Windows 8: The desktop review

Windows 8 is the most significant operating system update Microsoft has launched since Windows 95, and the first one designed to run on such a wide range of devices. ExtremeTech has split its coverage of the operating system accordingly: I will be writing about Windows 8 on a non-touch desktop PC, while my colleague Sebastian will be reviewing Windows 8 from a tablet perspective.

To begin with, just to address the elephant in the room, there are two very distinct parts to Windows 8: The Metro interface, and the Desktop interface. The overall experience of using Windows 8 on a non-touch device if you try to use Metro and Desktop together is so different than Desktop alone that we’re going to break it into two stories. This story here deals with Windows 8 on a standard, non-touch PC, applied to the same use cases as Windows XP, Vista, or 7. The Metro side of the equation will be addressed in an upcoming story.

To avoid Metro as much as possible, I followed these steps first (and I suggest you do the same, if you’re a professional Windows user): Press the Start button on your keyboard, or left-click in the lower left-hand corner; Type “Control Panel”; Click the Control Panel icon; and navigate to and select “Default Programs”.

From here, scroll to the bottom of the list, where the programs beginning with “Windows” are listed. Set Windows Media Player and Windows Photo Viewer to be the default handlers for all the types of content they support. I recommend doing this before you install other software; it’ll save you the headache of fighting with the Metro version of these applications. You’ll also wwant a different PDF reader.

Once you’ve changed those defaults and grabbed the browser, email program, and address book (if any) of your choice, congratulations. You’re ready to explore what Windows 8 has to offer. And as long as we’re talking about the Desktop, that’s a good thing.

The Start screen

The Start Screen is the one Metro function I’m going to discuss in this section, as it’s also the only Metro (also known as Windows 8-style) app you can’t get away from without installing a third-party application. There are programs that duplicate the functionality of the old Start menu, if you’re interested in them, and Microsoft included a right-click option in the bottom-left hot corner that gives easy access to some of the more common Start Menu tasks.

I expected to hate the new Start screen. I don’t — but that’s partly a function of having used PCs for a very long time and knowing the names of the programs that I want to run. Finding the particular program you’re looking for if you don’t know the name can be frustrating, especially if it’s an application that drops a number of links in what used to be a hierarchical Start Menu.

Quick — pick the right TightVNC icon!

One of the downsides to Windows 8’s flattened hierarchy is that it aggregates icons to the point that they lose their distinctiveness. The old Start menu hierarchy provided a short list of frequently used programs, followed by an alphabetical list of folders and icons inside of these. As long as I remember that I own a Seagate product, I can find the associated program to access it. Metro doesn’t work that way.

Rather, I have to search for BlackArmor to find the relevant launch utility. This is problematic, even with the Start menu, but it doesn’t become infuriating until we talk about the other Metro apps (more on that in another article). For those of you who want the Start menu back, there’s an app called Classic Shell that returns it, and gives you access to a huge range of configurable options.

Post a Comment Comment

Nice review, Joel, and I definitely agree with you in your conclusion. I’ll be skipping over 8 as well. They made some great improvements, but it’s not enough to make me want to upgrade. Here’s to Windows 9 ;)

Nice review Joel, I do think that ‘patches’ will be applied to bring back all of the elements that have established Windows as the standard. If people want to figure out something new then why not just jump to Linux (Which is so easy to use these days).

Linux is nice, but the reason I find myself always going back to Windows is because I always hit a game which won’t work properly with Wine. If we could perfect Wine, or just include Linux development into game development cycles, then I would move back .. till then I enjoy Windows as much as Linux and can play *all* of my games too.

it’s a good thing then that Steam is porting to Linux..

Steam doesn’t contain every game I’ve ever played, and it’s not a replacement for Windows. I wouldn’t switch to it for the same reason I wouldn’t be interested in switching to Mac. It’s not that either product is bad — it’s that they combine a learning curve and less of the software I want to run.

I’ve owned a MacBook Pro and I’d use a Linux system as a strictly secondary affair, but that’s about it.

The issue is this: Until VNC (the illustration that you used) has a better live tile app then there is no reason to have it on the modern start menu. Why would you have a bunch of ugly icons on your start screen? The start screen is nothing more than a full screen start

menu with rich information built into the icon.

Every app can benefit with a little bit of rich information built into its launch icon. I pose a question: when was the last time that you really had to go into the start menu to launch your software that you use every day? Whether or not you are a power user or a person who can barely right click, Windows 8, after the paradigm is learned, will be better for both users.

