Well, it is a shutdown and a hibernate, kind of both. Some parts are shut down, some parts are hibernated.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/08/delivering-fast-boot-times-in-windows-8.aspx

EDIT: As a tip, make sure to enable Enhanced Protection Mode in IE.

When the user goes to turn off the computer they are looking for something labelled "Shut Down". The new hybrid mode isn't actually a traditional shut down, but the end result is that it shuts down and starts up much faster; the user doesn't really care why. Users wanting the old functionality back (for whatever reason) can disable it in the Power Options with a couple of clicks.

The only place where this really matters is with Windows Updates (previously updates would install when using Shut Down). The visible functionality is still the same, however, since Windows Update has always suggested restarting rather than shutting down.

If you are dual booting Windows 8, note that you will only see an OS selection menu if the Windows 8 boot loader is the default and/or fast startup is disabled; with any other boot loader Windows 8's fast startup makes it start automatically without prompting for an OS. You can still choose another OS from within Windows 8 by using the advanced startup mode.

Dude, my Grandma gets intimidated by technology easily. She hates change even a cosmetic or a minor change such as when I swapped her from the default windows mail in XP to Thunderbird. It is best to keep her with as much familiarity as possible and not introduce her to anything new and Windows 7 would have offered her familiarity.

Then WinRT applications will be perfect for her. Most of them follow very similar design concepts / patters / principles / whatever.

What do you mean by WinRT, is that what they are calling metro these days?

I hope she can pick up on Windows 8 (with my help), because it looks like she is stuck with it. The homogenization will definitely help.

WinRT <=> Windows Runtime which the apps use.

Metro apps / Modern apps / Windows 8 style apps / Windows Store apps / Whatever apps => WinRT apps. At least for me, call them whatever you want. :p

Yeah, you're pretty much reinforcing the fact that she'll do better with a standardized UI, growing pains or not, you'll be shocked at how fast she learns it and prefers it. There's a reason that every Honey Baked Ham in the US is filled with septuagenarians tapping on their smart phones.

If nothing else, it is also good practise if she ever ends up using a Windows 8/RT tablet or smartphone. :) Last week I tried out some ASUS Windows RT tablet in a store, and I was completely familiar with it from the start due to using Windows 8 on PC (and I'm sure this is what MS wants anyway, to familiarize us with the new UI across all devices).

It also demonstrated well to me how much better the Metro UI works with touch devices, it was natural and a joy to use there. I presume in the near future new laptop and even desktop PCs will have touch screens and monitors anyway... Windows world will be quite some time in the "twilight zone" where you can do many stuff either with the mouse, or the touch controls. Your choice.

The jumping between "Metro UI" and legacy desktop mode can be a bit distracting sometimes, but like with so many other things in life, you'll learn to live with it (that seems to be true even for the infamous Ubuntu Unity). And at this point of time, it seems where the Windows world is heading anyway, even if you can try to avoid it as long as you can as a Windows user.

If in doubt, just keep pushing the Windows key...

I think all PCs, even desktops, will probably do that in the future. Not necessarily because they really benefit from them, but just because people expect to be able to also touch the screen, if it is anywhere in their arm's reach (ie., maybe excluding big screen TVs... but never say never, I'm not sure if some of them have touch controls too, or then they use the Kinetic type controls instead).

I can see this already with my gf. She is so accustomed to the touch screen on the ASUS Transformer (which feels like a small laptop with a touchscreen and a keyboard) that she sometimes unconsciously touches the screen when she is using a laptop or even a desktop PC, and then saying to herself: "Oh right, no touch screen...", and reaching back to the mouse.

On laptops and desktops the touch screen controls are not very ergonomical because you'll constantly have to raise your whole arm, but it won't necessarily be the main UI in these "PC-like" devices, but used occasionally instead of the mouse, as an alternative. Like touching "Start a new game" instead of clicking it with a mouse, or moving a window around with your finger, instead of a mouse or touchpad.

But I still want to play my FPS games with a mouse!

You mean... "Upgrading" to Windows 7? :-P

my old folks hate tech, they switched from a smart phone (android) to a old phone. Windows 8 came on her new laptop and hes thrilled, set up a universal login that follows here between (new) tablet and computer and it all syncs and auto updates...

everything she does works and it does it perfectly.... i have RDP on and access to trouble shoot but so far shes happy. windows 7 has to many rules...

windows 8 is store => app => install => run

windows 7 is find => download => find => install => install dependency => find launch shortcut => click => pray => run

you pic the complexity and maybe you can disregard your own prejudices and give it a chance.. allow her to choose what she wants dont choose for her. Never force a choice on anyone, allow them to choose... because once we lose that, who are we?

For 99% of them, no argument:)

From an ergonomic point of view, it's a disaster area. Try to use it without putting your hands above your heart and at the same time while still sitting upright. Not gonna happen.

I hear this a lot, but almost exclusively from people who haven't used them. You realize most people sit these things in their lap while sitting on the couch, right?