The Corporate Machine

The Corporate Machine might be my preferred type of machine for younger consumers. After all, as is the case with many online video games, it's worth making it in one's pocket to hold onto the data, while it's probably not as efficient.

From what I've seen so far, though, the Trust GX300 uses Windows Media Center as its main draw.

Bearing all that in mind, I'm definitely going to try this out.

"The Corporate Machine is more user friendly than a lot of other comparable systems," says Stuart Carns, GX and manager of this year's Consumer Reports. "The front screen allows you to get up to speed and have all the information you need on the screen, and if you want to keep an eye on the other system in your facility, you can click the [front screen] to start playing the latest movie in the movie theater."

The user interface is easy to understand, and works well for accessing the PC, network and media, which are all accessed through the top touchpad.

Where most games take place in the Windows Home interface, you'll find it at the bottom of the screen, and there's no touch control on the part of the user.

And if you've used a USB mouse, mouse and trackpad, you'll know what I'm talking about. There are some symbols on the right side of the screen that enable you to adjust settings, such as pressing the Action button and the Gamepad (more on that later). These buttons are not visible, but the controls are clickable, and you can also press the Action button to cycle through various options (apparently you need to press both the right and left mouse buttons simultaneously), which are found on the left side of the screen.

Buttons aren't just reserved for Microsoft's Windows Media Center service. Your Home button is reserved for the Media Center applications, and these can be accessed from any system running Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. It's important to note that these keys are separate from the central 'Input' button.

Instead, they're accessed through the keyboard. While you'll find them on the Home key of the Home key of Windows 8.1, you'll have to use the right mouse button to bring up the top panel of the interface. This is, to be frank, a confusing device to type on, and it's only after you've mastered how to operate the buttons that the idea of hitting the Windows button becomes a very welcome sight.

It's clear that Microsoft is trying to push out new versions of Windows for the new operating system, and it's done a good job of it.

Windows 8 has the essentials for just about anyone, including those that use regular desktop computers, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. All the usual suspects are present, including the Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 services. That means you can sync these services across two different operating systems and run them in parallel, meaning that your Mac or PC will be able to do the same work in the same location.

The good news is that Microsoft has included the Windows Store, so you can easily download software directly from the App Store or the Microsoft Store. The bad news is that the rest of the functionality will be locked until you've tried out the apps on the Windows Store.

Windows 8 and Windows RT have been pushed out to the general public, but many people who don't like Windows 8 will be missing out. The bad news is that there's a free trial available on both Windows 8.1 and Windows RT, which is a great deal, but you don't get to see how the new OS plays things, which is a shame.

But this is still a Windows 8.1.1 release. As for RT, Microsoft will offer an "Up until June 2015" promotion, which will give you a chance to get the preview version of the Windows 8.1 RT version of the OS. If you don't have Windows RT, you can check the Windows Store page for Windows 8.1 right here (opens in new tab).

That means if you're using Windows RT, you don't have to go to the official store page. You can see your details, download the Windows 8.1 RT version for free from the official store page, and wait for the price to drop below $30 to pick it up at the discounted price.

If you've purchased an RT device, you'll have to wait until June 2015, which means you won't be able to pick up an RT device until June 2015.

We were fortunate enough to get a chance to go hands-on with Windows 8.1 during a recent Windows Live developer event. Here, we take a look at how Microsoft's built-in operating system will work and what the OS is capable of, and what it means for productivity.

Our expert review:

To the surprise of anyone who knows the name Dell, they're probably familiar with Windows 8.