使用苹果Mac系统11年了，从那时起，我就没想过有一天我会说这样的说：
我翘首企盼新一代Windows。
今年秋天，微软将发布Window 8系统，这是自Windows 95以来，时隔17年以后微软公司对PC操作系统进行的首次全新设计。
Windows 8是彻头彻尾的全新设计，支持传统的桌面和平板电脑运行。一眼望去，你会发现经典的“开始”菜单已经没有，取而代之的是精美的桌面平铺用户自定义的应用程序和文件。微软将这个桌面成为“Metro”界面（暂译为“大都会”）。可以等同于当前少数几款Windows Phone 7智能手机所搭载的系统。
桌面的信息块显示实时更新的新闻、体育、天气，还有Twitter和Facebook更新消息，这都是不需登陆软件就能收到。只需看一眼，你想获得的信息全部都能一目了然。同过去是Windows可不一样。
这也是我为什么如此期待着今秋能用上Windows 8的原因了。这一重大改革十分不像“微软范”，至少在过去的10年是这样。
此外，还有一项难以置信的大变革。微软免费提供客户抢先试用Windows 8 beta版（测试版），上几周我已经体验过。当前，只有少量的平板电脑可以运行Windows 8，所以，我是在笔记本上使用的。
然而，由于“Metro”界面的设计倾向于平板电脑用户，而非鼠标光标操作用户，所以要想上手Windows 8操作系统，还是需要一定时间学习的。徘徊在开始页面的时候，除非你已对快捷键轻车熟路，否则你在键盘上真的可能会摸不着头脑。
但一旦你尝试了，就会觉得太棒了，绝非以往你使用过的任何一种操作系统。它是新旧版本的绝妙组合。当苹果正慢慢的把移动手机系统打造成iPhone的经典特征时，微软一下就来了一个巨大的飞跃。并打算将此系统应用于智能手机和平板电脑。
这已经足以使得像我这样的“果粉”淌口水。
但假如你担心自己一时之间无法接受Windows 8的全部革新，又该怎么办？
别担心，经典Windows依然还在。微软将它隐藏在“Metro”界面的后台。这就是说，你可以使用过去的老版任务栏、开始菜单和桌面图标等。这是一项不错的过渡手段，此外，像Excel和Powerpoint等软件在经典桌面运行更流畅。
当然，现在说微软的Windows 8系统能大获成功也为时过早。手机用户对Windows Phone的热情还不算太高，而Windows 8也不过就是Windows Phone的放大版。
但如果微软能够研发一项最新产品，勾起我们的热情，那么，也许这事就做对了。
I've been a Mac user for about 11 years. And since I made the switch, I never thought the day would come when I'd say this:
I'm excited for the next version of Windows.
This fall, Microsoft will launch Windows 8, a radical redesign from the Windows you've grown accustomed to since Windows 95 made its debut 17 years ago.
Windows 8 has been reimagined from the ground up, and it's built to run on both the traditional desktop and touchscreen tablets. At first glance, you'll notice the classic Start menu is gone, replaced by a gorgeous tile layout full of your favorite apps and files. Microsoft calls this the "Metro" interface. Imagine it as a blown-up version of the Windows Phone 7 interface used on several smartphones now.
Those little tiles provide live updates with news, sports, weather, Twitter mentions and Facebook updates without you even having to open the app. In one quick glance, you can get all the information you need. It's not the same old Windows.
And that's what makes me so excited to try the final version of Windows 8 this fall. In a very un-Microsoft move, the company created the most radical redesign of the desktop in well over a decade.
It's incredibly functional, too. A beta version Windows 8 is available as a free consumer preview, and I've been using it for the last few weeks. Right now, there are only a handful of prototype tablets that run Windows 8, so I've been using it on a laptop instead.
However, since the Metro interface is designed more for touch than a mouse cursor, there's a bit of a learning curve with Windows 8. Scrolling through the Start screen can get confusing on a keyboard until you learn all the shortcuts.
But once you do, the experience is incredible, unlike any operating system I've ever used. It's the perfect hybrid of old and new. While Apple attempts slowly to merge its mobile operating system into the desktop with new iPhone-like features, Microsoft made a bold move and jumped ahead to the future where most computing takes place on touch-friendly smartphones and tablets.
It's enough to make an Apple fan like me drool.
But what if you're worried you won't be able to catch on to the new look in Windows 8?
The classic Windows is still there in Windows 8. Microsoft hid it behind the Metro interface. That means you get the same old taskbar, Start menu and desktop full of icons for your favorite apps. It's a great way to ease the transition. Plus, some apps such as Excel and Powerpoint just work better on the classic desktop.
Of course, it's far too early to tell if Microsoft's gamble with Windows 8 will pay off. Consumers have been slow to adopt Windows Phones, and Windows 8 is essentially just a blown-up version of that.
But if Microsoft can get me this pumped up over a new product, then it must be doing something right.