Think of like this: All the FUD videos of users staring dumbfounded at the start screen in W8 wondering what to do is the same as the old videos of people not know what to do with the mouse in windows 95.

It is new and it is innovative and if people want to keep cluttering up their start menu, desktop, and quick launch bar with useless launch icons then so be it

You Microsoft employees are beyond silly. As much as pathetic.

You trying to sell the awful atrocious Metro/ModernUI childish crap is just plain lame.

Comparing the mess that Windows8 is with when Windows95 was released is even more pathetic as much as absolutely untrue.

Personally chojin999, I thought I would *hate* the Modern UI. After using it for 3 weeks now I have grown to absolutely love it. I never really used the Start Menu before in Windows 7, and I hardly even enter the Modern UI in Windows 8. But when I do, boy is it both beautiful and much more useful than the old one.

I agree with you that some apps aren’t remotely optimized for what they display on the Start Menu. Unfortunately, that speaks to other design issues with the OS.

For example: A 3D rendering program might conceivably have 3-4 programs that do different things. Install Adobe’s Master Suite, and you might have 8-10 icons. All of those programs have uses and are important.

For years, the hierarchical approach dictated that you could put the most important options “closer” to the main directory and spread the less-important functions out in seldom-used directories. Metro flattens this.

Yes, I can pull apps off the Smart Screen manually — but that’s annoying when the app in question might be a program I don’t use *often*, but still need to use.

The fundamental problem here is that MS designed Metro to display very simple content layouts. When we first saw the OS, IT journalists gave a collective nod and said: “Ok, it’s *great* for simple stuff. Got it. Now, how are they going to do complex?”

The closer we got to launch, the more it became apparent that they weren’t. That’s why Metro craters when it gets near complex desktop apps. As for why it fails at so many simple tasks as well, I truly don’t know.

A button that says “Open in Browser” or “Change Permissions” isn’t exactly paradigm-busting.

The issue then is that the application should adapt for Windows 8 installation so that it installs it’s shortcuts in a more user friendly manner, instead of requiring Windows to be tied to the way old applications *used* to be installed.

arrogance and stupidity are not pretty..

I understand what you are saying and I think that a little bit of finesse could solve this, but i don’t really think that Windows has to do much. There were talks of making the tiles a box that would essentially have six sides, but lets stick with what we have.

I will take Adobe for example and only the launch shortcuts. If it was a live tile, it could be designed in one or two ways: The first click would then spread out to show all of the apps in the suite or the live tile could have all the apps listed in 2 columns to click on. If the user only used Premeire and Photoshop they could be sepeterated out into 2 live tiles with the last used file listed on the live tile.

I will admit that the program that doesn’t get used much (for instance wireshark or netscanner) i need to be more savvy to get to it. I can either have an ugly icon on my start screen or i can pin it to my quick launch on the desktop. Either way the “All Apps” screen when zoomed out it is much, much faster then going through little expanding menus in the W7 Start menu. I actually prefer the “All Apps” now.

But i can not agree that when “It (windows 8) gets near complex apps that metro craters”. I just don’t understand this. How does Metro crater after

you launch the app? Do you mean that if Adobe tried to create an all encompassing Photoshop app that was both made for Touch and for the classic keyboard and mouse that it would “crater”? That I agree with you, but we are talking about the OS not the “modern” design paradigm. But I don’t think that stops Adobe from creating a seperate app just for touch that is in the Modern Style that would probably be great for touch. I would steer away from it if I was photo editor, but if the Adobe CS6 cloud license came with a seperate Metro version that i could pick up where i left off on my Surface, I would love that.

I think evolution of design will also move us further, i think this is the best argument for moving to W8. It is the next step to the idea where we have more direct control over or ocmputing enviroment. I hate when people use the Minority Report comparison, but it just has to be made. As touch, motion, and voice contorl of devices evolve then the cumbersome design paradigm of “modern” apps that “complex” software breaks under will eventually be able to done used with only touch. It is inevitable. Keyboards and mice have a shelf life and I can argue that W8 has made that expiration date a little shorter than it was before launch.

I think that Live tiles could be used to urge users to use the product more which creates more revenue oppurtunity. How about Blizzard showing your online users in a really pretty live tile or selling the next expansion for Diablo. These are easy and just scratch the surface.

