So what is Microsoft trying to accomplish with Windows 8 anyway?  Well, although I have not switched over to the Windows 8 platform on my systems yet, I can see where MS is heading.  They are trying to get all of their systems on the same platform – PCs, tablets, phones, game systems, the cloud, etc.  If their plan is successful, you would be able to switch from device to device, and have the same apps available on each of them, and be able to use the same interface on all of them.

With SkyDrive, all of your devices could share the same files, located in the same place.  Take a picture with your Windows Phone, save it to SkyDrive, and then edit it on your laptop.  Put together a presentation on your desktop, and present it with your tablet directly from SkyDrive.  Of course, it all depends on a good internet connection.

The Xbox always did a good job with music and video, so imagine if you could have the same features and speed when using your phone or tablet.  You could find the movie you want to watch with your tablet, and then send it to your TV to watch it.

Finally, that really cool app you just installed on your phone could also be installed on your tablet, laptop or even Xbox.  The main benefit behind using the same operating platform on all your devices is that you can use the same programs.  This saves a lot of time and aggravation having to learn new software all the time.

Finally, you can tie all your devices and cloud services together using your Windows Live ID – now called your Microsoft Account.  You can also tie in your other accounts such as Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and Twitter.  All those services then become integrated with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, and they will be tied to any device that you log in to.

I don’t think that the average user is ready for this transition yet… but they may not have a choice soon.  In the very near future, every PC that you buy will have Windows 8 installed.