Best Windows 8 apps

Windows 8 is here - Microsoft's biggest operating system shake-up since it introduced the desktop. It's the first to truly embrace touch-enabled devices, as well as the first to include its own dedicated app store. Clicking on the Windows Store icon on the Start Screen will jump you straight into a huge collection of free and paid for apps, all of which are designed specifically for the new Modern UI interface. There are some clear gems to be discovered around all the chaff, but it can take a bit of digging. That's why we've rounded up some of the best early efforts here, to save you the time. Read on to work out which ones are right for you.

1. MAGIX MUSIC MAKER JAM

After five minutes with this app, we were making dubstep worthy of Skrillex. Eight instruments are arrayed across your screen, from bass to synth to vocals, and you adjust levels and instrument types to get the groove you need. There's even a loop generator for more advanced control.

The free version lets you choose from Jazz, Dubstep and Tech House styles, and extra styles such as Hip-Hop and Deephouse are available for £1.79 each. Once you have your loop how you want it, just hit record to save it to an MP3. 

2. EVERNOTE

Evernote is our favourite note-taking app, mainly because it is available on every smartphone operating system - whether you have an iPhone or Windows Phone or Android handset, your notes will be kept in sync.

Normally we use the web interface when managing our notes on a PC, but the Evernote Windows 8 app makes things easier. The clear, full-screen interface shows your notes as tiles, each containing a summary of the note, and any changes you make or new notes you add are synchronised across all your devices.

3. SKYPE

Skype has expanded from mere voice over IP into video conferencing and instant messaging, across Windows, Android, iOS and even smart TVs. It’s also now owned by Microsoft, so there should be no surprise that it’s available at launch for Windows 8. It’s also one of the best looking Windows 8 apps we’ve seen so far.

All the features we’ve come to expect are here, presented in a gorgeous Modern UI style that’s easy to navigate with a mouse and keyboard or on a touch screen. It has a live tile, as any good Windows 8 app should, and if you allow it to merge your Skype account with Windows messenger, all your existing contacts will be imported, letting you chat without having to load up a second program.

There's no need to install the desktop program when you've got this installed - it's exactly what a Windows 8 upgrade should be, freeing the desktop for more productive programs.