But again, we are talking about launch icons and how best to lay them out. I can say that W8 is surperior. But the great thing about W8 is that you can still have a cluttered desktop if you want.

Keyboards and mice have a shelf life

They don’t. Two reasons why (one for each):

1) Physical keyboards provide valuable tactile feedback that there’s no easy way to duplicate in touch. There are ergonomic studies on this. Absent tactile feedback, users make more mistakes and take longer to type messages. It’s not an iOS issue — your hands know where they on the keyboard based on subtle indicators that aren’t physically present in a touch device. That’s why, for example, home row keys have a tiny divot or raised area.

2) Mice pointers are pixel-perfect. That means you can translate mouse pointer precision down to one pixel’s worth of difference. Fingers, in contrast, are anything but pixel perfect. Your nervous system isn’t calibrated to *target* individual pixels. A mouse can give you that.

Now, if you’re saying that keyboards and mice have to make room for other interface paradigms, I agree with you — but neither is going anywhere.

i have to say windows 8 looks alot better hten i once thought it would b elike, but if i could get rid of the metro interface alltogeather and get the start button back i would be a whole lot happier

There are apps for doing that. Check out Classic Shell.

The Modern UI goes away by hitting the Windows key. It only comes back when you hit the Windows Key or hit the start button when you summon it. The Metro Interface is essentially just a full screen start menu with interactive tiles which bring you more information about your program. Have an open mind and I think you’ll end up loving the Modern UI as I have.

now how would I learn to love it if I’m never going to use it.. silly .

Ironically, I agree with you as far as the Start Screen is concerned. Let me put it this way –if the Start Screen was the only issue I had with Metro, than the already-available apps and tools would’ve solved my concerns.

But since my assignment was to focus on Metro/Desktop interaction, my explorations there went deeper (that story will be out soon). And that’s where things became profoundly irritating.

Trying to use Metro apps to do anything work-related is disastrous. Whole categories of simple function aren’t in place. Given that these are issues businesses have been raising for over a year, it’s impossible to claim MS wasn’t aware of them.

I don’t think enterprise work needs to be integrated with Metro unless it is a convertible and u are on the tablet mode (detached).

Otherwise desktop seems pretty much the same with better file-browser.

Win8 is “Win7 with FullScreen-Start Button”

I agree Joel. My Company just finished 3 months of Testing Win 8. It was a complete disaster, Trying to Apply the Touch interfacing to a PC’s which are intended for creating, ,just does not work. It brings the work flow to a crawl. Try running and using Software like Solidworks , Revit or even Excel on Win 8,It is a Excercise in frustration. Win 8 will be a complete disaster for business. Also for you Microsoft Marketing Trolls out harassing posters Blow it out you Lying A@$% all of you are just as bad as the Apple trolls

Why would it be an exercise in frustration?There aren’t Metro versions of those programs. Excel 2013 might be a bit finger-friendly, but Solidworks? No way.

Is there a specific reason you are using the touch interfacing on Windows 8 aside from it being Windows 8? The only time I have to use the touch gestures is inside the Modern UI, which means that about 98% of the time it’s identical to how I used Windows 7. Same goes for Excel, I use both Excel 2010 and 2013 on my Win8 machine and it works identical as before my upgrade, minus the major speed improvements in 2013.

Lol, so it’s just like Windows 7, but without the start menu! And you get the added joy of having to deal with Metro constantly! YEA, let’s upgrade right NOW! /sarcasm.

lol..NERDS..if you don’t like Windows 8 than don’t upgrade..no one really

cares. $15 is nothing but if your poor and broke then stick to your

windows 7 or windows 95. but your sarcastic bashing of an OS is just

I am really frustrated with Metro. It doesn’t really feel intuitive to use with a mouse on desktop. It is really difficult to close the metro app by dragging down via mouse, when you can just click the close button in desktop mode. And I still haven’t figured out how to navigate the IE 10 tabs without keyboard shortcuts :( I believe it is not for ‘mouse’ use.

Good review, i’m also going to wait for either a patch or Windows 9. I don’t see the point in paying for slightly faster boot times, along with the hassle of changing my workflow. I’m all for touchscreen interfaces in phones and tablets, but not on my desktop.

I have a feeling Microsoft is going to struggle to sell this to businesses, hopefully it’ll teach them a lesson, they should listen to their customers.

No thanks, I use Linux.

