Windows 7 vs Windows 8 topics have been the rage since Microsoft announced the releasing date of Windows 8 (which is by the end of 2012, by the way). Windows 8 is really a breakthrough in the Windows series of operating systems. It will supposedly include a lot of new features which will change what we now know as ‘Windows’.

For instance, Windows revolved around the Start menu for over 16 years, but with Windows 8, the Start menu will cease to exist. Windows 8 boots up into the Metro style interface from what is called the Start screen. You can’t get the Start menu even if you flip into Desktop view and click the flag at the bottom left corner, it jumps back to Metro.

However we can’t predict in which direction the Windows 7 vs. Windows 8 battle will swing with this change, because this change might be difficult for hard core Windows users to accept. For them it’s now the unfamiliar Metro tiles and no more icons. The interface paradigms that they knew are now gone and it’s time to relearn things, whether you like it or not.

The good news for Windows veterans is that the glorious Windows 7 superbar is still there, provided only the standard Windows (Win32) programs grace the task bar. Again, there is no means to switch between Metro apps. One of the best features of Windows 7-the ability to hit the Windows key and find any app or file on your computer simply by typing, is no more. But you can still search similarly in Windows 8, but you can search only apps, settings, or files. Also changing between each category requires another click.

These are the major differences in the Windows 7 and Windows 8 Start menu and search options.