Most interface changes to new editions of Windows have been minor–an icon moved here, a toolbar added there. Windows 8 will be different, using a completely new Metro interface as the primary ...

The year is drawing to a close, so there’s a very good chance that you now find yourself staring straight down the gaping maw of Windows 8. Maybe someone gave you a new Windows tablet or PC as a gift.

Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" ...