Ugly, 2D UI is an improvement? Of course a 2D UI is _faster_ than a compositing 3D UI… Duh! I won’t bet upgrading, at least not for a long time. Windows 7 is the BEST Windows to date, and I don’t see Windows 8 unseating that. As a matter of fact, I see some return to the way Widows 7 operates in the next release, Windows 9, after the obvious backlash from consumers over this treachery!

MS makes things complicated and ugly whereas apple makes things easy and beautiful

generally because they know there user-base is full of complete morons

generally because they know their user-base is full of complete morons

Great review and advice. Good job without the marketing BS.

Why don’t you boys cry some more.

Grow up. A few days of using Start screen makes the old start button look trerribly obsolete. You can pretty much create the folder structure you had without having to dig down through ALL PROGRAM-FOLDER-FILE Executable. It’s been simplified to START – OH THERES THE EXECUTABLE (IM DONE).

it also teaches people to be more efficient. All the search options are there. You can still rightclick in the bottom left hand corner of you screen and see everything the start button had minus the “shutdown” and “all programs” list… it still gives a start-button like box with the most common tools.

It’s a step forward into a merging world of mobile devices that will mingle with desktops and laptops. Unification.

Nobody stopping you from right clicking in the bottom left hand corner of the screen on the desktop when the “start” preview pops up down there and clicking “Run” and or “Search” or “File Explorer” or all the other options that are there. Hell, start being more efficient and learning key commands, or add a search/run/browser box to your task bar.

You think folks who had to go from punch cards to ASM& UNIX, then DOS and its merry band of autoexec.bat’s, config.sys, and himem.sys, to front ends like Windows 1.0, Eight-in-One, and then overhaul to Windows 3.1, NT and eventually 95 like having to learn new shit? No. Probably not. But they did it. Because why? Because it was the future.

We could… or we could just stick with the tried and tested Windows 7. Your rant only proves that i have no good reason to downgrade to W8, thanks.

Your refusal to change will be your undoing, kind sir!

Lol of course, yet my computer is working perfectly. Thanks for the advice tho.

no his rant proves that nerds like you need to get a life and quit obsessing about how bad you think this OS is. no one cares that you don’t upgrade. i don’t care and microsoft doesn’t care about your $15. $15 is nothing to me so I am upgrading just for the new look. get a a job and a life :D

Nerds like me? Yet you’re taking the time to comment on my comment? Lol. Glad you can afford $15, i’m really impressed.

You know, this would make a lot more sense if I’d spent time criticizing the Start Screen. Start Screen is fine. Other Metro issues described in upcoming article.

I wasn’t really arguing your review, as much as I was arguing against some of the start screen hate in the comments section. Just so you know that.

Here’s hoping that this is the decade wherein linux finally “comes of age” and mops the floor with the competition already. If this isn’t the golden opportunity to do so, I’m not sure what in the world will be, short of all of the important encoding and decoding technologies finally hitting public domain.

As soon as games are 100% supported (and not an afterthough) on the Linux platform by major developers, there’s a great chance I’ll switch to Ubuntu (whose interface and promised features I really like) OR just stay with Windows 7 for a decade or 2 =)

“That’s part of what makes the Metro/Desktop situation so enraging. The Desktop is really well done.”

Also, there’s a pretty big goof in the first page, when you’re explaining why there’s a review of Windows 8 for touch devices and a review for desktop only. It looks like you revised a sentence but forgot to delete the part you were changing.

Fixed that, I think. The Metro/Desktop bit isn’t a Freudian slip. I’ll go into more detail on this on the upcoming story, but the bottom line is that if I could buy desktop as a sort-of Windows 7.8, I absolutely would.

I don’t want to buy W8 as is, because I don’t want to pay MS for releasing what I consider to be such a flawed product. That’s a principle argument, not a technical one.

great, another luddite article…might as well start ignoring everything regarding consumer tech and read only the occasional cool scientific article

Having read both this article and the article on tablets it’s quite obvious trying to combine mobile and desktop functions in one operating system carries some pretty severe compromises. Both articles point to patches addressing the shortcomings but I remain unconvinced that there’s a quick fix. Having a powerful desktop operating system at my fingertips on a tablet is attractive but having to work around all those tablet features on my desktop is beyond counter-productive. I’d be willing to wait for things to get ironed out on a tablet computer but there’s no way I’m putting this on a desktop.

