While these devices fall short of giving a full blown PC experience, they are great companions for content consumption. These beautiful devices also come with touch optimized Office 2013 components like Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote

Second comes Windows 8 Pro. This variant is the successor of Windows 7 Pro and comprises of business class features including bit-locker to-go, Domain Join, Client Hyper-V, Group Policy, Remote Desktop etc. The flamboyant Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga and the minimalist Surface Pro come also with Windows 8 Pro. The price of these sleek devices will set you back by approximately $800 to $1000

For Home Users, there is Windows 8 SL (Single Language) Let the words ‘Single Language’ not gray cells collide. It is merely to suggest that the same product is available with an additional set of languages or language pack which you can choose to install.

Windows 8 is faster and you will notice the difference no matter which version you choose. It is also inherently secure and gives more battery life even on the older PC’s. Given the radical departure from previous generations of Windows, there is a learning curve which is fairly easy to learn once you spent a little time on it. Thereafter, it is a breeze.