On a tablet, one of Windows 8's biggest draws is its ability—unlike most Android and Apple tablets—to run multiple apps side-by-side. That ability helps out big-time on a PC, too, which is why Windows 8's original Snap capabilities were so disappointing: You could use no more than two apps at a time, and they were locked into a permanent 75/25 split onscreen.

Snap has grown up in Windows 8.1, greatly improving the OS's user-friendliness on desktops. Larger, pixel-packed displays can now snap three or more apps simultaneously depending on their resolution, and you can dynamically adjust how much of the screen each app occupies.