Part of the problem with this article is it seems to miss the point that that Start Screen is a quick-start page for commonly used or at-start apps. Your trying to say “Well, its hard to differentiate legacy installer icons when it pastes 10 of the same icon with slightly altered names per service” (as is the case for the TightVNC). The Start Screen wasn’t intended to act as a “all programs/folder/subfolder/file(s)” replacement. It’s ‘literally’ just a quick launch screen. You wouldn’t treat quick launch as a place to house 10 similar icons for the same program that have different purposes.

Example is this:

You App’s screen, however, is made for this. It retains the same tree hierarchy as “Programs/folder/subfolder/file executable” in a modern style, as well as searching for apps/files/etc as you can see in my example below:

You can access the apps screen just by the magnify glass from the charms bar, or right-clicking where the start button would be on the desktop ion the lower left hand corner of the screen and choosing “search”. BTW, *a lot* of people do not know about that right-click menu that gives you a almost identical Start Button-like list on the desktop (minus shutdown and all programs, which are now replaced with shutdown from charms button and Apps list respectively)

Also… a lot of people are whining about the old run/search field being gone, and the one in the search screen not being to their liking. you can still, however, add a run/search/address bar that functions identical to your taskbar on the desktop in Windows 8.

Wow, thanks for the heads up on right clicking the start hot corner on the desktop! I’ve been using it since the Dev Preview… never thought to try that lol. Super handy shortcut there! I wish ctrl+win key would bring that context menu up as well :)

Yes, it’s kind of odd that more people don’t know about that Start Button “right-click” menu from the bottom left of the win 8 desktop. If you left click the start button, of course, it takes you to the start screen, but right click brings up the old START BUTTON menu options list…

Indeed! It turns out win key+x will open that right click menu too :) real neat.

Sent from my Samsung smartphone on AT&T

Subject: [extremetech] Re: Windows 8: The desktop review

Ooh, that’s a nice shortcut!

Windows 7 Explorer ported over to windows 8 http://www.start.host-ed.me

IF you want the REAL, Genuine Microsoft windows 7 Explorer and start menu GO TO THIS SITE http://www.start.host-ed.me it has now been made available for windows 8

IT IS AMAZING DOWNLOAD IT

After downloading it via Upgrade Assistant, it failed with message “Access Denied.”. A second try started to download from 0%. I cancelled it and used my MSDN subscription to download the ISO.

Once installed, I found it really difficult to use with Laptop mouse/trackpad. The OS is fast, and the tiles look gorgeous and all, but it took me lot of time to perform simple activities like searching an app, shutting down, etc., and switching between metro and desktop is really awful. On top of it, I am unable to get WiFi working :( I am reverting back to Windows 7 for now. :(

Joel, after I read the 1st paragraph where you said that Windows Metro is “the most significant operating system update Microsoft has launched since Windows 95”. I stopped right there and left to leave you this here little comment.

It’s obvious that you don’t know operating systems. Windows 95 is an operating shell, not a system. Windows 2000 was the first true operating system (and significant) from Microsoft.

Stupid double posting troll..It was sad enough to see your comment once but twice..

Sorry about that but… when I clicked on Post as it just sat there. I have posted to other media boards much like this one many have a feature that prevents duplicate postings. But a website that calls itself “Extreme Tech” should already have that feature built in. I’m just saying and again, my apologies.

Please stop talking. Comments are handled by Disqus, not ET. I will agree that the comparison to Win8 to Win95 is a little much when it, more appropriately, should be compared to WinXP in terms of its hype before launch.

Michael, I did not know that Disqus would be handling the discussion. If that is the case then why bother at all with E.T.?

Its a plugin so this site nor any other site that uses this comment system has control over its feature set. Its abasic feature so I dunno why it doesn’t have that either.

Hey, thanks for the reply. I’ll remember that in the future.

FYI: I live in N. Michigan where we have lots of small businesses. Most of them are still using Win XP and refuse to upgrade due to overall cost of buying into new Vista/7/8 support programs (Hallmark, Roxio CD burn s/w etc). They just can’t afford the upgrade to newer programs.

I see Win XP being the standard for small businesses (under 10 employees) for at least the next 10 or so years. Especially with a bad economy going on.

Thought I’d share that with you…

I know a bunch of business will still use it even tho its been EOL’d. I’d say it would be in those companies favor to consider an: upgrade to win7 now that win8 is out. Im sure you can find it cheapand you’ll need it to retain support for most products.

