It's now easy to enhance your Windows 8 aptop or Windows 8 tablet 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 or Windows 8.1 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.
01. OneNote
Microsoft's
well-known note-taking application is available as a free Windows 8
app, and syncs all of your thoughts and ideas across multiple devices
and platforms through the magic of SkyDrive.
The OneNote
app itself works well within the clean, tiled look of the Windows 8
start screen and there are plenty of features to explore, from the
ability to annotate your notes with drawings and scribbles to the option
of tagging your notes to make them easier to organise.
02. Violet Storm Lite
Violet Storm
has been one of the best games on Windows 8 since the operating
system's launch, but it's now available as both a free Lite version and a
£2.79 Pro edition that you can upgrade to if you like what you see.
In
both versions the aim is to blast your way through as many enemies as
possible across a mesmerising, never-ending solar system backdrop. It's
easy enough to navigate your spaceship around the galaxy, and a lot of
fun to play.
03. 4oD
Channel
4 seemed to get its catch-up act together quicker than most of the
commercial channels (putting much of its content on YouTube, for
example), and its free Windows 8 4oD app is simple to use and packed with programmes old and new.
You'll
have to put up with a few adverts, but the full-screen mode makes sense
for video, and you can browse by broadcast date, by category or through
the full A-Z of available shows.
04. Official England Football
We may be a bit of a shambles on the pitch, but at least the FA's free Windows 8 app, Official England Football, is slick and easy on the eye.
There's
plenty of material to work through, including news updates and video
content (both official and behind-the-scenes), and if you have more than
a passing interest in the fortunes of the national team then this is a
worthwhile install. For the time being it looks like new content is
added on a regular basis, too.
05. Twitter
The official Twitter
app for Windows 8 doesn't do much beyond the basics of displaying your
timeline and your mentions, and it could certainly use a fresh lick of
paint in the interface department.
However, what it does do well
is dock to the side of the screen - you can view your tweets while
working on the desktop or running another Windows 8 app, and for this
feature alone it's worth installing on your Start screen.
06. Adobe Photoshop Express
It's a little basic at the moment, but at least Adobe has got its foot in the Windows 8 door with the free Photoshop Express
app - you can easily crop pictures, adjust brightness, contrast and
colours via on-screen sliders, and add a range of instant filtered looks
to your photos.
Everything is mapped out to make the most of a
full-screen touch-enabled interface, though the reduce noise tool is a
paid-for upgrade, which is a shame. You can import pictures from disc or
sync them over the web.
07. Royal Revolt!
One of the very best Windows 8 games available at the moment, Royal Revolt! is a free tower defence title with some beautifully rendered 3D graphics, cartoon-ish sounds and a simple backstory.
The
learning curve is just right, so you can pick up the game's various
features as you progress through increasingly difficult levels in an
attempt to regain your kingdom. You can marshall your troops and plan
your attacks using a mouse and keyboard or on a touchscreen.
08. Google Search
Not only does the Windows 8 Google Search
app enable you to type (or speak) your queries, it includes a
rudimentary web browser to enable you to see the results within the app,
as well as access other Google tools such as Gmail and Maps.
Like
many Start screen apps, it suffers from too much blank space, but it's
an intuitive tool that will be of particular interest if you're heavily
invested in the Google ecosystem (you can easily call up your Google
search history, for example).
09. Spider Solitaire HD
Windows
8 no longer includes the old favourite Solitaire as a desktop app, so
you'll need to find a Start screen app to fill the void. Spider Solitaire HD
is the best option we came across, enabling you to choose from several
different card and table designs and providing full support for
touchscreen users.
The app comes with an advertising banner at
the top, but if you like the game you can upgrade to have this removed,
which cost 99p at the time of writing.
10. Bing Translator
It's in Microsoft's best interests to get some good quality Windows 8 apps into the Store, and the free Bing Translator tool certainly fits that description.
As
well as typing out your queries you can take a webcam shot of signs and
documents for instant translations. 40 different languages are
supported, including Spanish, French, German and... Klingon. The app
also has an offline mode, enabling you to download language packs so you
can get quick translations without an internet connection.
11. Comics
The Comixology mobile apps are joined by this impressive Windows 8 version called Comics,
which syncs all of your digital comics to the Start screen, as well as
enabling you to browse for and purchase new ones with a few mouse clicks
or finger taps.
