( CNN ) -- 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 wo n'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 . Copyright © 2011 Business Insider .
This fall , Microsoft will launch Windows 8 , a radical redesign from the Windows of old . The classic Start menu is gone , replaced by a tile layout full of your favorite apps and files . You can also drag windows around to rearrange them or resize them if you want.