Joel, after I read the

1st paragraph where you said that Windows Metro is “the most

significant operating system update Microsoft has launched since Windows

95″. I stopped right there and left to leave you this here little

It’s obvious that you don’t know operating systems. Windows 95 is an

operating shell, not a system. Windows 2000 was the first true operating

system (and significant) from Microsoft.

Imagine W8 if Microsoft wanted to build *cars*…

Check out the above linked article for how to boot straight into desktop.

Bit of a sour-grapes finish isn’t it? “I like it but you upset me so I’m not getting it…” – it would seem that you used this review to make a political statement about Microsoft’s business practices rather than conclude the review on the product’s merit which is what a review is actually about.

@Joel Hruska, one thing I would say you need to think about… Using the metro Start page ONLY as your start menu. Using the windows key to quickly go there and Win-D to go back to desktop (or just Windows key) is very quick and easy, and here is my tip.

REMOVE ALL METRO APPS! ALL OF THEM. Use only the Win8 apps, and use Metro purely as a very pretty way to display your apps. You can drag and drop your Start page so apps are grouped/categorised the way you want… so it would be pretty easy to make it as intuitive as an alphabetical hierarchical menu… give it a go!

@google-508488f293a18f0bd7a9768484c4c39d:disqus also there is a way to make the Start menu default to ALL APPS which is an alphabetical list like youd get on the old home button, but of course, much wider and prettier.

@google-508488f293a18f0bd7a9768484c4c39d:disqus also IMO the biggest PITA is the lack of sleep/hibernate/shutdown in Desktop mode, and even in the Start screen it is UNBELIEVABLY stupidly placed, you have to mouse about to get the charms, then go to Settings (. WTF) then Power, and THEN choose to shutdown. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE… by far the worst thing about win8.

I bought Windows 8 for my HTPC, simply as a backend for my XBMC-frontend. I am very happy with the fact that it’s way faster than Windows 7 and much more stable. Also it handles things like resuming from suspend to RAM awesome out of the box, where I needed to install an additional app in Windows 7.

I would never install Windows 8 on a desktop, because I can’t stand the start screen, everything else is simply awesome. If they release an SP1 with a disable Start Screen function I’ll be happy camper, because I love everything else about it.

I really don’t get why microsoft decided to go this route, because I can’t image that people would be buying this for their laptop, The start screen seriously reduces the wife approval factor, which is what most Windows owners are dealing with. Besides that, no company can go for Windows 8. So I don’t get what their point was with this.

don’t care about Win 8, although I interested to use in tablet but no way for desktop. The most important for me is productivity with real world. I mean, it’s doesn’t matter what OS you use as long as it fit with your daily use. I have friend use macbook pro that cost almost 2X from my notebook, but his monthly earning isn’t as much as I am :D

For now, I still use Win XP on my desktop, and Win 7 on my notebook and never use Vista. So, why use newer OS or software if you don’t really need it or even maximize it?

so, it’s back to our personal needed. I just need for daily use and productivity and improve my earning, don’t take care for the interface, prestige etc.

so i cant listen to my browser when i go back to my desktop (without closing brower) on my windows 8 how can i change this??

The article is so poorly written as to be worthless.

Sentence structure is atrocious.

The author excels at ambiguity.

ExtremeTech Newsletter

Subscribe Today to get the latest ExtremeTech news delivered right to your inbox.

More Articles

• FBI and Apple May Again Clash Over Encypted iPhone After Texas ShootingNov 10


• Faraday No Future: Things Looking Dim for EV StartupNov 10


• Apple Working to Fix iPhone X Cold Bug, But This Problem Isn’t NewNov 10


• The Best Outdoor Security CamerasNov 10


• ET Deals: GlassWire Pro Lifetime License for $29Nov 10

• Facebook


• Twitter

• About


• Contact


• Newsletters


• Advertise

• More From Ziff Davis:


• PCMag


• Computer Shopper


• Geek


• AskMen


• Everyday Health


• IGN


• Offers.com


• Speedtest.net


• TechBargains


• Toolbox


• What to Expect

• RSS Feeds


• Privacy Policy


• Terms of Use


• Advertise


• Accessibility Statement

ExtremeTech is among the federally registered trademarks of

Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission.

We have updated our PRIVACY POLICY and encourage you to read it by clicking here.