The useful guided view option, which
automatically navigates from pane to pane rather than showing the whole
page, is carried over from the mobile apps, making it much easier to
work your way through the pages.
12. AutoDesk SketchBook Express
Get creative with this stripped-down free version of the full AutoDesk SketchBook, SketchBook Express.
There are plenty of brushes and effects to play around with, and this
being Windows 8 you can easily operate the app with a touchscreen as
well as a keyboard and mouse.
The tutorial will get you up and
running with the app's interface within a minute, and then it's down to
your drawing and painting abilities. Make use of the symmetry effects
and you can create some impressive abstract designs.
13. Cineworld
The official app from Cineworld
provides a decent front-end for finding currently playing films and
local cinemas - you can browse by movie or by location, see information
about films and view trailers where available, though if you actually
want to book tickets you'll get kicked out to your default web browser
to complete the process.
Even with that annoyance, the ease of
use offered by the Cineworld app makes it worth an install for movie
lovers, and you can get discounts on tickets if you register for free.
14. My History Digest
My History Digest
makes good use of the Windows 8 Start screen format and is simple to
browse around. A wealth of historical and scientific information is
available through the app and the subsequent issues of MyHistoryDigest.
And
while you'll have to pay for much of the content, there are some
extensive and well-written free articles that should be enough to give
you a taste of the material on offer. The content itself is also well
set out and designed to take advantage of widescreen, touch-enabled
displays.
15. Sidebar Dictionary
Like
the official Twitter app, this is an app that's not just notable for
what it does, but by how well it works when docked to the side of the
screen. As you've probably surmised, Sidebar Dictionary
provides quick definitions pulled from the web, and you can browse back
through previous searches and save favourite words for later use.
For
£1.79 you can upgrade to the Pro edition, which offers built-in
translations and an offline mode, alongside some other extra features.
16. TeamViewer Touch
TeamViewer
has long been one of the best and most straightforward remote desktop
apps, and free for personal use to boot. The Windows 8 TeamViewer Touch
app brings all of that TeamViewer goodness to your Start screen
environment, enabling you to access your other computers over the web
through a pared-down, touch-friendly interface that's a breeze to use
and includes all of the key features you'll need.
If you don't already have a TeamViewer account, you can sign up from within the app itself.
17. Toolbox for Windows 8
A
collection of smaller tools for those of you looking for Start screen
equivalents for the desktop utilities such as Calculator. Toolbox for Windows 8
includes a clock, calculator, notifier tool, weather badge, stopwatch,
notes app, widgets for Facebook and Twitter and more besides (though the
Twitter one is a paid-for add-on).
And you can run up to six
different tools on screen at once. We were also impressed by the simple
animated tutorial that gets you up and running quickly.
18. eBay
The Windows 8 app for eBay
is improving all the time - the ability to leave feedback from within
the app was included in the latest release - and it's a refreshing way
to browse items and auctions when compared with the rather old-fashioned
and creaky website at eBay.co.uk.
You can access most of your
account functions from within the app, place bids, read messages,
monitor your watched items, see daily deals and offers from the site.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. Free Books
In Depth
Which cloud services are right for you?
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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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).
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. Skype
Following
Microsoft's acquisition of Skype, it's a bit of a no brainer that the
world's leading internet calling software would arrive on Windows 8
sporting a new interface that compliments Windows 8's distinctive look.
Skype's
integration with Windows 8 isn't just cosmetic though, as a lot of
effort has been put into making sure that the app takes full advantage
of Windows 8's new features. One of the most useful features is that
Skype will run in the background, even if the PC is locked or the app
has been closed down. This means that you don't have to worry about
missing important calls. Microsoft has also worked hard on minimising
the Skype app's impact on battery life, especially when running in the
background, making this easily one of the most useful apps for Windows
8.
33. Norton Studio
Norton
Studio is a free app that's been created to make protecting your
Windows 8 device as quick and easy as possible. Of course, there's one
proviso; you need to be running Norton AntiVirus or Norton 360 as your
primary antivirus protection software. That's not particularly a bad
thing though, as Symantec has worked hard on making sure that its Norton
products and Windows 8 work brilliantly together. In third-party tests
Norton products on Windows 8 perform 50 per cent faster than the built
in Windows Defender software. It has also been able to pick up threats
and viruses that Windows Defender has missed.
Norton Studio fits
into Windows 8 very well, with at a glance security status updates and
quick access to additional features, all from within Windows 8's modern
user interface. If you have other devices that are covered by your
Norton subscription then you can easily update, renew and check on their
protection status as well.
34. Shazam
If
you've ever wanted to know the name of a song when it's played over the
radio or during an advert, then you'll love the Shazam service, which
has just launched a Windows 8 app. It uses some pretty clever technology
to record and analyse the song that's playing (via your device's
microphone) and then searches for a match. You can then explore more
music by the artist, as well as buy and download tracks straight to your
device. The Shazam Windows 8 app includes social sharing features that
let you share music you've found with friends over Facebook and Twitter.
You can also bring up lyrics to a song with a simple touch of a button,
as well as view music reviews and biographies. The app looks great in
Windows 8 and is easy to use, and there are hints of close integration
with Windows Phone 8 in the near future as well.
35. Netflix
The
Netflix app for Windows 8 is one of those apps that's going to turn
your Windows 8 device from a gadget you occasionally play around with to
one that is barely ever out of your hands. It brings Netflix's huge
library of movies and TV shows on demand to Windows 8 in an elegant and
attractive interface that has been purposely designed for touch
interfaces. For example you can get a better view of Netflix's catalogue
by 'pinching' your fingers on the screen to zoom out. It's a little
feature but it adds a lot to the overall feel of Netflix on a
touchscreen device.
A more crucial feature of the Netflix app is
that it has been made as efficient as possible in order to get the best
battery life possible from your device, so hopefully you won't have to
pause for a recharge during an epic movie or Breaking Bad marathon.
36. 7digital
The
7digital app was one of the first apps to go live in Windows 8,
appearing in the preview version of the new operating system a couple of
months before Windows 8 even launched, and it fitted in well from the
start. With a store that contains around 20 million songs, it's a music
service that has something for everyone. If you're already a customer
with 7digital you can import your collection to your Windows 8 device
with ease. All tracks are DRM free, which means you can easily copy your
purchased music to any of your devices without any problems, as well as
using the cloud to synchronise your library. Before you buy you can
preview 30 seconds of any track to make sure you get the song you're
after. It's a versatile music service with a huge amount of variety, all
wrapped up in a great Windows 8 app.
37. National Rail Enquiries
You
can avoid a lot of the stress of travelling by train with this great
Windows 8 app. You can quickly use the National Rail Enquiries app to
find out when the next train home is with a single touch of a button, as
well as booking tickets and getting the best fares. This app integrates
with your device's location services so it can locate the closest
station to where you are, without you needing to type in anything. When
the app is pinned to your Start screen it's live tile will update with
any service announcements as well. If you travel a lot by train, then
this is an essential app.
38. Sky News
The
Sky News app brings breaking news to your Windows 8 device. While the
bulk of the news is text-based, embedded video helps to bring more
background details and analysis to the stories. There are various
categories, including breaking news, making it easy to navigate the app
and find the news stories that you want. You can also watch live
streaming video from the Sky News channel straight from the app, as well
as videos for the weather and a three-minute catch-up video that brings
you the latest headlines. Overall this is an excellent app, which gives
you the latest news from a well trusted source.
39. Star Chart
Star
Chart is a fantastic education and reference app that lets you explore
the night sky and our solar system with your Windows 8 device. Whilst
you can use it on a desktop PC or all-in-one, a Windows 8 tablet is
preferable. The Star Chart uses the tablet's GPS to pin point your
position, so you can point your tablet towards a part of the sky you
want to find out about and the Star Chart will name everything that's
above you. If you don't have a tablet or GPS, never fear, as you can
navigate around the sky by touch or using your mouse and keyboard.
Exploring
the sky is incredibly simple, and if you select a star, constellation,
satellite or planet you'll be given even more in depth information, as
well as photographs from telescopes.
40. MTV News
News
doesn't always have to be all doom and gloom. Sometimes we just want to
know which superstar is dating another mega famous celebrity, or who's
got a new film out. The MTV News app is a great place to get all the
celebrity gossip, along with photos and videos of the biggest
entertainment stories of the moment.
MTV is well known in the
entertainment industry, so you can expect excellent exclusives that you
won't get anywhere else, as well as interviews with some of the most
famous people in the world. Make sure you're kept in the loop with this
great app.
source:TechRadar
Top 40 Windows 8 apps.
Reviewed by Arun Tom
on
7:36 PM
Rating: 5